The following four schools were included in this project:
– Saraswoti Lower Secondary School;
– Chakersur Primary School;
– Raluka Devi Primary School;
– Annapurna Basic School.

After two afternoons of shopping and bargaining at the wholesalers in the center of Kathmandu, we are ready to travel to Nuwakot. For this day trip we rented two 4×4 cars, one for us and one for all the goods. At half past eight in the morning the car is fully loaded and we hit the road. The first two hours of traveling go very well on good roads to the Trisuli river. Once we pass the Trisuli river we drive into the hills and the road changes into an unpaved, dusty, bumpy road. We had a small delay when the road was blocked by a truck that could no longer proceed. There was still room to pass next to the truck, but the road was blocked by large stones and grit. But it didn’t stop us and after some heavy lifting we mad it through.

Around 11am we arrive at the first school in the village of Newarpani. The children are already waiting for us here with great curiosity. The school building was severely damaged by the 2015 earthquake. Over the past three years, all 90 children at this school have received education in the open air with only a corrugated iron roof. Fortunately, the school committee recently received money from the government to build a new school and the foundation has already been laid.

It is nice to see that some students are wearing the fleece jackets that Laxmi Support donated in November 2017. All items are displayed on the table, speeches are given and then the children are lined up per class to receive the goods. The backpack contains 6 pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser and sandals. It was fantastic to see all the happy faces, full of expectation and with shining eyes. We also have a table full of sports items, such as footballs, badminton, hoola hoops, skipping ropes and alphabet puzzles for the small children. The backpack comes in handy because all children walk to school and the books and notebooks were carried under their arms. Now with the new backpack, this is no longer necessary and the school supplies will stay dry during the rainy season.

Then it is time to drive to the second school which is about 20 minutes away in the village of Simle. On the way we are delayed by two bulls fighting in the middle of the road! A woman with a large stick tries to separate the bulls, which wasn’t an easy task. Eventually we were able to pass the fighting bulls.

The school building in Simle was also severely damaged by the earthquake. Large cracks are visible throughout the building. The children receive lessons in the open air and there is a corrugated iron shelter for when it rains. Fortunately plans have been made for a new school building and the government has recently paid out. The 30 children of this school come from the lower caste and some extra help is very welcome. In 2017, Laxmi Support supported the children for the first time by handing out fleece jackets and writing materials.

On arrival flower garlands are distributed and the backpacks, sandals, writing materials and sports equipment are displayed on the table. Anneloes is once again a great help with counting and sorting out all the different items. It is wonderful to see that the hoola hoop is a big success.

Before we travel to the third school, we first eat dhal bhat outside the house of Ram’s brother, Keshab Thapa. We also bring out a large bag with clothes that we brought from the Netherlands and England. Mothers with small children gathered quickly to receive knitted sweaters and warm hats.

After a delicious lunch we drive to the third school in the village of Budhasing. The 45 children come from the Dalit caste, the lowest caste in Hindu society. We’ve supported this school in 2015 by distributing sandals and writing materials.

Upon arrival, many people from the village have turned up to watch the welcome ceremony. We receive tikas, memorial plates, flowers and scarves. A long speech is given by the head of the school. Ram also gives a speech and gives a clear explanation about the work of Laxmi Support and tries to motivate the children to continue taking the lessons. Then the distribution of backpacks, sandals, writing materials and sports items can begin.

One more school to go: the Chakersur Primary School. We support this school since 2007. Here too, part of the school was severely damaged during the earthquake. Fortunately construction of the new school was already on the way. It was very nice to return to this school and meet the teachers and children once more.

Anneloes was again a great help by distributing the backpacks. The sporting equipment was also well received. There was a little boy who was master with the hoola-hoop and received an enthusiastic applause by everyone around. After a while it was time to return to Kathmandu. Tired but very satisfied we climbed back into the jeep. We supported a total of 230 students with this campaign. As always and we can’t say it enough, we would like to thank all sponsors for their support.