Karang Hostel
We also provide support to the hostel in Kathmandu for the students from Karang that wish to complete secondary education. There are currently eight students at the hostel; five from Karang and three from Nyisal, a small village to the north of Karang. They have been in lockdown since the third week of March, which is difficult for me to comprehend – they have not been out of their building! Fortunately, they have a small open air balcony off the main living area. The hostel is small; a main communal area that is also the dining area and now the on-line classroom, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms; one for boys and one for girls.
In addition to providing support for the ongoing operation of the hostel for rent, utilities and food costs, we have recently provided support for on-line learning, which is now the norm in Kathmandu, with the purchase of three laptop computers.
We recently learned of the need for better beds, mattresses and warmer bedding as we head into winter. We were fortunate to have one supporter come forward with the offer to provide funding for the bunk beds and all the bedding!
Pema Wangchuk, the hostel manager, originally from Karang, does a terrific job. He produces the annual report and reconciles the expenditures against the budgets. We are extremely fortunate to have sponsors who have committed to helping the hostel with a portion of the annual operating costs.
Recently, a group from France, AMTM – Assistance Médicale Toit du Monde, has agreed to sponsor the school fees for 8 students at the hostel. This is a good example of how charities from around the world work together for common causes. The number of students at the hostel is expected to increase for the next four years until it reaches equilibrium with students graduating and those starting their journey.
In 2019 I did a photoshoot of the children in the Komang and Karang hostels. You can see their beautiful smiles in this gallery.