Inauguration and laying of the foundation stone – October 2013

Two further, brand-new schools were inaugurated by Michael and Michaela Rebele during their 8-day visit to Nepal in October 2013. The laying of the foundation stone of another school, meanwhile our 21st one, was also an event worth mentioning.

Furthermore, Sunil Shresta, the local coordinator in charge, also organized a visit to the Siddhi Memorial Hospital and the attached home for elderly people. As a matter of course the delegation of NHB members stayed some time at the core project of our organization, the Shaligram children’s home situated between Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. In the various face to face meetings many topics had to be discussed and relations deepened respectively new contacts established.

Highly important tasks planned long before the trip were the handing over of the “Gyan Mandir Higher Secondary School” in Mailchaur, 70km north-east of Kathmandu on the Arniko Highway, and the opening of the “Balchandra Secondary School” in Kavre, very close to Kathmandu – however only reachable on adventurous paths. Thus another 700 boys and girls will have the opportunity of being educated at one of the NHB-schools. The local organizers managed to give the opening ceremonies a glamorous and festive flair each. Speeches by high-ranking politicians as well as singing and dance performances by the future pupils were part of the ceremony.

The laying of the foundation stone of a new school in Sanosiruwari, the district in which most of our schools are situated, was another important item of the travel agenda. Approximately 500 children will attend this school after its accomplishment in 2014. Taken all NHB-schools together about 8.500 pupils will then attend one of our schools. Some more communities also seized the possibility to handover documents of their idea for further school building to the visitors from Germany. For this reason more financial means will have to be summoned by the NHB, as the funding of the three projects mentioned had already cost 200.000 Euro. The sale of our professionally illustrated calendar “Himalaya 2014” contributes to achieve our goals.

In addition to these new projects, our delegation also centred their attention on examining the already operating institutions, which are expected to be on a high standard. This is essential for supporters and donators of our organization to see that their money is well invested. Emotional moving and motivating for further commitment was the visit of the Shaligram children’s home in Lubhu, in which 38 orphaned boy and girls are living at the moment. The German visitors had a huge amount of sanitary articles, clothes, school materials and – of course – sweets for the kids in their backpacks.

There were also preliminary talks with the director of the Siddhi Memorial Hospital, Shyam Dhaubadel, about the extension of the hospital building and the heightening of one floor of the attached elderly home. Mr Rebele handed over a second hand car funded by the NHB to Dhaubadel wishing him an always safe return from the chaotic traffic in Kathmandu.

Back in Germany all findings and experiences of the travel need to be assessed and evaluated, which means a lot of work for the members of the NHB. However a workload which the NHB happily complete bearing in mind their success and the good of the people in Nepal.