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On May 12, 2015 the Shree Sunkoshi Primary School was damaged by the earthquake which did great damage throughout Nepal. The school structure collapsed under a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. During the event, there was significant damage to the school and seventeen children attending first grade at the school were badly injured. One child died immediately. In this school more than 85% the of students belong to the untouchable cast people, many of which lost their entire home and livestock in the earthquake. The people are poor and depend upon other wealthy people for household work to make ends meet. The untouchables also have no land for gardens to grow food. They do part time work fishing in the local river for livelihood.
More than 47 household in the village sent their children to the Shree Sunkoshi Primary school. Once repaired, the school would likely attract more children, particularly if school supplies and clothing could be provided.
During the rainy season and cold season, the school is not able to operate because the rain goes inside the classroom since the school is now just an open temporary structure. Cold air also enters the classrooms making it difficult to teach the children. Due to the damage from the earthquake, the school does not have enough classrooms, so they merge the classes and are conducting three classes in two rooms. Reconstruction of the school will restore the classrooms to a permanent structure with three classrooms.
The project will require four months to complete after receipt of funding. It is important to receive the funds soon, so work may be started and competed before winter term begins.
The villagers are eager to provide the free labor to reconstruct their school. They need the construction materials which will be funded by this project. The Rotaractors from Kathmandu will also be volunteering to help with this project. The villagers put the school reconstruction as a greater priority than reconstruction of their homes. They are so eager to reconstruct the school and worried about the children's future.
This project will be managed by Rotarian Sudip Koirala, Present Elect Nominee of the Rotary Club of Rudramati, Kathmandu in Rotary International District 3292 Nepal and Bhutan. Our Rotary Club of Fort Collins, After Work, has worked with Sudip since 2009 and have successfully completed over 40 projects with Sudip in Nepal. Sudip is very conscious and always completes these projects. This project, selected by Sudip, will restore one more of many schools damaged in the devastating 2015 earthquake. We feel this is a very worthwhile project because it will restore education to the children in a small village of untouchables who receive very little assistance from others.
Sudip will work with four Rotaractors including Deepak Achhami, Samir Pudashaini , Santosh Dahal and Jagadish Koirala to reconstruct the school. They will be in village to monitor, supervise and assist the villagers to manage the construction work and purchasing goods.
Sudip Koirala will be supervising and communicating and Rotarian Mohan Karki, who will also be there assisting.
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