The Energy for Education Project
Nepal
Clark University & Westminster College
Anuj Adhikary, Kaustubh Thapa, Joseph Kowalski, Ashish Rana (UWC)
http://sambhavnepal.org/gorkha2010
Section I
Overview
The mission of the Energy for Education Project was to seek educational reform in the remote
Arupokhari village of the Gorkha district in Nepal. Reconstruction of Shanker Primary School
and operation of Dharapani Community Library were the primary objectives of this project, for
which Sambhav Nepal, a local NGO, provided us logistical and field guidance. We approached
almost forty organizations and institutions in the capital city, Kathmandu, as well as in the US
and Australia for book donations. We received an overwhelming response from mainly schools
and individuals who contributed some 2,300 books to the community library.
Summary of the Tasks
Although we had proposed to renovate Shanker, initiate evening adult education classes, and
install solar panels in the school, we revised our objectives after assessing the situation in the
village. The solar panel idea was moot because two months prior to the inception of the project,
the state had made necessary preparations to supply electricity to the village by the first week of
October. Since the school was in an extremely dilapidated condition, we decided to demolish the
two-roomed building (in lieu of renovating it) and construct a new three-roomed building.
Further, we focused on collecting donated books and providing library training to the staff at the
nearby Dharapani Community Library (est. in February 2010, situated in Dharapani School),
which lacked necessary resources to come into service. Besides designing the official logo and the
letterhead of the library, our team also took the responsibility of cataloguing and coding the
donated books. Finally, with the server space provided by Sambhav Nepal, we launched the
project website that we’ve extensively used in publicizing the project. Based on the changes we
brought to the original plan, the budget was accordingly reallocated.
Challenges
We faced several unforeseen challenges that compromised the timely completion of our goals,
especially construction. Within a couple of weeks into the project, i.e. towards the end of June,
heavy monsoon rain, besides slowing down the manual construction work, washed away the
only motorable route (a make-shift dirt road) connecting the village to the highway. Limited
communication facilities and the topography of the region made the coordination task a logistical
setback. Disputes between the laborers and the administration only led to more delays. We
managed to resolve some of the most pressing issues through Sambhav Nepal’s intervention and
changes in our modus operandi. When our attempts to mediate the situation between the
administration and the workers bore no fruit, we were left with little option but to resort to
offering, respectively, a small supervision fee and an increase in wages to resume the work. Besides,
the depreciation of the Nepalese Rupee against the US Dollar had already reduced our total
budget. Nonetheless, we were able to complete the main building structure despite losing a
significant amount of time due to aforementioned problems.
Outcome
The new building in Shanker School benefits more than 120 students currently enrolled and newcomers; whereas the community library can serve hundreds, potentially thousands, of students
and locals from several neighboring villages. Maintenance of the library and addition of more
books are an on-going task. Although at its preliminary phases of operation, the community
library makes Dharapani the only school with such a facility in the entire Gorkha district.
We expect the project to have immediate and long-lasting consequences, positively impacting the
student turnout and enrollment rates as better facilities mean more incentives for the students to
attend school. Moreover, with books suitable for all ages and profession, the library will incite
intellectual curiosity in the region and provide resources which complement formal education
received by the students as well as by the locals. The long-run benefits would be an improvement
in the quality of life in Arupokhari as a result of higher literacy rates.
Section II
Peace as a Process
A term as complex and abstract as “peace” cannot be defined in a sentence. In the context of our
project, peace was a process rather than an end result. The process involved constant
transformation of our vision, adaptation and cooperation, patience, cohesion, and creativity. It
involved creating a fertile platform for a well equipped facility and nurturing the hope for a
brighter future for the children. By collaborating with the small community, and applying our
collective energies to enhance the resources of a primary school and a community library, we
were able to create greater opportunities while spreading peace during the process itself.
Our Project for Peace
The building construction and the library operation tasks will positively benefit the Arupokhari
community. Investment in these facilities ensures quality education for all, thus leading to higher
employment rates. The positive ripples are manifold – an increase in productivity and output
leads to lower socio-economic disparity, which in turn reduces the prevalence of urbanization,
crimes and other forms of violence. The library resources will broaden one’s horizon, and help
change his/her way of thinking. In a region where old beliefs, superstitions, witchcraft and
ignorance still dominate certain aspects of life, such opportunities will push the community
towards the path of peace and prosperity.
The Lesson
All the project members were knowledgeable about the dismal quality of life of this less fortunate
part of the world; however, this project has given us an opportunity to experience the crying
need for development first-hand. It is easy to articulate the importance of schools, hospitals and
bridges, but what we’ve learned is that, in a remote place like Gorkha, roads must be the first
priority since they dictate people’s lives. The absence of roads severely affects trade, travel and
living of the common people, not to mention it became the biggest concern in the completion of
our project. As recent graduates equipped with bookish theories of development, we learned
how hard it is to strike a perfect balance between theories and practice.
Personal Statement
“Peace is not merely an antonym of war, not merely an empty rhetoric or a destination. It is a
path involving a gradual paradigm shift that bridges the gap between the haves and the havenots. We have come to realize that peace and education cannot be mutually exclusive – education
without peace is improbable, and peace without education is impossible.” (Anuj Adhikary)