As noted in the History of the Association, our support began with donations by the Annapurna Allstars to Paudwar School, starting at Khopra Ridge in 1993 and maintained annually thereafter.  It was left to the school to decide how best to use the money.

We have at various times contributed books to the school libraries of Paudwar and nearby villages.  We have found that it is necessary to review carefully what books are sent, as books written for Australian children, especially those addressing Australian cultural issues, may not be appropriate in Nepal.  One has to think how Nepali children may respond to a book.  A simple example is the children’s book “Whistle up the Chimney” by Nan Hunt and Craig Smith.  Telling a fairy tale of trains coming down the chimney, through the hall and into the night.  Easy enough for Australian children to appreciate.  But Nepali children have never seen a train, nor do their houses have chimneys – they just have open cooking fires, typically in the corner of a room with a fair degree of open ventilation.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Back to top

The contributions of computers were inspired by the initiatives of Mahabir Pun, whom we first met in his native village of Nangi in 1998.  Mahabir had the ambition of delivering internet access to his village, hampered only by a lack of electricity, telephone lines, computers or technical knowledge on the part of the villagers.  Mahabir was undaunted.  Studying at the University of Nebraska in the USA, he received gifts of old 486 computers.  Lacking the funds to freight them to Nepal, he learnt to strip them down to their components.  Leaving the steel cases behind he took the components back to his village of Nangi where he taught the students to assemble them in wooden boxes.  The story is told at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/1606580.stm.

Mahabir introduced the teaching of computer science at Himanchal High School at Nangi, and Gyan wished to do the same at Paudwar.  In delivering computers to them in those days we were concerned that we were introducing unnecessary technology to a subsistence farming community that would gain little real benefit, but aspirations for more and unnecessary material possessions.  It was only when we saw the use to which the computers were put that we saw they really could deliver benefits.  Such as the yak herder at Khopra Ridge, a day’s climb above the village, maintaining contact with his family in the village over the internet!

The days of 486 computers are now well gone.  The minimum standard is now Pentium 4s.  They can be laptops or desktops.  The former have the advantage of lighter weight for carriage into the country and up to the village, without the need for external monitors and keyboards.  Desktops, on the other hand are more maintainable.  Paudwar is fortunate to have the services of Gam Pun, who happily swaps chips and motherboards to achieve working combinations from whatever is at hand.

The delivered computers have all been donated and have come from a variety of sources including corporations (Hydro Electric Commission, Tasmania; ANZ Bank; National Australia Bank), Rotary District 9800 DIK (Donations in Kind) Store and private donations.                                                                 Back to top

Our first foray into building construction was funding the construction of a Computer Science block in 2002.  When we sat down with Gyan to plan it, we specified a slate roof to avoid the intrusion of another blue corrugated iron roof into the picturesque village.  We ensured that the funds provided would cover the extra expense.

Later, in 2008 when we contributed to the completion of a new classroom that had been funded by the British Ex-Ghurka association we were unable to make the same provision, as the building was on less stable land and there were doubts that the foundations (which had already failed and had been repaired at our expense) would support the weight of a slate roof.                                                                                                                                                          Back to top

The teaching of languages in Nepal is a challenge.  103 ethnic (caste) languages have been identified, in 93 language groups.  Over-riding these is the official, universal language of Nepali.  Neither of these help in the wider world of international commerce, including the tourism that is so important to the economy of the country.

Nepali is now taught in all schools, generally at the expense of the local ethnic language.  Many schools also offer English as a subject, though the quality of teaching is often poor as a consequence of the teachers themselves having learnt it as a second language with little direct exposure to native English speakers.

Many private schools in the country (generally known as Boarding Schools, as they mostly offer board) have addressed this situation by introducing English medium teaching – that is, the teaching of general subjects in English rather than Nepali.  The goal is not to replace Nepali but to develop good bi-lingual capabilities (though generally at the expense of local caste languages, which is unfortunate but hard to avoid).

