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Register No.: 209/071/072 www.dolpotomorrow.org

NEWSLETTER—AUTUMN 2020

November 19, 2020 Greetings from Chharka-Bhot! Tashi Delek! Dear friends of Chharka Bhot and Chharka-Bhot Basic School, we hope you are all well and staying safe. Due to lack of access to internet, we were not able to provide you regular updates on Chharka School, our other projects and situations in Dolpo. Hence, we planned to release this newsletter containing general updates of our projects in 2020 and short review on summer session of Chharka School and situations in Dolpo, so far. We hope you will enjoy reading it and will find out our project for Chharka School and Chharka Bhot Village is worthy of your help. And above all we would like to let you know that every single dollar or rupees of your help makes a true difference in this remote region secluded in the mountains of Himalaya. CHHARKA SCHOOL IN SESSION

In despite of travel restriction of nationwide COVID lockdown, the staff team of Chharka School managed to travel back to Chharka in May and was able to open the school—just one month later than normal.

Students during the annual examination (October 25, 2020) 2 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

Being an extremely remote and isolated village, Chharka-Bhot was not much influenced by the global devastation of COVID-19 which allowed us to operate the school smoothly as usual without any obstacles throughout the whole summer. Due to the travel restrictions, the government teachers and our project teachers hired from outside Dolpo, including the academic supervisor hired with funding of Save Tibet, Austria (www.tibet.at), could not attend the session this year. Moreover, months of delay has happened with the educational materials for the session bought from Kathmandu. Nevertheless, using materials from previous stock and thanks to the persistent dedication of our local project teachers, funded by our primary sponsor I.C.D.F. (www.icdfdn.org), we were able to run the school efficiently throughout the whole summer.

Teacher Tse-Wangmo and two of grade six students (August 14 2020) To make the session efficient and productive as usual, in addition to our three local teachers, we hired two temporary teachers among the educated youths from Chharka, using the donations collected by Doreen Kindermann and Johanna Mayer Dipauli, elaborated in end of this newsletter. The summer session ended on 30th October and the annual examination of the academic year 2020 was held at the end of the session. An autumnal vacation of 10 days was observed by the students from 1st to 10th of November and the school was resumed on 11th November for the two months of winter session.

Junior students during morning assembly (photo of winter session 2019) (November 18, 2019) 3 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

CHHARKA SCHOOL BOARDINGHOUSE, KTHMANDU

As planned in early of this year, with the basic financial support of Bamboos Schule e.V. (www.die- bambusschule.de) the students of grade six were supposed to go the Kathmandu this winter for their further education. But to avoid risk of COVID-19 that is extremely active currently in the major cities of in Nepal, parents and the school committee mutually decided to keep the students for one more year in the village school. They will continuously read grade 7 in Chharka School next year and will join the Kathmandu hostel at the end of the session which will be in the autumn of 2021, next year.

The Village of Chharka Bhot, Dolpo (September 26, 2020) SITUATIONS IN CHHARKA-BHOT AND DOLPO

During this global hard time of covid-19 pandemic, thanks to the geographical remoteness of the region, Dolpo, somehow remained unaffected by the virus so far except a slight food shortage caused by the long duration nationwide lockdown. Since Nepal could not contain the spread of COVID-19, Dolpo-Tibet border market, the only source of food supplies for the people of Dolpo, that opens once a year got canceled this year which caused a slight shortage of subsistence and foods. Nevertheless, no signs and symptoms of COVID- 19 has shown in the region and life seemed quite normal to date. The best part is that living outside the range of globalization, very few people are aware about what is going in the world outside their village currently and very few people seems worried; live so far in a way is normal, happy and peaceful. 4 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

First snow fall of the winter in Dolpo/ The valley of Tinje, Dolpo (November 16, 2020)

By now, the winter is entering the region and we had the first snow fall on 16 November, recently. Locals have finished harvesting the autumnal crops and collected sufficient foods, grasses and fire woods for the freezing months of winter that is entering the region. Hopefully, this winter may be the best winter ever because the snow will not only block routes for travelers it will also keep the region far away from the reach of COVID-19 for a duration of several months.

UPDATES ON OTHER PROJECTS OF 2020 PROJECTS FOR CHHARKA SCHOOL SPONSORS: STATUS 1 Construction of 3 Rooms Passive Solar House Chay Ya/ Bamboos Schule Active 2 Construction of 4 Rooms Passive Solar House Nepalhilfe Beilngriese e.V. Active 3 School Compound Wall Bamboos Schule/Chay Ya Accomplished 4 Drainage of School Ground Lagoon Bamboos Schule/Chay Ya Postponed to 2021 5 Drainage for the Entire School Building Roofs Bamboos Schule/ Chay Ya Active 6 Computers for School Library Bamboos Schule/Chay Ya Accomplished 7 School Wash House and Hand Washing Station Bamboos Schule/Chay Ya Active 8 School Furniture Bamboo Schule/Chay Ya Accomplished 9 Bunk Beds for Hostel Students Michelle Bostick Fundraising Phase PROJECTS FOR CHHARKA VILLAGE 1. Chharka-Bhot Water Supply Project Chay Ya Nepal/Chay Ya Active Switzerland/Dany Gerhig/ Chharka-Tangshong RM 2. Providing Nursing Training to a young woman Active/Looking for from Chharka to become a future nurse Bamboos Schule/Chay Ya candidates 5 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

