Community Programs | Schools, Teachers, & Classrooms

The Danuwar Rai Project | Preserving a Culture through Education

The Danuwar Rai, an ethnic group that inhabits rural central Nepal, are severely disadvantaged, even by Nepal’s standards. Primarily illiterate rice farmers, they do not place much importance on education, especially for girls. Schools in the Danuwar Rai community are generally in abysmal condition, and some are on the verge of collapse. There is a scarcity of both teachers and schools, and as a result, some classrooms are overflowing with students. Teachers frequently have to juggle lessons for several grades simultaneously in the same room, causing students to lose interest and become more likely to drop out of school.
 
In 2006, the Nepal Youth Foundation made a long-term commitment to the Danuwar Rai. Rather than merely giving handouts, this program empowers them to improve their own livelihoods. NYF’s multifaceted program consists of:
• Giving scholarships to impoverished girls
• Constructing schools and classrooms
• Hiring teachers
• Operating nutritional outreach camps

I am 16 years old and I am studying in 10th grade at Narayandevi Secondary School. I was about to drop out of school because of my family’s poverty, but because I received a scholarship from NYOF, I still go to school. My parents are uneducated and they used to try to force me to leave school and get married. After I got support from NYOF, with the help of my teacher, I succeeded in convincing them that girls should be self reliant first and only then should we get married. Now they stopped pressuring me! I am doing well in my studies. Last year, I was ranked fifth in my class, and I am confident that I will do even better in days to come. I would like to thank NYOF for providing scholarships to helpless children like me. – Parbati Rai

At the schools where NYF has supplied teachers and built classrooms, classes are no longer overcrowded and students’ attitudes towards learning have noticeably improved.

NYF also provides vocational training for girls who choose to pursue it. Three young women are currently working towards diplomas in computer skills, and six are enrolled in training courses to be seamstresses.

As a consequence of this program, throughout the Danuwar Rai community, more children are going to school, fewer are dropping out, and fewer girls are getting married at an early age.

Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. When females are educated, they tend to send more of their children to school, marry later, and have fewer children, which results in less malnutrition and a more sustainable population. With your help, NYF can continue to provide education and new opportunities to some of the most disadvantaged people in Nepal.

• Learn about our model school in Dhading
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