Past Projects

Issues: 

1. Educational Gaps

• Teacher absenteeism was common.
• Children were taught in Nepali however when they reached Class 10 and had to appear for a state level Board examination, they had to switch to English medium. 
• Due to failure in the boards due to the above issue, many boys & girls dropped out, eloped and hence teenage pregnancy was common. The boy was suddenly pushed in to catering for the family and thus the cycle of poverty repeated. 
• Facilities in school were bare minimum.

2. Family Challenges (before sponsorships)

• Most children belonged to families who were below the poverty line. 
• Many families lived on rent in a small house (6’ X 8’) with one or two rooms– comparable to the size of a standard toilet in the cities.
• Parents working as labour breaking stone chips would earn for the day so that they could eat a single proper meal. Therefore, spending time and giving love to their children was a luxury to them. 

3. Initial Interventions (sponsorship, coaching, ILC)

• We started Sponsorship project where we took care of the school expenses of the children. Some of the children were moved to English medium school run by a social trust. 
• Since parents were unable to help with school work with many children being first generation school goers, we decided to sponsor coaching classes.
• However, this was found to be inadequate as children would not get the attention needed and therefore, they skipped coaching classes and sometimes switched to a new teacher. Therefore, we decided to bring all the children studying in different schools to a single place. And this the Integrated Learning Centre (ILC) was started – a safe haven where children would get all extra help to cope with not only academics but life in general. The teachers at ILC would also  

4. Emerging Problems (transport, dropout, infrastructure issues)

• Sunset is around 5 PM during winters. Thus, children have to walk in the dark after attending the Integrated Learning Centre.

• Daylight hour is limited in the mountains, children living in far off places walked for an hour or so to get to school. Transportation was unavailable and it was not feasible to walk in the dark in the forest. 

• Senior students suffered the most as they were unable to attend extra coaching classes etc.  
• Because of non-existence of even small bridges some had to cross the river by hopping over rocks which is dangerous especially in rainy season.
• School Dropout is a major problem – especially as many fail the Class Xth Board Exams. Alcoholism & drugs is also common among the youth.
• Trekker’s Hut lacks the space needed to teach these kids nor can we accommodate them for night stays.
• Also, since it was a government owned place – it is totally run down and we have to maintain it from our pocket.

5. Innovative Solutions (coaching in schools, TeachNext, hostels)

• We tied up with the School who agreed to let us run our coaching classes in the school building after the school session was over. 
• Next Education, Hyderabad gave us discounted package for Teach-Next multi-media kit for Class X & XII Board exam preparing students. 
• We received some Netbooks from ex-Volunteers and our students used  Teach-Next program in them.  
• Children living in far off places were put in hostels (more like paying guest accommodation) in Bijanbari. 

6. Family & Social Challenges (after sponsorships)

We were inexperienced and had only goodwill in our hearts however,

• Some parents took advantage and instead of saving they spent the money on alcohol. This in turn lead to frequent fights between the parents and disturbed the children. 
• The parents also reliable too much on the pradhan family to provide everything- even things they could afford e.g., a ₹10 ribbon.  
• Hygiene was poor. Girls were found to have lice in their hair. Children did not brush their teeth. Some of them wore dirty uniform that were provided by us.  
• Electricity was a major problem with frequent loadshedding sometimes for days.  
• Even after getting sponsored, some parents were unable to take care of their children/ or, are unable to provide care including a two square meal. 

7. Sustainable Responses

• Children whose parents were unable to take care of them were also moved to hostel. We tied up with a secluded busti house (Saagfara house), where some of the younger children would live. It was closer to the children’s house too. The couple along with the grandparents took care of the children like their own. 
• For power backup, two Inverters were bought. One was installed in Saagfara house and one at the Trekker’s hut. 
• We ran a health & Hygiene camp where children were taught to use a western toilet and maintain basic hygiene. Lice control was done and some were even given haircuts. Later lice control oil and shampoo along with dental kits were given to the children. 
• A few years later, a volunteer had brought a dental check-up kit to see if they brushed properly. It was a fun session. 
• They were also given period care kits. 
• Regular meetings with parents were held and they were told to keep responsibility. Those who failed to maintain discipline and the children failed twice at the school, were taken off the program. 

Along with the above, Trekker’s Hut family were involved in the village activity. 

The following programs were organized by each batch of Volunteers. 

Community Engagement 

• Each volunteer batch organized events:
  • Talent shows: Singing, Dance Competitions.
  • Excursions: many children’s first-ever car ride to Darjeeling.
  • Special events: treasure hunts, picnics, festivals.
• We took part in local festivals and other celebrations. The Trekker’s hut family never missed a wedding in the valley.
• Excursions to Darjeeling gave many children their first ride in a car.

Social Service Initiatives

• We organized painting of the government schools, cleaning of water tank in the school, maintenance of the school hall that was used by the public.
• We also cleaned the streets especially there was an area with a waterfall that would also bring debris and dirt from the upper roads. 

Livelihood Support Initiatives

• Supported struggling families with small chicken, goat, and pig farms.
• Helped repair and rebuild homes of children under sponsorship.

Accolades & Silent Achievements

• Sponsored children emerged as Class toppers.
• They excelled not only in academics but also in sports, arts, and leadership activities.
• Slowly, they stopped being seen as deprived kids – instead, they became role models.
• Their stories were featured in local news channels and newspapers. 
• Above all, we had built something rare – a family, bound by love, called the Trekker’s Hut Family.