Going Back-to-School for a Day
While in Nepal, our Sponsor Trip Participants are given the opportunity to visit a few of the schools our Sponsored Children attend. In total, our sponsored children attend 29 different schools. This year, we visited five of these schools and learned a lot about the children’s education. The Nepali school system is different than ours in the USA. Children generally attend the same school from Nursery through 10th grade, then go to a different school for 11/12 grade where they begin to specialize in their career interests. After finishing 12th, they can continue to university level or vocational school.
The children are enrolled in a specific school based on the location of their home, whether they need to board or can live at home, and their academic interests, as well as the quality of the school. All schools are private and teach English as well as Nepali and other subjects.
Over the years our partner NGO, Bhuvaneshwori Satyal Foundation (BSF), has forged relationships with these schools to ensure that the children are getting a good academic and well-rounded education, and that the school meets high standards. BSF Program Coordinators meet regularly with the children, their families, and the teachers and administrators of these schools to be sure the children are regularly attending and thriving. Imagine the work that BSF staff have to keep up with all the 109 children and their school activities!
We visited HRIT Academy, a school for 11/12 graders, where we have five children enrolled. HRIT Academy has a beautiful campus, and many children who choose to major in science and management attend school there. The school is known for preparing children well for continuing their education into universities.
Next, we visited Golden Gate College where we have three 11/12 graders and two Bachelor’s level students enrolled. Golden Gate College has a large enrollment of 4,000 students. We have had many children attend and graduate from this school throughout the years, and it maintains a good reputation. The campus is large, and we met in the library with some of the administrators.
Then we visited Vibhuti Vidya Mandir where we have 30 children enrolled. These children live at home with family and attend day school. Vibhuti administrators successfully work with our children, and understand that a positive encouraging atmosphere is important for helping our children to stay motivated and have good self-esteem. Our sponsors really loved the photos of the children on the school grounds honoring their many success stories.
At Reliance Residential School we had great fun meeting with the 18 children who board there, and talking to the principal about the school. It is a very structured and strongly academic school in which our children do well. The sponsors were very impressed with the principal, and the children appeared happy and healthy.
Finally, we visited Swapna Vatika where we have 11 children boarding. It is a much smaller school with a less structured program atmosphere which can be better suited for some of our children and their various needs.
At every school we visited, sponsors were able to ask many questions, and the administrators were very welcoming and informative. We learned so much about education in Nepal and the Mitrata-BSF holistic and individualized approach to education.
“Visiting the Contact Centers, Schools, and the Girls’ Hostel in Kathmandu was such a wonderful experience. The staff was so welcoming that I felt like I was visiting family after a long absence.
The teachers took such pride in showing us their facilities and what they were working on with students.”
