Nepal: Pragya English School

Introduction:

Pragya Foundation, originally known as the Pragya Education Foundation (PEF) is a Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) registered at the Chief District Office of Kathmandu

Our mission is to help the underprivileged children of our country realize their potential. To fulfill this mission Pragya Foundation has already established The Pragya English School to impart quality education for children. A Children’s Home for abandoned and orphaned children and Healthcare Unit at school are also in progress.

Being educated is always a first step ahead. Our children are responsible for the future development of our nation. They must have the opportunity to get quality and practical education. Therefore, the Pragya Foundation has committed itself to support and contribute to the development of Nepal.
Movie of project.

Management:

The Project director of Pragya School is Mr R B Patel. He will communicate with the volunteers. He is a very friendly person who is warm and hospitable. He will makes you feel at home right away. He is also open to change and new ideas as far as the management of this project is concerned.

Program Fee

Administrative Fee- $175 plus $ 25 for each additional month
This includes:
- Application and Placement Process
- Transportation to and from Airport
- Orientation and Sightseeing
- Support and Supervision at School
- Materials and Resources at School (arranged on case by case basis)
- Volunteer I.D. Card (provides discounts at certain tourist attractions)
- 24-Hour Internet Access at Volunteer Program Office
- Assistance with Arranging Trekking and other Excursions
- Donation to School and Volunteer Program & ongoing projects.

Accomodation Fee:

Due to the limited funds of the school, volunteers are responsible for all costs associated with their travel to Kathmandu, such as airfare, tourist visa, travel/health insurance and airport departure tax. The fees also do not cover trekking, rafting or other adventure activities or excursions. Volunteers should budget approximately US $20 per week to cater for expenses like bottled water, personal items, beverages and entertainment. If you have any questions or concerns about the fees, please let us know. We are always open for discussion.
Volunteers must make a deposit of the program fee and the first month for their room and board to secure their placement.

Environment:

Pragya Foundation and all its projects such as Pragya English School , Pragya Health Care Unit and Pragya Children Home ,all are located at Suryakotmarg, Koteshwor Village , Koteshwor is 10 Km from the central Kathmandu City.Koteshwor is very near to International Airport Kathmandu.It is just 15 minutes drive from the Airport.
Most of the people who do not have their own homes and migrated to Kathmandu during conflict in fetch of work and secure life live in this village as the living cost is some lesser than the central Kathmandu.People do not have enough facilities like road, water, electricity , means of communication , healthcare .The village looks very poor in all respects but people are eagar to develop their village and they are ready to participate in any kind of development opportunity.We , the people of Pragya Foundation are trying our best to do something for edcaution , health and children. There is a very holly river called Manohara and bagmati near to us but they are very polluted day by day .There is no green park and no systamatic plan for drainage system.For instance you can see that Our school Play ground in the monsoon gets turned into pond as there is no outlet system.

Our History:

The Pragya Foundation is proof of the hard work and determination of its founder & Chairman /director, Mr. R.B. Patel.
Like many children in Nepal, Mr. Patel grew up on the streets, suffering from extreme poverty and a lack of access to education. By the age of thirteen Mr. Patel was able to earn money for food and continue his education by tutoring other children. In fact, it was at this point in his early life that Mr. Patel realized the deep satisfaction that comes from helping children succeed in their quest for knowledge.
Many children at the Pragya English School have arrived in Kathmandu with their parents looking for a better life. However, some parents were not able to find work in Kathmandu and were therefore forced to go back to their original homes. Mr. Patel then offered the children accommodationl so that they could continue their education. Out of this situation grew the idea to create what is now called the Pragya Children’s Home. In the future the Children’s Home will also serve for abandoned and orphaned children.
T he Pragya English School attracted a growing number of students. It also become clear that some of them were lacking basic medical care and that their parents were not able to pay for them. At the sight of this regretfull situation, Mr. Patel decided to establish a Health Care Unit at the Pragya English School, so that all of the children could receive the most necessary medical assistance and a regular health check up.

Who do we need?

Any type of knowledge that can be imparted to a child’s growing mind is valuable and lasts a lifetime. In addition to a traditional academic curriculum, Pragya English School teaches dance, music, sports and much more. Volunteers are encouraged to work in their own area of expertise and share their unique talents with teachers and students. It is learning and cultural exchange, which is at the heart of the Volunteer Program.

Your job as a volunteer

The following is a list of our current volunteer positions. The majority of volunteers choose to teach. Please keep in mind, however, that Pragya English School welcomes new ideas, and accordingly, some volunteers have developed their own unique projects for the school and its students with a little guidance from the school’s director and volunteer coordinator.

Short-Term/Drop-In
Pragya English School recognizes that some travelers to Nepal do not have the time available to commit to a lengthy term of volunteer service. For this reason, we offer a short-term/drop-in option. Volunteers may do anything from delivering a onetime presentation to a class to painting a classroom.

Doctors/Nurses
Volunteers who are professionally trained as nurses or doctors are invited to provide basic healthcare services at the school and health education to the students.
Possible Responsibilities:
• Provide basic healthcare and advice to children aged between 3 to 16
• Provide health education to children and teachers

Skills Needed:
• Clinical, medical and first aid
• Patience, flexibility and a child-loving nature
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish good relationships with the community.

Teacher Trainers
Volunteer Teacher Trainers are greatly desired at Pragya English School. Many of our teachers, especially those working with Pre-Primary and Kindergarten students, need additional support and training in order to provide a better quality education.

Librarians
We would be pleased to welcome a volunteer interested in being a Librarian. Pragya English School is currently trying to create a library in conjunction with a computer lab. The main duty of the librarian would be to catalog the books and materials the school currently owns and develop a list of the books and materials the school is lacking. The librarian would also work with the students to learn how to use the library.

Other Possible Responsibilities:
• Design a booklet or prospectus as applies to opening a library
• Develop workshops and seminars. Develop fundraising initiatives to expand the library
• Teach students about libraries and research techniques

Teachers
Volunteers are welcome to teach any of the following subjects (or suggest their own lesson plan) to their preferred age group(s):
English, Science,Music,Math. Art,Geography,History,Social Science,Sex Education/Health,Dance,Environment,
Photography, Journalism,Sport/recreation,Kindergarten.

Construction Projects
Volunteers, who are interested in participating in construction and maintenance projects in order to improve the school buildings and grounds are always welcomed.