3. Hiring a Nurse for the Interim Period Bamboo Schule/Chay Ya Postponed to working session 2021

Delay with Transportation of Project Materials Months of delay has happened with the transportation of the project materials causing certain delay with most of the projects. The materials of the above projects (including the Water Supply Project funded by Chay Ya Switzerland www.chay-ya.org, Chay Ya Nepal, and Dany Gerhig, and the two blocks of Passice Solar House School Building Construction Projects one from Nepalhilfe Beilngriese e.V. www.nepalhilfe-beilngries.de and the other from Chay Ya and Bamboos Schule www.die-bambusschule.de ) transported from Kathmandu in June and early of July got stuck in Pokhara during the whole months of summer due to the destruction of road in between Mustang and Pokhara caused by monsoon rain and also because of the long duration of lockdown travel restriction that lasted throughout the whole summer. The materials reached the village of Sangtha, Mustang only in late October. When the materials reach Mustang, it was already the time for the Dashain Festival. The labours working in mustang and Dolpo have already headed back home for the festival and we could not find labours to carry the materials from Sangtha to Chharka across the mighty Druche pass. At the same time, for the villager of Chharka, the busy days of crops harvesting and collecting grasses and woods for the winter months has already started. Hence, we could neither get help from the villagers to fetch the materials from Sangtha to Chharka.

Building materials and water project materials in the village of Sangtha, Mustang at the foot of mighty Druche Pass (October 11, 2020) 6 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

Caravan of yaks carrying project materials and food supplies, at the foot of Druche Pass (October 12, 2020) Merely the materials that are portable for carrying animals were transported to Chharka. The major parts of the materials were kept safely in Snagtha in their community hall and will be carried by men to Chharka in the early spring of next year.

Update of Project Works in The Village

Collecting locally available materials for the above “active” projects has been doing in the village to date.

• 100 + piles of stones for the construction of passive solar houses and school washhouse are already collected at the respective construction site of the school. • Site clearance and ground excavation works for the building construction projects are already done. • Collecting sand and gravels for the RCC works of the building construction projects and the water supply projects are being done currently.

A team of villagers collecting stones for the school building construction projects (August 13, 2020) 7 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

Purchase of Wooden Materials from Tibet The wooden materials like timbers and planks for the building construction projects were planned to buy from the borderland of Tibet as it is easier to transport to Chharka. But since Nepal could not contain the spread of convid-19 and the number of infected people kept increasing throughout the whole summer to date, the Dolpo-Tibet border market did not open this year and restriction at the Tibet-Nepal border was maintained persistently. As a result, we couldn’t get a chance to purchase the wooden materials Maryum Dolpo-Tibet border market, Tibet (August 19, 2018) from Tibet until now. The wooden materials should not be delayed further than the month of May next year to realize the accomplishment of the projects in planned time frame. Thus, coordination with the borderland people of Tibet for the purchase of the wooden materials will be carried out with highest priority throughout the following winter. Next Phase Works of The Projects 1. Since the freezing season of winter has already started in Dolpo, carrying the project materials from Sangtha across the high mountain of Druche Pass to Chharka currently would be risky and extremely difficult for the villagers or for a group of labours. Hence the materials will be brought to Chharka from Sangtha earliest in the month of April next year. 2. The remaining materials including cements for the water supply project and RCC works of the building projects, and other small required items will be bought in Kathmandu in March next year and will be transported to Chharka latest within the month of May. 3. All the required projects materials will be made ready in Chharka within the month May next year. 4. If incase we failed to realize the 100% confirmation of the possibility of getting the wooden materials for the building projects from Tibet until late winter, to avoid further delay of the projects we will go for an alternative way of getting the materials before it’s too late. 5. (Once all of the required materials are collected) the main construction work of the building projects and the water project will start in the month of May next year as time by then will be warm enough for the skilled labours to work in Chharka. Completion of The Projects If all the phases of works go as planned, the entire project will be completed latest within the month of August next year. We ensure to all the concerned sponsors of the respective projects that we will put our highest efforts to accomplish the projects with full success within the planned time frame.

