Let's build up together Dhampus's first kindergarten !

  1 € 1 € 1 € We are raising 1 EURO's funds for the kindergarten!  1 € 1 € 1 € 1 €

Join us and take part of establishing a kindergarten in one of the poorest country of the world!

About us

My name is Narayan Prasad Bhandari. I was born and grown up in Dhampus, in Nepal (Gandaki Zone/Kaski District). I have been living in Hungary for 4 years with my Hungarian wife, Nora and our two daughters, Tara and Melinda. Although I am not living now in Nepal, in my mind I feel I am still in my country. I have close ties with my family and my childhood friends. Usually I spend some weeks in Nepal every year. I had a dream that I will build a kindergarten for my village's children, when I can afford it. Because there is still not any kindergarten in Dhampus.	Narayan Bhandari
I have learnt on my own life, how important for infants to spend some years in a kindergarten together with other kids before starting school. Coming to Europe, I hoped to find a job, where I can earn enough money for building kindergarten. Short time after I saw I will not be able to do it alone. Economic crisis hit my company and my salary was also cut back. My wife proposed me to ask other people to help us. She also created this website to inform people about this project.
I told my plans to one of my best childhood friends, Chandrakanta Bhandari, who was very enthusiastic about the idea. We decided to build the kindergarten from donations and with the help of volunteer workers. We believe there are many people living around the world, who feel likewise resposibility and would like to do something for development of the Third World countries. My friend, Chandrakanta Bhandari, lives in Dhampus. He is an English teacher in a secondary school. He studies at university as well. He is the president of Sayapatri Youth Club in Dhampus.	Chandrakanta Bhandari

This club joins the local young people, organises social works in the village. They repair and build trails, cut wood, plant trees, keep the village environment tidy, maintain drinking-water pipelines. They help elderly people and widows in planting and harvesting rice.

 

Dhampus
Dhampus is a small village in the Himalayan Annapurna Region in Nepal, 220 km far from the capital, Kathmandu and 18 km far from Pokhara (the nearest town).
Its population is around 2500 persons. The houses and fields are spread on a small plateau and the surrounding hills. Many tourists visit Dhampus, because one of the most popular trekking trails goes through the village. Although tourism makes a good living only for few people. Most of them are living on cultivating their fields around the village or working as guest-workers in abroad.
There are 7 small public schools in Dhampus, what children attend from the age of 5 upto Class 10. I, too, went to school and took the School Leaving Certificate Exam here.

 

Why is a kindergarten needed in the village?
The Nepalese public schools receive only few government grant, therefore the education standard has been decending for years in these institutes. Teachers' salaries are very low, their qualification is not appropriate. There are less and less good English speaking teachers in the public schools. Equipment of these schools is poor, conditions of studying are bad. Because of such deficiency and rising demands more and more private schools have been established especially in towns of Nepal. More and more students are enrolled in private schools, because there the quality of education is higher: students study in English and they pass the SLC-exam with much better results. Thereupon they have much more chance to go to a university or college later.
I am happy to see that most of the Nepalese parents have realized that the standard of education their children get in the school will influence their living conditions in the future.
The children whose parents cannot afford a private schoo, have a severe disadvange in their early life, which they will not be able to overcome later. Only talented students have a good chance to win a university scholarship.
The basic problems of education arise at the enrollment in the first class of the private schools. Children are expected to have such skills before starting the first class, which normally they cannot pick up at home. Only after they have spent three or four years in nursery or kindergarten classes.

But the Nepalese state has not any nursery and kindergarten! Kindergartens (kindergarten classes) are usually run by private schools. In Nepal it is not required to go to a nursery or kindergarten class before starting school. But the private schools expect the children who come into the first class to know the community rules and to have basic skills (like drawing, singing, reading and writing of Nepali and English alphabeths, counting etc.) Children who have not finished nursery and kindergarten classes cannot be enrolled in private schools, only in public schools.
For this reason I think a nursery school and kindergarten is very necessary for my village. Some wealthy families take their children to another distant village where there is a nursery school. So they will have a chance to go to private school later. The other poorer children spend their time at home until age of 5 without any preparations for school. Supervision of young children often set back the parents in the housework as well.
I have two sisters and one brother. When we were very young, my older sister took care of us. Then she could not go to school, because our parents had no other solution for our supervision. They had so much work in the fields to do. My sister started to go to school at the age of 8 together with my brother, who is 3 years younger than she.

