Ugratara School
Content coming soon.
Building the School in Ghumarchowk
Up till 2013, Ghumarchowk didn’t have a high school. The community had a run down and underfunded public middle school that was on the verge of being shut down. Many students dropped out after completing 8th grade or would walk long distance to and fro from a school in the city. The government funding accommodated teachers’ salaries, but all other costs were to be covered by the families. The Hem Sarita Pathak Foundation revived the middle school by providing financial support to the staff and constructed the high school in 2013 making education accessible to every child in the village. Our students come from very poor socioeconomic backgrounds but are now able to continue their education without any financial burdens.
Kofi Annan said, “Literacy unlocks the door to learning throughout life, is essential to development and health, and opens the way for democratic participation and active citizenship”. The Hem Sarita Pathak Foundation is dedicated to promoting and enabling educational opportunities for the most vulnerable children in Nepal with our initial efforts based at Ghumarchowk.
About Ghumarchowk
There are many complex challenges to the Nepalese educational system. A significant portion of the country’s population lives in rural areas where no phones, roads, clean water, or schools exist. The story of Ghumarchowk, Sankhu is similar. Although situated in the nation’s capital, Ghumarchowk is an isolated rural village and lacks access to basic infrastructures. The village is home to 99% ethnic Tamang inhabitants who rely on farming for income. Unemployment in the village is rampant because most adults in the village are uneducated. Most of our students at Ugratara come from very poor socioeconomic backgrounds. The students and families lack access to even basic amenities such as toilets.
Our Work to Support Our Students and Their Families
There are many barriers to education and access to healthcare is an obvious one. Our students come from poor socioeconomic backgrounds and are unable to afford health and dental care. In a recent survey conducted at the village, we learned that over 47% of the villagers had never seen a physician. We also learned from the survey that there is strong need for hygiene awareness.
To address this issue, the Hem Sarita Pathak Foundation in partnership with medical students from UT Southwestern has been conducting yearly health and dental camps for students and families since 2013. HSPF’s collaborative efforts with the medical students has included hand-washing campaigns aimed at teaching every student and individual in the community about the importance of hygiene and proper hand washing technique.