Kathmandu is in hard lockdown again! But on to brighter news first…
Partner Schools & Scholarships
Last year, we were only able to place one SMD student on scholarship overseas–this year we’ll have three students abroad again!! A chance to finish high school in preeminent schools like the ones mentioned below opens doors to higher education for a select few of our Grade 10 graduates. The quality of education at our partner schools and the academic and social challenge help to shape SMDers into global citizens and equip them with critical thinking skills, which can help towards bringing change to Nepal!
Pema Dekyi Lama will start at Red Cross Nordic United World College in Norway. She is our 18th student at RCNUWC.
Yangchen Dolma Tamang is our fourth student starting at Shawnigan Lake School on beautiful Vancouver Island in Canada in September. She is receiving the Himalayan Leadership Award, created in honour of our first three students who had a chance to attend Shawnigan since 2016.
Nima Palmu Sherpa will start her scholarship at the Inter Community School Zurich. She will be our 24th student at ICSZ.
Alumni Dawa Tsering Sherpa
Dawa Tsering is an alumni of SMD School. Ten years ago, he moved to the US, where he trained as a sushi chef.
Dawa was working in Aspen when on January 19th, he was seriously injured while sweeping snow off the roof of the restaurant. He fell onto concrete, sustaining traumatic brain injury among other injuries. Dawa has not been able work since January, and although half his expenses are looked after, he has not been able to keep up with the rest. He needs help with costs while he undergoes therapy. The doctors say it will be a few months before he can work again. He has about a fifth of the funding he needs.
Although we cannot help him through the school or our non-profit organizations (not in our mandate), we wanted to share his story and if you would like to help him, you may donate through his GoFundMe page and by sharing it via social media.
Munu with student Pema Tenzin Lama, who had come to the school to get his textbooks.
Academic Supervisor recovering from COVID-19
Our hardworking Academic Supervisor, Munu, was struck down by covid just after the Nepali New Year celebrations. She was quite ill and has been extremely weak throughout her recovery but are so happy that she is on the mend.
Pandemic is fuelling child labour.
COVID-19 – 2nd Wave
In the middle of the pandemic with the second wave of COVID-19 hitting Nepal, the PM has called an election: there will be more uncertainty and instability. The UN and several countries have sent in oxygen tanks and concentrators. But what is needed most now is vaccine. Like many poor countries, Nepal has been left out; only now at the end of May, have China and the US decided to send 10 million doses. The pandemic has also been fuelling child labour–being in school and getting an education protects the children in Nepal. That’s why we work so relentlessly on providing the best education and ‘home away from home’ we can for our students.
Final Exams 2020-2021
Final exams were held online from May 20 to 28 for all our students up to Class 9. The government is still dithering about what the Class 10 students should do. The SEE exams called ‘The Iron Gate” cannot be held in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis–we are still in lockdown. There were no contingency plans laid. This is nerve-wracking for Nepali students because the SEE determines everything about a student’s future.
Sponsorship
We are holding our SMD School sponsorship rates the same for the 2021-22 school year. We are extremely grateful to all our sponsors & donors. Your generosity is keeping the children, the school and our staff afloat in these hard times!
In Case You Missed It…
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