CAN Projects

Sindhupalchok District - Bahrabise School for the Deaf

This project was initiated in January 2000 upon receipt of a letter from the school management committee requesting CAN support. The school was run by local volunteers and a government teacher, in a rented house, in the town of Bahrabise. At that time there were 22 children studying at the school. The school committee had plans to build a school on land that they had already purchased and CAN agreed to assist with funding for the building together with design and specifications.

By 2004 the building work was virtually completed and the final stages of laying the parquet flooring were well underway. Special arrangements had been put in place to make use of all the technology available so that the acoustics would be as appropriate as possible for the purpose of teaching deaf children.

Many of the children attending the school came from distant communities and required accommodation and so it was decided in 2004 to use two of the classrooms as dormitories. Now, with numbers increasing, there is pressure to build a separate dormitory block so that the two rooms at present used as sleeping quarters, can be returned to use as classrooms.

This school is the first in Nepal to be recognised by the government as a specialised school for the deaf. Nepal is struggling to meet even the basic levels for equal opportunities and many people suffering from any sort of disability are generally excluded from society. This is particularly the case with deaf people who feel even more isolated as a result of not generally being able to communicate with family and friends. Their employment prospects are very bleak.

Bahrabise School, at present, is only a primary status school; this means that when children reach the age of 12 they have to transfer to a secondary school. Unfortunately in reality they are no secondary schools in this part of Nepal and so in effect the older children will drop out of education with few prospects for their futures. The school committee recognise this and are applying to the government to gain secondary status.

Over the last few months a great deal of work has been undertaken at the school with the support of the CAN Community Development Manager, Ratna Shrestha to develop the vegetable garden and diversify the crops’ production. This has been so successful that the school is now able to subsidise its income through the sale of its produce.

It is hoped that the application for secondary status will be successful. This would require the employment of two, additional secondary level teachers, the use of the two dormitory rooms as classrooms and the provision of additional accommodation. This development together with the kitchen garden, planting schemes and sewing classes will give more children vocational training and skills that could help them in their adult life.

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