Chharka Bhot, Dolpa
SHREE CHHARKA BHOT BASIC SCHOOL

Reconstruction & Extension to Boarding School

Place

Chharka Bhot,
Ward-1,
Tangshong Rural Municipality,
District Dolpa

Who

Implementation: Chay Ya Nepal & local partner Dolpo Tomorrow,
voluntary work contribution by the local community

When

2018 - 2022

For

120 students

Status

Completed and in operation

Project

Chharka Bhot is an isolated village in the northeastern part of the Dolpo region, on the border with Tibet. The Shree Chharka Bhot Basic School is a government school managed by the local community. 60 children attended it in the last years although it was dilapidated, and parts of it in danger of collapsing. Chay Ya, in cooperation with many sponsors and local networks, has built a new, solid and bright school building including dormitories. For a healthy nutrition of the students, Chay Ya Switzerland has financed a greenhouse – a bit of clay, bamboo poles and plastic film ensure three months longer harvests and fresh vegetables.

Now a total of 120 children, including those from the surrounding villages, can attend classes. Previously, half of the students lived in villages further away, much too far for the daily walk to school. A total of 19 rooms (a kitchen, a storeroom, an office, a library, two dormitories for the teachers, four dormitories for the students, nine classrooms from kindergarten to sixth grade) will be built to provide accommodation and education for all children. The project is supported by the village population, among other things by helping with the construction free of charge. The local population also provides food for the students.

Chharka Bhot is located at 4,300 meters and is our highest school. To get from Kathmandu to Chharka Bhot, you have to fly to Nepalganj (in the south of the country) and take another flight to Juphal the following day. From Juphal, another 5 to 7 days on foot over 5,000-meter passes are needed to reach Chharka. Dolpo has no road access and is one of the three most remote districts of Nepal. Due to the cold weather, construction can only take place for six months (summer).

Cultural characteristic of Chharka: The inhabitants of Dolpo belong to the discriminated Bhote ethnic group (Buddhists descended from Tibeto-Burman tribes) and live a semi-nomadic lifestyle. In summer they move to the pastures with their cattle, and in winter, they live in fortified huts made of stone and clay. However, the winters are so bitterly cold (sometimes as low as – 30° Celsius) that school attendance is impossible. In addition, there is danger from snowstorms and avalanches.

About five years ago, a teacher, Samdup Tserin Gurung, approached our association asking for support for building a boarding school for the given reasons. The initiative found great approval among the local population because the boarding school will give children the chance to an education, who so far could not attend a single day of classes due to their geographical location. The boarding school will also give all nomadic children the opportunity to remain integrated in the social environment of their region. Some children of the few rich families currently attend a boarding school in the capital Kathmandu, which can only be reached after a week of travel. The boarding school is intended to make it possible for parents at risk of poverty to send their children to school, and to motivate them to allow girls to attend school as well, if they are well looked after and can learn in a safe environment.

Sustainability Claimer

Due to the special focus on sustainability, the teachers’ salaries as well as the teaching material at the schools we support are normally paid by the government.

Under special circumstances, such as in very remote schools or in the case of marginalised ethnic groups, these costs are covered by Chay Ya for one year.

Sustainability Claimer

Updates

Update January 2019
The coordinator from Chharka Bhot has provided us with the latest photos. They show the construction of five new rooms (including the demolition of the old buildings), which are possible thanks to the help of sponsors (see list under project description) and the active support of the village population. The rooms should be ready in fall of 2019. Cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, carrots and other green vegetables are thriving beautifully in the greenhouse.

Good news: Chay Ya is getting more support!
Bodo Peters, chairman of the German association “Die Bambusschule e.V.” since 2006, visited Vorarlberg in June. For 12 years, Bambusschule has been working to improve the health and education of the mountain population in northern Laos – until recently with great success.
Since the new government of the communist country of Laos has made the use of qualified volunteers practically impossible, Peters was looking for an alternative – and met our chairwoman, Sabine Klotz. The chemistry between the two of them was good from the start, plus the two associations follow similar paths in the way they work. So, what could be more obvious than a cooperation? In the meantime, a joint MoU has already been signed and the first project decided upon is the construction of a boarding school for the children of semi-nomads in the Dolpo region. Sabine Klotz is happy about the support and Bodo Peters is glad to have new goals for money and experience instead of closing Bambusschule: “Whether Laos or Nepal – we help where it is needed, and where we are allowed to help!”

Update March 2020
In fall 2019, five classrooms, which were financed by Chay Ya and Bambusschule e.V., were completed. The completion of the last three schoolrooms is planned for 2020. This will allow classes from kindergarten to sixth grade.

In the school, the following projects will be financed by the association Bambusschule e.V. this year and implemented by Chay Ya:

Enclosure of the schoolyard with a stone wall,
Drainage of the schoolyard and all school roofs,
Construction of a wash house and hand washing station,
Furnishing of classrooms, teachers’ rooms and the school kitchen with school furniture and other furniture (including computers),
Lighting of all rooms by LED lamps,
Employment and financing of a trained nurse,
Financing the three-year training of a young woman from Chharka as a nurse (in Kathmandu), who is to take over the management of the Healthpost in Chharka after her exams.

Update September 2022
After 2 years of the enforced Covid break, a few representatives of Chay Ya and Globetrotter finally made it back to Chharka Bhot for the opening ceremony of the beautiful new boarding school including washhouse, greenhouse and drinking water supply. A great celebration and wonderful to see the many shining children’s eyes 🙂

We are very grateful to our new donors: The Lions Club Köniz for sponsoring the new greenhouse and thus helping to provide fresh vegetable for the kids and the German Embassy for supporting the wash house – thank you!