Arun Valley Boarding School in Num

Why has Cunina started this project?

The children that live in and around Num had almost no access to education. You had to walk an entire day to reach the nearest quality school. In 2013, Cunina started building the Arun Valley Boarding School.

The operating costs of the school, including the fees of the teachers, are paid by Cunina and all the children of school age are supported by a Cunina godparent. The children are taught in English, which is also the reason why a lot of children from the surrounding villages go to school in Num. In fact, a lot of families moved to Num to live closer to the school.

What has Cunina done in the past?

The village of Num was very difficult to reach when Cunina arrived there for the first time in 2012. Travelling from Khandbari to Num almost took you a day. There were a number of cold classrooms made out of loam. The children had no school uniforms and were poorly dressed. Sophie decided to change this.

These shabby classrooms have now been replaced with a school made out of stone. It consists of thirteen classrooms with new school furniture. All the children wear a school uniform now too. At the end of 2016, a road was built between Sekha and Num so you are now also able to get there by jeep.

What will Cunina do in the future?

Cunina is going to build three more classrooms in 2017.

We work together with the local community and use local materials to support the local economy and create jobs.

Fact sheet of Num

Start of the project: 2013

Money already spent: €180,480

Number of students: 165

Result at the end of 2016:

• Purchase of land
• Construction of 10 classrooms for the primary school
• Construction of 3 kindergartens
• Construction of a sanitary block
• Building of fences

Op de planning in 2017:

• Construction of 3 extra classrooms

Why does Cunina operate in Nepal?

30% of the Nepalese population does not know how to read or write, even though primary education is free and compulsory for children aged six to eleven. Only half of the children in Nepal go to school.

The quality of public schools is bad and private schools are too expensive for many families. This is one of the reasons why children that do go to school often drop out early.