Due to a shortage of teachers one day at the Jhumlawang Primary School, this little guy stepped up and volunteered to teach a classroom of his younger peers. JVF-Nepal are the community based foundation that are working to improve the conditions of this school and all other aspects of key sustainable infrastructure that the village of Jhumlawang needs to be self sufficient. One of it's members describes the story whilst on a visit to the village;
"One day during my visit last year in December, I was just passing by our primary school. I heard a bit of an unusual voice in a class, and other kids were repeating what he was saying! So, I walked towards that class and there he was. A little boy acting as a teacher and teaching his Juniors! The confidence I saw on him at that very moment re-affirmed my belief that our community certainly has a better future!!"
- Buddha Kush - JVF International Coordinator
- Buddha Kush - JVF International Coordinator
Now at the time, this simple act may have been only looked upon as an act of great kindness. However, if you look at the situation of the village you'll begin to understand that this act exemplifies the attitude and spirit of the people of Jhumlawang.
The village, and surrounding villages, are in desperate need of electricity, not only as it is an obvious necessity of modernity but it will speed up progress of other building projects including the extension of the Jhumlawang Primary School.
The school that is producing confident and intelligent children such as the child mentioned above.
They have been lucky to some extent in the sense that the Alternative Energy Department of Nepal have initiated the Kyangsi Khola River Micro-Hydro project that will provide electricity to Jhumlawang and it's neighbouring village of Kyangsi.
This project isn't a gift. To make it work, both communities must contribute at least 40% of the total budget allowed. In this case, €96,000 worth of physical labour must be put forward. This is done through a contractual and moral obligation that one member of every family must work on the 'Micro-Hydro' project.
The school that is producing confident and intelligent children such as the child mentioned above.
They have been lucky to some extent in the sense that the Alternative Energy Department of Nepal have initiated the Kyangsi Khola River Micro-Hydro project that will provide electricity to Jhumlawang and it's neighbouring village of Kyangsi.
This project isn't a gift. To make it work, both communities must contribute at least 40% of the total budget allowed. In this case, €96,000 worth of physical labour must be put forward. This is done through a contractual and moral obligation that one member of every family must work on the 'Micro-Hydro' project.
This is the case with all progression in Jhumlawang. All projects, from the Primary School to the Community Health Centre, are subsidized, as much as they can be, by human resources that are locally available. The villagers show that they are doing everything they can do make their village a more sustainable place to live. Their attitude very much reflects a famous, yet religious, quote 'God helps those who help themselves.' In doing all of this, their aims are to try and inspire neighboring villages to follow this way of life.
Although, as a result of their hard work and commitment to a better, more sustainable future, human resources are spread too thin over their current projects. The Primary School Extension, that the 'Help Us Learn: Wales Coast Challenge' is raising funds for, has had to be delayed to allow more time and resources to be spent on the 'Micro-Hydro' project. Which in itself needs to be finished before monsoon season, July 2013.
As you can see, our work is more important now than it's ever been. The phrase 'our work' doesn't just mean Help Us Learn and JVF-Nepal, it's all of us working together and gaining understanding for a better future, just like the people of Jhumlawang.
We're taking on this challenge in the hope that you can be aware of these issues and others like it around the world. The funds we raise will go to making all their work worthwhile.
You can find out about the great work being done by JVF-Nepal and the people of Jhumlawang to create a sustainable way of life here; www.jvf-nepal.org or follow the links below.
We're taking on this challenge in the hope that you can be aware of these issues and others like it around the world. The funds we raise will go to making all their work worthwhile.
You can find out about the great work being done by JVF-Nepal and the people of Jhumlawang to create a sustainable way of life here; www.jvf-nepal.org or follow the links below.