How will our kindergarten look like?
It has already given a name, in English Annapurna Nursery and Kindergarten. It comes from the nearby mountain range, Annapurna. Children between 2 and 5 years from Dhampus and its surroundings will attend the kindergarten. We will make a fundation which operates the kindergarten. The parents do not have to pay any fee, we only ask them to bring foodstuffs (like rice, vegetables, fruits, milk, flour, meat) and firewood, which we will use for cooking meals for the children. All equipments will be endowed by the foundation.
The kindergaten will be open from 8 am every day (except Saturday), so it helps the parents to start the houseworks or go to the town early in the morning.
According to my calculations around 20-30 children will be enrolled every year, there will be around 70-90 children in all. The kindergarten is planned to offer place for max. 100 children. They will be divided into 3 or 4 groups according to their age. Every group will have a skilled teacher and a nanny. Cooking and cleaning women will be also employed. The leader of kindergarten will coordinate the economical matters.

Construction costs
According to our previous calculations we need approx. 1,300,000 Nepalese rupees for the ground, the building and and basic equipments.

1,300,000 NPR = 18,000 USD = 14,300 EUR= 12,300 GBP (exchange rates on 13.04.2010)

The costs may reduce, if we can buy the ground at a discount and the building materials (wood, stone) may be available for free in the neighbourhood. If volunteers also work on the building, then we can save more money as well.
In the spring 2009 we have started to collect donations and the construction works has begun in January 2010. To see our balance and pictures about the works in Dhampus, please click here: NEWS
But we still need more money to finish it.
We need you, too. Please support our project.

How can you support us?

Donations and contributions for the building of our kindergarten are greatly appreciated from all over the world.
'Little streams make great river' we believe, so

we collect 1 EUROs donations.

Of course you can give more, as you like!

We also collect toys, stationery and clothes for the kids. Old, second-hand and still good and useful items are also welcomed!

Our donors are listed here, in this website and their names will be carved in a stone board on the wall of the kindergarten. (If you wish to remain anonymous, please inform me per email!)

We will plant a pipal tree in front of the kindergarten, which we will name after the person, who gives the greatest contribution to the kindergarten.

The ways you can support our project:

1. Money transfer
You can transfer your donation to this bank account:

Machhapuchchhre Bank Limited, Nepal
Bank account number: 1140 5241 5619 3017
Account holder's name: Narayan Prasad Bhandari
SWIFT code: MBLNNPKA

Please do not forget to write 'Dhampus Kindergarten' in the comment.

2. Donate by PAYPAL

Simply click here:

AFTER YOU TRANSFERED MONEY, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL, WHERE I CAN INFORM YOU THAT WE SUCCESFULLY RECEIVED YOUR DONATION!!! Thanks.

3. If you visit Nepal
If you travel to Nepal and make a visit in Pokhara or Dhampus, then you can donate on the spot!

Please go to Baikuntha Bhandari's shop on the Lakeside, Main road in Pokhara. It is called Annapurna Garment, you can find it opposite the Busy Bee Café. There is a donation box in his shop and he accepts other items (toys, cloths, stationery etc.) for the kindergarten there.

If you make a trip to Dhampus, then ask anybody for Chandrakanta Bhandari. Or if you climb up on the trail from Phedi to Dhampus, then make a short break at the first house, where you can find a small resting place with a beatiful view on the valley. Here also donations are collected.

4. Sending items to Nepal
If you wish to give gifts like toys, stationery, children books, clothes or other items for the kindergarten kids, you can send them by post or DHL, UPS etc. to this address:

Baikuntha Prasad Bhandari
Thado Pasal-59
Lakeside-6, Pokhara
Kaski district, Gandaki zone, NEPAL

 

5. Voluntary work
Volunteers are warmly welcomed. We will need their help in the construction works. Accomodation and meals are available in the village. About details of volunteer works please visit this website later or inform me in email about your ambition.

We are looking for someone who knows how to install solar cells. In Nepal there are long-lasting power-cuts almost every day. We plan to gain electric power by solar cells in the kindergarten. A smaller (500-1000W) capacity solar system would be sufficient here.

6. Any other way you can support us is welcomed!

You can read the latest news about our project here.

Contact

Any idea or suggestion that can help us to fulfill this project, please let us know!
If you have any question or need more information, please contact me per email!

My Email: narayan@dhampuskids.com.np

 

I am happy that you have read this website.

Thank you for your helping to build up the Annapurna Nursery and Kindergarten in Dhampus!

Thank you for recommending this website to your friends!

Namaste!

This domain dhampuskids.com.np is the property of Sayapatri Youth Club, Dhampus-3, Nepal.
This website is powered by Narayan Bhandari, designed by Nora Mayer.
All photos presented here are our property or its owner allowed us to publish it in this website.
Email: narayan@dhampuskids.com.np

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