After last year’s earthquakes there was a priority to restore education in the affected Districts as quickly as possible. This involved constructing so-called “Temporary Learning Centres” (TLCs) which could provide some basic shelter while schools were rebuilt. Sadly a newly-released report by five aid agencies including UNICEF and Save the Children entitled “Children’s Voices, Children’s Rights” has flagged up the shortcomings of the arrangement. Attendances remain low and there is likely to be a very negative impact on children’s education given how long it’s taken to replace these flimsy shelters with proper earthquake-resistant schools. These TLCs are woefully inadequate for the approaching monsoon season and many children – 30% – continue to study in unsafe buildings. There’s also a legacy of trauma. Our Chairman, Bev Holmes, witnessed this first-hand when she visited a TLC (pictured) at Rayale, Kavre District, with a film crew last November. A little girl in the class began to cry and when asked the reason a teacher explained that since the earthquakes she couldn’t cope with new faces and being “crowded”.
ChoraChori is doing what it can to help from its limited resources. We are not only rebuilding three schools (in spite of the difficulties that have arisen through water shortages and forest fires) but also aiming to restore confidence and attendances by providing short term revenue support. This includes through providing learning materials and free school lunches. You can help us through our forthcoming “Educating Reeti” campaign that will launch on 13th June and run for five weeks.
Do you have a personal link to a school that can support us with some fundraising? If you do, please drop us a line to [email protected]
Children’s Voices, Children’s Rights June 1st, 2016Philip Holmes