Phakhel Chaur, province of Bagmati, Nepal – most of the students here are only sporadically. For some, walking takes hours. The paths are frequently blocked by mudslides. And parents find it difficult to justify the sending of their children: the school, located 31 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, is in ruins, with few books and supplies. It is common for children to work at home or in the fields rather than taking lessons.
A small unique subsidy of 500,000 Nepalese rupees (around US $ 3,650) could do it just enough to attract students and convince parents to send them to class, explains Uma Tamang, director of Shree Kalika high school, who serves classes 1-12 as well as preschool. This subsidy was planned for this year as part of a program of US $ 40 million managed by the American agency for international development. The first part of the subsidy – 300,000 Nepalese rupees (around US $ 2,200) – has already been disbursed. The second part – the remaining 200,000 Nepalese rupees – was to arrive later this year.
All the money was intended for books, educational toys and the basic maintenance of property, as well as festivals that the school hoped to engage the community.
But when US President Donald Trump ended almost all foreign aid in January, Tamang realized that the remaining money would never come.
The money would not have solved all their problems, says Tamang, but it would have created a school environment that brought the children back and helped them to learn – and helped their parents understand the importance of education.
“We did not dream of decorating the classrooms of schools with new toys and colorful learning materials,” explains Tamang. “We have planned to create a better future for children of poor families by strengthening primary education.”
Journalist Yam Kumari Kandel visited the school in February to find out more about the conditions and what was lost when the USAID program was reduced.