Krishna, having experienced the benefits of English medium teaching for his own children in Kathmandu, was anxious to introduce it at Paudwar.  This would put Paudwar at the forefront of government schools in the country, despite its being a remote country school.  After much debate by the teachers, the school committee and parents, the decision was taken to take this major step.  With funding provided by our project, two English medium teachers have been employed at the school since July 2008.  A third was engaged in June 2009 to commence English medium teaching at Gibung Primary school, a feeder school to Paudwar.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Back to top

The goal of our project is to support initiatives of the villagers themselves.  During our absence between 2001 and 2008, they proved what they could achieve without such external support.  During this time the main school building was pulled down and rebuilt.  This was entirely a project of the local community, and a tremendous demonstration of what they could achieve.  Not only has it done away with the blue iron roof of the library, but classrooms now actually have glass in their windows!                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Back to top

One of the peculiarities of the government school system in Nepal is that, while a school may be approved to teach to a particular level, the government may not provide the funding for this to happen.  This has been the case at Paudwar.  When we first visited the village in 1998, the school was teaching to Year 8, but with the government only providing funding up to Year 6.  Thus the school itself had to find the funds for the more senior – and better paid – teachers.

A logical source of funding would be tuition fees, but in a village of subsistence farmers having no real monitory incomes, this is hardly practical.  (In fact, in the Myagdi district of Nepal where Paudwar is located, as many as 80% of households depend on remittances from family members working overseas to make ends meet.)

The school and the village have therefore had to resort to other means of raising money.  They have done so by initiating a variety of fund-raising projects as described below.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Back to top

By 2008, all three had left the village – Gyan to retire to Pokhara where he and his wife would be closer to needed health services; Krishna with his family to Kathmandu to avoid the persecution of Maoist terrorists; and Om to Kathmandu to set up business there.

Krishna was in the unfortunate situation, having lost his income as headmaster, of facing much higher living costs in Kathmandu.  After much heartache, he and his wife Sita decided in 2007 that Sita should take a job as a nanny in Israel.  This entailed a five year contract, leaving Krishna to look after daughter Krishita (then 11) and son Sharad (then 8).

Krishna retained an urge to return to Paudwar and to assist the development of the school and of economic opportunities for the local community.  It was only when we were able to offer funding through our project that this became a practical proposition.  Much discussion took place between Krishna and the village community, leading to Krishna taking up the paid role of Village Development Coordinator from April 2009.                                                        Back to top

Khayer Barahi Milk Production Co-operative Society Limited

Our visit in 2009 coincided with celebrations for the school’s Golden Jubilee.  Past residents of the village had gathered from afar, and the opportunity was taken to audit and review all community projects and to plan new ones.

Most significant among these was a proposal to establish a multi-purpose cooperative.  Households in the village (of which there are only about 250) would be asked to contribute funds which would go towards projects of economic benefit to the village.

The co-operative was intended:

• To create job opportunities for local people so that at least some people may stop going elsewhere in search of jobs.
• To fulfill the demand for cheese and other products from tourist lodges and restaurants in the district.
• To bring external money into the village.
• To expand village activities to include organic vegetable farming and other farming techniques
  (The vocational subject 'Education' in Years IX and X of Paudwar Secondary School is being replaced by 'Agriculture'  to support these changes).
• To develop "agro-tourism" to see these agricultural developments, to attract tourists from within Nepal and further afield.
• To provide a model of "social-business" that will open the eyes of the people to business concepts.
• To enhance sanitation and cleanness activities in the village.
• To establish a day centre for "old people" in the village in the future.

As steps were taken in this direction regulations changed, rendering it necessary to register only a single purpose cooperative.  This has now been achieved, with the registration of the Khayer Barahi Milk Production Co-operative Society Limited.  The primary goal of the co-operative is to establish a dairy herd that will provide a much increased milk supply to the cheese factory.  This in turn will generate more income for the school and the village.  The whole enterprise will be an additional source of employment in the village.