About Birgunj
NCEF has chosen a new area to provide helping hands to the children of Birgunj, Parsa. Mr. Sudeep Shrestha will be the area coordinator and will organize volunteers to help him implement NCEF’s goals.
Birgunj is the 5th largest city in Nepal located on the southern border of Nepal next to the Indian state of Bihar. This city, located within the Narayani Zone, is relatively urban and well developed. This area is diverse with religions like Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist, as well as inhabitants with various ethnic backgrounds. This variety is partly caused by the fact that the city is one of the important “gateways” for goods imported from India and Indian ports. Therefore, there are multiple small airports, roads and train access to the city. Although the area is relatively modern compared to many of the areas that NCEF operates in, children’s education however requires a lot of attention and help. According to government statistics, forty percent of children above 6 do not attend school. However surprisingly, there are seven public secondary schools in that area and additional 22 private schools. The majority of inhabitants of this area are the Madhesi people who have close ethnic ties to Bihar (in India) and the majority of these people are day laborers in Birgunj earning less than a dollar a day. Economic hardship alongside traditional beliefs that do not put emphasis on education is increasing illiteracy rates in this area of Nepal.
Mr. Shrestha believes that with the help of NCEF he can give some of the children assistance and encouragement to start and continue their education for a better future.
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