June 2017 Field Visit to Shree Prajawasti & Community Meeting

1. Introduction

This report presents the results of site observation of the reconstruction of Shree Prajawasti Primary School, Bardada, Makaising-03, Gorkha, from 11 June, 2017 to 17 June, 2017. The purpose of the visit assures the project is being built in general conformance with the contract documents and according to the design concept.

3. Works Performed

The visit to the school was done on 11 June, 2017. All the constructions work of Phase I has been completed. The office of District Water Supply & Sanitation (DWSS), Gorkha agreed to fund the water supply project to Shree Prajawasti Primary School after the meeting with KFN team on 09 April, 2017. A total of NRs. 800000 was granted to the school for the project. The budget estimation was reviewed and the local workers were briefed about the construction details according to the documents provided by the DWSS office. The project is scheduled to be completed by 15 July, 2017.

A meeting was held between KFN team, teacher parent committee, school management committee and community people with the purpose of discussion on the additional works to be conducted in Shree Prajawasti Primary School. The community people have agreed to provide available stones for gabion wall and wood for the furniture to the school free of cost. But the organization has to pay for the cutting and transportation charges. They have also agreed to contribute labor work to some extent for the additional works.

Besides the additional work the meeting was too about the discussion for teachers training program where the teachers and school management committee were informed about the child development and teacher training through Early Child Development Program through 16 days basic training for the teachers in which 1 day will be for community orientation, 5 days for parenting education and 2 days for management committee covering all the ECD essentials. The teachers and school management committee were grateful and thankful to our effort for providing them the training and showed positive response.

We too noticed changes in the students where some of the students were seen free from dirt and properly dressed. Yet, there are lots of things to do as most of the students still are coming with bare feet and torn dresses with skin problems. In spite of many setbacks the teachers and students are happy with their new classroom buildings which has provided them a safer place to study. The students are also motivated in learning and are hoping for good infrastructures of their classrooms in coming days so that they get to study in child friendly environment.

Our project there has encouraged the local community, teachers, school management committee and resource center to start Grade Five in that school as the students are willing to study in Shree Prajawasti Primary School rather going to another school.

Our stay in Makaising during this visit was the most strenuous one we ever had. The water sources have all dried up in the village and there was no water available in the house where we stayed. We had to walk for about 30 minutes to get to a public tap for washing and cleaning. We could not get proper sleep due to hot climate and bug bites. Also, the hotel where we used to eat has become unhygienic and costlier than before.

Due to these problems, we think that it’s best to setup a kitchen in the room where we live. This one time action will reduce the costing for the food during field visits. Also, we’d like to recommend all the volunteers arriving to Nepal this summer to bring mosquito nets, boots that don’t slip, a portable fan and daily use things.