At Ashraya, the focus is on promoting school education. The children and young people usually live with their parents, relatives or in a hostel (boarding school). Depending on this, boarding school fees may also have to be paid in addition to the school fees. The costs per child and month are therefore between €20 and €100 per month, depending on the school, class level and hostel costs. Our donors often cover the costs for one child through sponsorships. However, partial sponsorships can also be arranged. Important to know: There are no obligations whatsoever. A sponsorship can be cancelled at any time, in which case we look for a new donor and bridge the interim period with reserves from donations that are not earmarked for a specific purpose.
Ashraya Schooling Nepal
In addition to the sponsorships, Ashraya is also our arm when it comes to temporary aid projects, such as earthquake relief in 2015, food support during the Covid lockdown in 2020, a washing machine for a retirement home or campaigns for teaching materials and renovation projects at schools. Whether sponsorship or aid project - every type of DONATION helps and is highly appreciated!
Pasang's words
What it means for the children and young people sponsored by Ashraya to be supported in their school careers cannot be better expressed than by Pasang in a letter to his sponsor:
Dear Eva,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. It has been a long time since I wrote you a letter, and I´m writing this letter to share some experiences and personal growth that I´ve been fortunate to have made in the past months.
First and foremost, as you know, I passed grade 12 with good grade point average, so I made the decision to join the BScIT (Bachelor of Science in Information Technology) classes. The world of information technology has always fascinated me and I believe pursuing this course will open up new opportunities and avenues for my future career.
...
Eva, your support has been the foundation of my achievements and explorations. I am incredibly grateful for your love and support. I look forward to your reply.
‘I wish you a day filled with blessings and beautiful times.’
Pasang Ghale
School situation in Nepal
There are both state schools and public schools in Nepal. The number of public schools exceeds the number of state schools many times over - especially in the cities.
Public schools in Nepal are generally not elite schools for the country's wealthy upper class. Most public schools are aimed at the middle class, were founded by private individuals and are run as a ‘social business’. For a number of reasons, the quality of education there is significantly higher than in state schools, where classrooms are often overcrowded, teachers are poorly paid and usually poorly trained and, in contrast to public schools, most subjects are not taught in English.
Of course, school fees at public schools are generally higher than at state schools, but in general, school education in Nepal is always associated with costs. In addition to school materials and textbooks, school fees also have to be paid by the children's families. There are also additional costs for school uniforms and, in the higher classes, for practical exercises and exam registrations. Many Nepalese cannot afford these costs. Children from families living on the poverty line therefore have poorer chances of a secure future from the outset. Middle-class families also suffer from the high cost pressure. This is precisely why support and sponsorships are so important.
(Text based on “https://blog.mein-nepal.de/2012/11/25/schulausbildung-nepal/”)
Help after the major earthquake in 2015
The devastating earthquakes of 2015 are considered the deadliest disaster in Nepal's history. In Nepal, almost 8,800 people died as a result of the quakes and an estimated 2.8 million lost their homes.
Just a few days after the first major quake, Ashraya was able to bring aid to affected areas thanks to donations from our organisation: Initially tents, blankets, food and clothing to villages not far from the capital, and later to more remote regions. Later on, reconstruction aid was provided, medicines were brought to remote villages and lunches were organised in schools. The earthquakes also led to more children being taken in by Ashraya and the Yamuna Children's Home, as their parents were no longer able to care for them or had even lost their lives.
The dramatic reports to our sponsors from those days and months are still moving today: Earthquake aid 2015
Corona help
As a result of the coronavirus crisis, the people of Nepal have lost their most important source of income, tourism. 1.4 million migrant workers have returned to their villages without a livelihood of their own. However, kinship and neighbourly help are still firmly anchored there. But for many of those who have no roots in the villages, the loss of their work opportunities during the lockdown has put them in a precarious situation.
By appealing for donations, we were able to make funds available, and Tashi from Ashraya used his freedom of movement to provide 15 families in his neighbourhood with the essentials during this critical time, primarily rice, lentils and cooking oil.