April marks the beginning of NCEF’s academic year. As we approach this academic year’s close, our volunteers are busy laying the groundwork for the year ahead. Before we implement their plans, it is important to take a step back and reflect on the development in different areas thus far:
Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk, and Chitwan
We were fortunate to get to know great students and volunteers in these areas. However, due to various circumstances, the volunteers are no longer able to support the work at the level of rigor we need to run an effective program. Therefore, we are pausing our work in this area for now.
Sunsari
We are adding five new students! The decision to grow is based on the positive trends in volunteer performance and plans brought forth for feasible expansion. Sunsari already has 31 NCEF students, primarily in the elementary and middle school.
We are gathering more information on the financial status of our applicant pool to see how we can improve next year’s process. All new applicants are required to disclose detailed biographical information which includes family income figures. We are in the process of collecting applications from existing students and will analyze the data once it is all available.
Sankhuwasabha
Efforts are doubling here! We have three students in this area this year and plan to add three more. We have already collected applications for all the new student scholarships.
Patan and Kathmandu
This is one of our oldest areas in the capital of Nepal. This year, we plan to merge the Patan and Kathmandu areas to streamline our work there. One of our volunteers has already personally distributed applications to all the existing students in this area, and we expect them to be completed by the middle of March.
We have decided to add up to three new students, but likely not until May rather than April. Volunteers are looking to add students in the 11th and 12th grades, and classes for these students do not start until May.
Nepalgunj
We have a brand new volunteer and brand new focus in Nepalgunj. During the last year, we started working with a volunteer in a school specializing in visually impaired students and have reached out to new sets of students. We currently have eight students in Nepalgunj and will add up to three more. Three of our current students are blind. Our volunteer in this region recently reported that the application forms for the new students have been mailed to Kathmandu. Therefore, we hope to receive them in a few days.
With this progress in mind, we will report to the government our work and our plans to move forward. Thank you all sincerely for your involvement and dedication to our projects thus far. We look forward to another academic year of success and improvement upon the previous
