Project Update, May 2011
CAIRN Schools & Libraries
CAIRN Schools
We have now constructed nine schools which are currently providing improved learning environments to over 3,000 pupils across 52 classrooms. The latest school builds were in the relatively new district of Gorkha, in the villages of Bichour and Bumlichowk.
Work is still progressing in Rainas Kundule and we are hopeful that this building project will be completed by November 2011. Improvements are also being made to the interior of the school at Dudpokhari through our maintenance programme.
During our recent trek in April 2011, foundation stones were laid for the new construction projects in Hille Taksar and Charagaun. In Hille Taksar, during the monsoon season, lessons have been taking place in puddle riddled classrooms. Both communities in these villages are playing an active part in the project. The intention is to have completed this construction project by April 2012. As the monsoon season will be shortly starting, the majority of our construction projects will slow down until September 2011.
The increasing cost of construction continues to pose huge demands on the charities financial situation. We are constantly looking at new methods of keeping construction costs down including looking at alternative building materials and increased community involvement.
Existing classroom in Charagaun Existing classroom in Hille Taksar
CAIRN Libraries
We now have implemented six libraries including our first ever double library consisting of both primary and secondary level library rooms. This library in Duipiple will be providing learning resources to over 1,000 pupils. Within these libraries, we have stocked over 7,000 Nepali and British books offering resources to 2,500 pupils and over 100 teachers.
We are proud to share that we have also successfully trained 16 librarians and librarian assistants on how to maximise usage of their library. Culturally, it is a challenging shift for the librarian team to move from safeguarding the limited or none existent resources at school to keeping the doors open so that pupils can truly maximise the benefits of a free and equipped library.
We have already identified the next tranche of libraries being delivered between now and November 2011. These will be in a new area of Western Nepal and we are excited that their implementation will be through an improved method of execution called 'cluster implementation'. 'We look forward to updating you on our progress.
CAIRN Nursery Schools
CAIRN has now installed and equipped five nursery class rooms into four existing schools offering 120 children the ideal early learning environment.
Through these nursery schools, some of the youngest children within our community can start on their educational journey. The rooms are decorated in bright colours with a large supply of learning resources. All the nursery schools have the facilities of a kitchen and clean toilets with running water for the children. We will be installing a nursery school into the existing school in Simpani, which should be ready by December 2011. We will be identifying two other locations in which the communities could benefit from nursery schools.
CAIRN Educational Awards
1,000 children across eight villages started their new Nepali academic year in April, through the support of the CAIRN Educational Awards Programme.
Prior to this, nearly 800 pupils sat their end of year exams as part of the previous academic year, in March 2011. We are looking forward to receiving their results and sharing them with you.
We continue to modify and improve the CEA Programme ensuring that we remain child centred and community led. CAIRN has sadly been forced by the political forces beyond our control to include tuition costs into the package for all our pupils in grades 8, 9 and 10. Long term this may have a noticeable impact on the cost of the CEA package.
CAIRN Communities
Another nine families from the village of Ghanpokhara have now received a goat each as we launched the second Goat breeding Income generation scheme. The families have also received training on how to look after their livestock and were assisted in building their goat sheds. The initial goat breeding trial, which was launched just over a year ago, is still continuing with the ten families who received two goats each. The progress of breeding has been slower then originally anticipated. We will continue with both these two goat trials and undertake another project review in April 2012.
