JRPC-Sponsored Organization

In accordance with our mission to empower people, to act locally, to promote peace, justice, and sustainability in the world, the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center acts as fiduciary sponsor for several Western Montana organizations.

Mahankhal Chautari School Project

Location

Two hours from Kathmandu by taxi, on a hilltop commanding views of both the metropolis below and the Himalayas above, sits the village of Challing, Nepal.  The residents here are mainly farmers, sustaining themselves and their families with what they can squeeze from the steep slopes of clayey soil on which their village is perched.  On this marginal farm land the Nepali farmers have created terraced hillsides which produce corn, millet, mustard seed and barley, as well as an assortment of vegetables and herbs; a testament to the ingenuity and labor of the people living here.

While only a short cab ride from the capital, the village of Challing enjoys almost none of the benefits of modern life.  Few of the homes have electricity or adequate sanitation facilities and water must be carried in jugs from the nearest public tap, of which there are few.  Challing is not unique in this; in most of the surrounding villages the situation is much the same.  Illiteracy is high and the people themselves, while constituting a mixture of ethnic and caste backgrounds, are united in their economic marginalization.  Despite the often hard physical terms of life here, one hears more laughter and sees more smiles in the market here than one does in many a "first world" country.

But still, the people here know what they lack and they do desire to improve their situation, if not for themselves, then at least for their children.  Now, inspired by and organized around Kalinath Baba, a local and well-respected Hindu renunciate, the people of Challing and the surrounding villages have determined to build a school for their children.  It is a small but necessary step in giving the people of this area the skills and abilities to improve their own lives. 

The Project

The construction of the Mahankhal Chautari School will take place in two phases. Phase One of the project will consist of constructing a "bamboo cottage" style structure of 4 or 5 rooms that will serve as a temporary school building for pre-school and kindergarten classes while Phase Two of construction is underway.  The "bamboo cottage" school will be constructed using locally available materials and may be used for a number of years if necessary with only minor maintenance.  Bamboo for construction of this building has already been donated by local villagers.

Phase Two involves the design and construction of the final structure.  The completed structure will contain 12-15 rooms and be constructed so as to meet earthquake requirements.  The Changu Narayan Engineering Campus has agreed to donate all architectural and design work for this project.  Additionally, the land on which both phases of construction will occur has been donated to the local Village Forestry Committee by the Nepali government for the purpose of this project. 

Phase One of the project will cost between $2,000 and $2,500 for labor and building supplies, and will commence in the late Winter-early Spring of 2008.  Initial design and engineering work for the final structure will also be started at this time.  The total cost for the final structure is estimated at $35-$40,000.  Construction of the final structure will itself proceed in phases, as the needed capital is collected, beginning with the building the main foundation and 2 or 3 classrooms.  New rooms can then be added as finances become available.  This is typical of schools in Nepal, many of which add one new room and one new grade-level each year, growing along with their first "batch" of students.  Both the "bamboo cottage" school and the final structure will be used as educational facilities for both children and adults.  The buildings will also serve as indoor community meeting spaces, another amenity currently lacking in the village.

The villagers have organized and elected a School Committee to oversee construction of the school and administration once the school is running.  The committee is composed of 9 women and 8 men from the surrounding villages and includes the acting Village Development Committee chairman, several teachers and a number of farmers.  Joshua Davis (the project's U.S. Fund-raiser) and Kali Baba attend board meetings and offer suggestions, though neither votes on the decisions of the board.  Perhaps as important as building the school itself is giving the villagers a sense of empowerment to better their own situation.  More than just creating a building, this project aims to provide the opportunity for community members to organize themselves in ways that they have not done before, and hopefully help the villagers come up with new ideas and strategies for developing their community.