PURPOSE

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Running a kindergarten in Gyayul, a remote Himalayan village serves as a beacon of hope, offering children the chance to receive a quality education, embrace their cultural roots, and contribute to the future growth of their community.

We currently have 17 students enrolled in our kindergarten, all aged between 3- 6. We follow Montessori education which focuses on hands-on, self-directed learning that allows children to explore and discover the world around them at their own pace. These activities foster independence, critical thinking, and a lifelong love for learning. Our kindergartens operate from morning 8.30AM to evening 4PM each day, six days a week with a nutritious hot lunch at noon and an afternoon snack.

The kindergarten provides a nurturing environment for young children to develop essential cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills during their formative years. We believe establishing an educational foundation at an early age sets the stage for lifelong learning, creating a strong basis for future academic pursuits. The kindergarten integrates local culture, traditions, and language in the curriculum, helping preserve the community's unique heritage. We also teach and provide children with health, hygiene careand proper nutrition through lunch & snacks, positively impacting their overall well-being.

 

Children learn social skills, teamwork, and effective communication through interaction with peers, teachersand through various other activities. We also try our best to involve parents in their children's education, encouraging active involvement and support in their learning journey. Our kindergartens offer a safe and structured environment for children to learn, play, and develop, especially in areas like Prok which has verylimited recreational facilities. These also prepares children for a smoother transition to primary school, reducing drop-out rates and ensuring continued education.

Education empowers the local community by equipping children with the skills and knowledge needed to engage in broader society, contributing positively to their community's growth. Early education increases children's opportunities for better education, employability, and overall quality of life as they grow thus, breaking the cycle of poverty.

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ABOUT GYAYUL VILLAGE

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Gyayul is a small village in Nubri valley with an altitude of 2,200m. There are about 50 households with almost 200 population in total. The village is situated on the lap of Sringi mountain, surrounded by beautiful green hills. Almost everyone is a subsistence farmer which means they are completely dependent on the harvest they get. To reach Gyayul, one must travel a day by bus and then three/ four days walk depending upon the load one carries.

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BACKGROUND

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The original school building was established in 1988 with one government-appointed teacher. Like every school in the mountains, Gyayul’s too failed to provide quality education due to improper supervision, irregular teacher attendance, unmanaged environment, and so on. Because of these, most people started sending their children to the capital; Kathmandu for schooling or to get ordained for monastic education. 

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Understanding the need and importance of education, few youngsters and village’s head monk approached our charity and upon Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s acceptance, the running of kindergarten was approved. 

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Under the generous support from Pema Chodron Foundation, we have been able to renovate and turn the old school building into a new child-friendly classroom, add an additional story for additional rooms, bring necessary education materials from Kathmandu, provide healthy food, and most importantly, dedicated & well-trained teachers. The kindergarten officially started in July of 2021 with two full time teachers, a cook and 17 students in total.

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SPONSOR A CHILD

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The cost to sponsor a child is US$ 1,200/ Year or $100/ Month.

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If a full child sponsorship is too much, you can still help through a partial sponsorship by teaming up with some friends, colleagues, parents, or a community group. In such a case, you will be contributing US$50/ month = $600/ year each.

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