Helambu Education and Livelihood Partnership (HELP), a local NGO, set up to improve the schools in rural villages of Sindhupalchowk district is celebrating its 12 years of establishment this year! HELP’s journey that started with a humble initiative to help improve a school in a village of Helambu a decade ago has now gone on to reach out to more than 200 public schools in about 20 districts and make some educational differences directly to the lives of more than 20,000 children. For a small grassroots NGO, this is no small feat.     HELP’s executive director, Jimmy Lama, says that the organization’s story is nothing more than the efforts he, the other co-founders, the supporters and staff members have collectively devoted with utmost belief and confidence to go deep inside the rural communities and stay engaged for as long as it is needed in order to bring about some desired positive changes in the lives of local people and the communities with whom they have worked.

 

HELP did not establish a big plan and assurance of abundance of resources. However, it was established with an intention and a hope of becoming a reliable supporter for its elective partner schools and communities to address their problems with a focus on education.   HELP hopes that any written and unwritten documentation of the work it has done over the 12 years journey can also become a subject of learning experience and sharing for individuals and other local organizations willing to take similar step with commitment rooted in their community and sector of work  The main occupation of HELP’s current work lies in strengthening and growing the Saathi Teachers Programme. Saathi Teachers Programme is a teaching placement programme for qualified and passionate young people to teach at basic level schools (grade 1-5) struggling with a shortage of teachers in rural communities. This programme started from the fundamental belief that there is a rampant learning crisis at the primary level of the community schools, mainly in rural areas, and to change it, there must be a concentrated and coordinated effort to alter the way teaching learning can be experienced and delivered. This is supported by the national statistics that show that whilst Nepal has achieved 98 percent students’ enrolment, the retention of students has been a big challenge and even more challenging is the delivery of the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. To make a difference in the learning achievement of the students primarily of grade 1 to 5 is where the focus on the Saathi Teacher Programme lies. Currently, 27 of our Saathi teachers are working in 15 schools in three municipalities under this programme. Prior to starting Saathi Programme, HELP worked on to design and reconstruct earthquake resilient classrooms and physical facilities across 13 schools in Sindhupalchowk funded by UK based charity, Mondo Foundation. HELP has also been running a Scholarship Programme for the last 10 years where each year 40 to 50 SEE graduates are awarded a scholarship on the basis of merit and financial needs to pursue their higher education. As of 2022, we have supported over 560 students on the basis of their family circumstances, academic achievement and commitment to return to their community. Many of them have graduated and are working as local elected representatives, engineers, doctors, nurses, health in charge, teachers, running business, involved in politics and social workers.  In addition to this scheme, HELP is also hosting the Bharosa Scholarship Programme funded by the network of Dish-Home, to provide scholarships for students who lost their parents owing to Covid. Currently 40 students have been selected from 20 districts across 6 provinces under this scheme. This programme is governed by a very distinguished group of people in the likes of Hon. Gagan Thapa, Sudeep Acharya (The chairman of Dish Home), Manish Jha (the Managing Director of Facts Nepal) and Charu Chada (Director at 360 media group) and Jimmy Lama (HELP’s Executive Director).  In partnership with a UK based charity, School in a Bag, HELP has facilitated the distribution of over 20,000 School Bags to Nepali children across 20 districts in Nepal. The programme aims to support children in disaster affected areas in accessing education and to support schools in far-flung communities to reduce the dropout rate. This year HELP marks the 10th year of partnership with School in a Bag.    HELP has also built and handed over the two communities building in the last two years; one at Melchaur in Chautara-Sanghachowkgadi Municipality and another recently at Parangtol village in Melamchi Municipality.   HELP is also well placed to act immediately and effectively during the emergencies on the strength of its strong local network. For example, in response to the massive flood that affected Helambu and Melamchi valley last year, HELP initiated and coordinated a “solar light campaign” to support the flood victims. Scores of supporters from Nepal and abroad joined in to donate and deliver solar lights for more than 1,250 families in Helambu, Paanchpokhari and Melamchi area within a month.