#santischool

[santischool-blog]

If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children. 

– Mahatma Gandhi

[santischool-blog]

Who We Are.

Leaking roofs, cracked walls and missing doors - these small signs of decay litter many of the primary schools in Nepal. Even more discouraging, however, are the budget limitations that these institutions face, crippling the ability to provide key resources like textbooks, paper, and art supplies. WIth school infrastructure quickly crumbling, it is easy for teachers and students alike to slump into an attitude of apathy and pessimism. Education loses its importance - and its value. 

While the Santi School works to fix these problems, we also recognize that our mission cannot solely revolve around school infrastructure  To truly make a sustainable difference, we must focus on interacting with the country's education culture itself. In villages, where work often trumps school, attendance rates are rarely enforced. On some harvest days, children work in the fields, and schools see their numbers dwindle to a trickle of two to three students per class. 

Teachers rarely receive training. Schools are still subjected to out-of-date curricula and ineffective educational techniques. Language classes consist of rote memorization - having students copy what is written on the board - instead of teaching methods like call and response, which have been proven to be much more productive many years ago. 

The Santi School works to counteract this. We train teachers, educate villagers on the full importance of, well, education, and introduce classroom techniques that make learning fun. By integrating our volunteers with village life, we spark change from the inside. While we do build school infrastructure, we also mold attitudes and change minds.

It is our hope to see school become important in the eyes of Nepali children, so that they continue to seek knowledge even after our volunteers leave. 

Registered as a 501(c)(3) organization in the US, the Santi School understakes several initiatives to better improve the quality of education in Nepal. We connect volunteers to Nepal, where they teach English in classrooms, immerse themselves in traditional Nepali culture, and provide resources to schools. All our donations go directly to Nepal - no middleman, no inside profit. And except for a handful of paid employees within the States, the Santi School is run entirely by volunteers. 

Interested in volunteering or taking part in our mission? Contact us at [email protected], or visit our website for more information. 

[santischool-blog]

At one of our partner schools, Nepali children learn the English terms for different emotions. For many of these children and their families, learning English is an important priority as it opens doors to better career opportunities in the future.