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ACCOMPLISHED PROJECTS OF 2020 AND THEIR IMPACTS 1. School Compound Wall The construction of school compound wall funded by Chay Ya and Bamboos Schule e.V. has fully completed within the month of July. Collecting stones and constructing the wall was done with the help of the villagers. As a sweat donation from the community, a full day labor work was provided by the villagers with free of cost. Putting a 5 feet stone and rammed earth enclosure wall around the open part of the school ground, cuts off the school’s area from the rest of the public space and keeps the Building gate of the school compound wall (October 15, 2020) school compound away from roaming motorcycles and animals. 2. Drainage of School Ground Lagoon A temporary drainage for the school ground lagoon was done in early of August which kept the ground dry and safe for the students to play throughout the rest of the summer. To construct the drainage system properly as planned by avoiding destructions to the property and fields of the villagers, it took time among the villagers and the owner of the fields to come to a mutual agreement. Finally, on 30th October on a meeting of villagers and School Management Committee (SMC) held at the school, made a mutual agreement regarding the construction of the drainage system. The proper drainage according to the agreement will be done in the early spring of 2021. 3. School Furniture

The metal furniture equipped by Bamboos Schule e.V. and Chay Ya has arrived at Chharka school in October. The parts of desks, benches, tables and the book shelves were assembled with the help of the senior students, teachers and volunteers from the village. All of the furnitures were set up in respective rooms where they were required and are already being used.

Fixing parts of bookshelves at the school (October 22, 2020)

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Metal desks and benches for the classrooms at the school ground (October 26, 2020) List of furniture equipped the school: Kind of Furniture Quantity Desks and benches for classrooms 30 sets (60 Pieces) Teacher Tables 10 pieces Teacher Charis 10 pieces Book Shelves and shelves for kitchen 14 pieces Teacher Beds 6 pieces Food container for kitchen 4 pieces

Students of grade 1 in classroom with the newly equipped metal desks and benches,

Chharka School 10 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

4. Computers for School Library The 10 sets of desktop computers equipped by Bamboos Schule and Chay Ya have arrived in the school in late October. The sets of computers were packed up in wooden boxes while transporting from Kathmandu to Mustang and from Mustang they were carried by men to Chharka. As a result of carefulness, all of the computers reached the school safely with no damages at all. A separate room was allocated for the computers where they were set up and made ready for the students to use.

Students exploring the newly equipped computers (Nov 9, 2020)

The solar-wind hybrid power system and the computers in the multipurpose hall, Chharka School (Nov 9, 2020)

The solar-wind hybrid power system, equipped by Peter Werth III through his org. Himalaya Currents Inc. (www.himalayacurrents.org) in 2019, was also shifted in the multipurpose room. The power system was capable of running all the computers and other electronic appliances of the school in addition to providing light to the entire school building. 11 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

The students were extremely happy and excited as we told them that they will be introduced to the computers during the winter school this year.

Computers (set up using new metal furniture), metal book shelves and a canvas screen for the projector in the multipurpose hall, set up and made ready to use, Chharka School (November 2020) (The room allocated for the computers was one of the spacious rooms in the school. Thus, it was designed to be a kind of multipurpose room which will also be used for library, presentations, project works, experiment laboratory for general science study and watching educational videos using projector) 12 | Page NEWSLETTER — AUTUMN 2020

Migmar, the computer teacher, exploring the newly equipped computer in the office of Chhraka School (Nov 5, 2020) One of the new computers was set up in the school office for school’s the official works. The computer, accompanied by the printer equipped by Himalaya Currents Inc. in 2019, has made daily office works much easier. From now on, all the document works can be done with the help of the computer and the teachers don’t have to prepare the exam sheets and other paperwork by hands.

Caravan of yaks and horses carrying food supplies and project materials from Mustang to Chharka across the Druche Pass (10/13/2020)

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EDUCATING CHILDREN CAN CHANGE THEIR LIVES, IN TURN CHANGING FAMILIES, SOCIETIES, AND COUNTRIES

Chharka School depends on donations to cover the yearly costs. Sponsoring an individual child is a way to financially help the school to keep it up and running. The students who finish their basic education in the village school will continue their further education in Kathmandu. To ensure this further opportunity for the students we seek individual sponsors to support their school fees and accommodation in Kathmandu.

• Only $ 225 per year covers a child’s education in Chharka School • Only $ 1,000 per year ensures a child’s further education in Kathmandu in a well-equipped accommodation facility • Only $2,500 per year cover a teacher’s salary and helps keeping the school running You can support us in many ways: make a donation, assume a sponsorship or volunteer working at Chharka Bhot. No matter how small, your contribution makes a big difference in someone’s life To set your initiative in motion contact us at [email protected] For more information visit us on www.dolpotomorrow.org

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF THIS LIFE CHANGING PROJECT!

धन्यवाद) Worche (འོར་ཆེ།) Dhanyavād ( and Thank You for all the supports that we received from sponsor organizations, individual donors and well-wishers of Chharka School and Chharka Village all around the world! During this unprecedented global devastation of COVID-19 pandemic, in despite of travel restrictions and shortage of supplies we were able to operate Chharka School and carry out some important infrastructural improvement projects of the school and the village of Chharka-Bhot. This would not be possible without your generous and persistent supports. Thank you very much!

Tashi Delek! Stay safe and see you in next newsletter!

Prepared by Tsering Samdup Gurung Chairman Dolpo Tomorrow Chharka-Tangshong Rural Municipality-1, Chharka, Dolpa, Nepal Contact: +977 9843390217 / 9840299123 [email protected] [email protected] Issued Date: Nov 19, 2020

Caravan of Yaks carrying school supplies and project materials from Mustang to Chharka ( October 12, 2020)