Skill center in Khandbari

Why has Cunina started this project?

In 2003, Cunina built a hostel in Khandbari to house 100 children from isolated mountain villages. These children had no access to education, because there were no schools in their villages. This problem was solved in 2013. In the meantime, Cunina had built a school in two villages situated higher in the mountains. This way, the children that lived in the mountain villages had a school close to their home. 

Therefore, Cunina changed the purpose of the hostel. It was converted into an educational center where youngsters have the opportunity to take part in a nurse assistant training, which is recognized by the Nepalese government. The training has a duration of eighteen months and youngsters are required to have a diploma of secondary education in order to take part. The students will have theoretical and practical lessons for fifteen months. After these fifteen months, they will have to take part in an exam and if they pass, they will start their internship of three months in the hospital of Khandbari. 

The people that live in the Himalayas are in great need of medical care. There are almost no doctors available. By doing this project, we will take care of two things: the Nepalese population will receive the medical care they need and the students will have a rewarding job.

Every eighteen months, a new group of 40 students will start their training. Each time, we look for Cunina godparents for these students. Would you like to help improve medical care in Nepal? Then become the godparent of a nurse assistant student for eighteen months.            

The start-up cost of your child sponsorship file is €35 and the training costs €630 (€35 x eighteen months).

What will Cunina do in the future?

In 2017, we will start offering a hospitality and an agricultural training (see also our ‘Green Village’ project) at the skill center. We will also expand it with a sewing workshop.

We work together with the local community and use local materials to support the local economy and create jobs.

Fact sheet of Khandbari

Start of the project: October 2013

Money already spent: €12,840

Number of students: 40 per training

Result in 2016:

• Construction of the original hostel in 2003
• Opening of the hostel in 2004
• Conversion of the hostel into a skill center in 2013 & start of the nurse assistant training
• Acquisition of didactical materials (microscopes, lab coats, first-aid kits…)

Plans for the future:

• Hospitality training
• Sewing training
• Agricultural training

Why does Cunina operate in Nepal?

30% of the Nepalese population does not know how to read or write, even though primary education is free and compulsory for children aged six to eleven. Only half of the children in Nepal go to school.

The quality of public schools is bad and private schools are too expensive for many families. This is one of the reasons why children that do go to school often drop out early.