On August 1st, we proudly welcomed 17 new Grade 11 Day Scholars to our school
grade 8 during their chemistry practical class.
This year, we welcomed 17 new Grade 11 Day Scholars. Their sponsorship covers a hot breakfast, tuition, textbooks, school supplies, uniforms, school shoes, and government registration fees. Currently, none of them have been sponsored. The sponsorship rate is the same as for other Day Scholars. Learn more: https://himalayanchildren.org/how-to-help/make-a-donation/. If you would like to help, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at himalayanchildren@gmail.com.
We had to wait until August 19th for municipal approval to use our Chemistry and Physics Labs, so our Science Stream students could only start their classes after this date. You can visit our Grade 8 Chemistry class here: https://youtu.be/IpuowhYIaZs.
We asked the new Grade 11 Day Scholars to share something about themselves. Here are a few of their reflections:
Tenzin Lhadon Lamav
“In my village, Chokang (Tsum), the biggest problem is ineffective schooling. The teachers are not skilled and lack punctuality. They would teach for the first two or three months, but after that, they stop coming. As a result, we don’t have a functioning school in our community, and all parents have to send their children to Kathmandu for a proper education.” – Tenzin Lhadon Lama, Grade 11
Ed. note – This is typical of government schools, where teachers are sent from the lowlands with no ties to the mountain communities. They continue to receive their salaries despite not fulfilling their duties.
Mikma Galan Tamang
“My village, Nuwakot, in Nuwakot District, is a very remote place known for its red earth. However, Nuwakot is also in very poor condition; it is underdeveloped, lacks proper roads, making transportation difficult. There is also a lack of education and no employment opportunities.” – Mikma Galan Tamang, Grade 11,
Education Changes Lives: SMDers pay it forward
Often, when our students complete Grade 10, they have the opportunity to give back by serving for a year. The toughest assignments are at Thrangu Rinpoche’s monasteries in northern Nepal: Nar Satek Thrangu Chophel Ling Monastery in Manang District and Nubri Hinang Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in Gorkha District, both located in remote, high-altitude areas. Those who volunteer are like mini caregivers—they not only teach subjects like Math, Nepali, Science, and English but also oversee the young monks’ hygiene, which often includes doing laundry by hand in freezing cold water.
(L) – Phurbu and Chhimi with small monks at Nar Satek Thrangu Chophel Ling Monastery. (R) – Tenzin Lhamo and Neeruta Magar at Nubri Hinang Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery.
Currently, Phurbu Dolma Sherpa and Chhimi Yudon Lama are giving service at Nar Satek Thrangu Chophel Ling Monastery.
Tenzin Lhamo Gurung and Neeruta Magar are currently serving at Nubri Hinang Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery.
ROOTS & SHOOTS: Change-makers
After a long hiatus, Dr. Jane Goodall’s international initiative, Roots and Shoots, has been relaunched at SMD. Roots and Shoots is Dr. Goodall’s global youth movement, which empowers young people to create positive change within their communities.
Teachers from the DENER Children Foundation during their visit at SMD
Welcome Back, Teachers from the DENER Children Foundation
SMD is delighted to have DENER teachers back with us, sharing new techniques (our teachers love this) and the kids who had DENER teachers last year were tickled to have some of the same the teachers back. A wonderful thing about SMD teachers is that they are hungry to learn – they often request training classroom techniques. Our friends from DENER made intensive plans and have come with all sorts of material and lots of fascinating techniques up their sleeves. They have been focusing on getting children to read. Fun is being had and learning is happening!
Dr. Walter Dorn giving lectures/ presentation at SMD
Dr. Walter Dorn’s Inspiring Lecture at SMD: UN Peacekeeping Insights
Dr. Walter Dorn, a distinguished professor, visited SMD to deliver a lecture on the history and formation of the United Nations, detailing the origins and operations of the UN’s 80,000-member Peacekeeping force. SMD students were surprised to learn that the largest national contingent among the Peacekeepers is Nepali. Dr. Dorn began his presentation with a globe, highlighting political divisions, and then compared it to a photograph of Earth from space, emphasizing that borders are merely constructs. His message of “one earth, one humanity” resonated deeply with Thrangu Rinpoche’s students.
A few days later, Professor Dorn returned to engage with our Grades 11 and 12 students in a discussion on Science.
Tsewang Diki Ghale (L) and Tsering Youden (Right) proving health education in different remote villages of northern himalayas.
Overseas Scholars bring Change to The Himalayas
Tsewang Diki Ghale, currently studying at university on a Davis Scholarship, and Tsering Youden Lama, who is on scholarship at a United World College, returned home during their summer holidays to bring positive change to their mountain villages. Both undertook the challenging monsoon trek back to their communities, where they collaborated with local Mothers’ Groups to distribute reusable sanitary products and provide education on sexual health, menstrual hygiene and consent.
Tsewang Diki, with the support of a grant from the Davis Projects for Peace and assistance from her sister, Karma Yudon, delivered sanitary products and conducted workshops for the Mothers’ Groups. She also thoughtfully brought warm socks for the monks at Nar Satek Monastery, acknowledging the scarcity of quality socks in Nepal.
For the past two years, Tsering Youden has been leading a similar initiative in Tsum Nubri. She independently raises funds through a British charity, Medyarte, and sources all the materials for reusable sanitary pads locally in Nepal, creating employment opportunities in the process. Pictured in the red jacket, Tsering Youden also collects second-hand books for Nepal and persuades friends to help bring them into the country, as new books published overseas are subject to a 10% tax.
Dengue has been recorded in 75 districts across Nepal
Dengue has been recorded in 75 districts and continues to spread as the range of mosquitoes expands due to global warming. Currently, only Mustang and Dolpo remain dengue-free. At SMD, we are taking preventive measures by fogging weekly and maintaining rigorous cleaning routines. Although no students have contracted the virus, one of our teachers, One of our teachers did test positive, likely from a mosquito bite he received while outside the school premises. We are pleased to see him making a good recovery.
If you are planning to visit and would like to help by bringing items, we are in need of:
– Wart medicine
– Non-chewable multi-vitamin tablets
– Flea medicine for our rescued cats (the type that is applied as drops on the cats’ necks)
– Warm socks
– Art and office supplies
In case you missed it…
Nepal Post Office is currently unable to process outgoing mail to different countries: While we understand the inconvenience this may cause, we want to assure you that all incoming mail services remain unaffected. The Nepal Post Office will continue to handle and deliver incoming mail from around the world without interruption. However, outgoing mail services to destinations outside of Nepal will be temporarily unavailable until further notice.
Here is the list of the country where outgoing mail is fine: Austria, Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, France, Netherlands, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, United States, Qatar, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Maldives
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