Friends of Nepal – Australia Inc funded water filtration system based on reverse osmosis to be installed at St. Xavier’s School in Deonia, Jhapa, Nepal. The ground water was contaminated with iron and hence was not fit for drinking. The new filtration system has made this water drinkable and is benefiting more than 800 children and teachers, and local community as well.
About School
There are two schools – one at Deonia (St. Xavier’s School-SXD) and the other 9 k.m. away in the tea garden area (Moran Memorial School-MMS). Deonia has 7.11 acreas of land while Moral Memorial has 4.22 acres of land. St. Xavier’s School, Deonia cater to mainly the farming community around the school along with some enrolments from Bhadrapur, Chandragadi and Birthammode. Moran Memorial School mainly take care of the children of the tea garden workers who are mainly tribals. Now the students in these schools have already appeared three batches for the S.L.C. exams with excellent results.
SXD runs on a “break even” budget, serving local farm families as well as people along the corridor from Birthmod and Bhadrapur. The local farmers are not rich. The world’s rising food costs benefits dealers rather than producers! The school tries to help some with scholarship money they raise. The average tuition cost for school is about 600 rupees in local currency.
The school has integrated educational program called Partnership in Education (PIE) where they run special coaching classes for various government High School students of this area who are poor in studies. Over 100 students are enrolled each year of special tuition in Maths, Science and English. The students pay negligible amount each month if they can pay. The three teachers are paid by SXD. Presently they use our limited school facilities.
Along with improving education they are also involved in the health care of the people in this area. With the help of the Sisters of the Daughters of the Cross they are running dispensary that is now expanding into a mobile clinic visiting villages, treating the ordinary illness and teaching them how to take care of the health.