By Tara Chapagain
Kaski, Feb. 27: At Pokhara’s Kalika Secondary School, young children do not mind attending classes regularly. Thanks to several community schools’ lunch campaigns, students are happy over the prospect of going to school every morning.
For teachers, the campaign has proven to be a resounding success in luring children towards formal education. Kalika Secondary School of Pokhara Municipality Ward No. 10 started distributing day meals to students six years ago. According to Basudev Adhikari, Assistant Principal at the school, the number of students has been steadily increasing since the inception of the lunch campaign.
“Most of the children here live in deprivation. Their families have limited means to ensure two meals a day. Several little ones here are unable to even convey that they are hungry. Many used to faint in the classrooms while others simply skipped school. Considering all this, we started the campaign,” informed Adhikari.
Every day, the school serves 120 students hygienic nutritious food, he said. “I am delighted to see their faces lit up eyeing the food on their tables. They arrive enthusiastically and inquire about the day’s menu. They eat heartily and then study attentively,” he added.
During the initial days of the campaign, the school had to weather financial and distribution, among other logistical problems on a daily basis. However, for the last couple of years, the campaign has been sailing smoothly owing to generous contributions from Sanika Bikas Bank. As part of their Community Social Responsibility (CSR), the bank allots Rs 50,000 in cash every month for the mid-day lunch. “Instead of providing the amount every month, the bank provides the lump sum amount of Rs. 600,000 at the end of each year. This is the third year,” said Deepak Bahadur Giri, chairperson of the school’s management committee.
Talking about the campaign’s effectiveness, the Principal of Masina Basic School, Gobinda Prasad Baral also reported a surge in the number of students. “Prior to the initiative, there were no more than 65 students. Now we have 142 students. Apart from students, even guardians are eager to send their young ones to school,” he said.
Currently two grader of the same school, Amrita Pariyar wasn’t fond of school. But the circumstances have significantly changed now, and according to her teachers, she rarely skips school anymore.
Pariyar is just one among a large group of students who no longer despise attending school. They have started enjoying it.
can pick and drop individuals after completing the listed procedures.
While the law has legalised the platform, it still lacks a regulation barring the companies from being registered. With a regulation in implementation, the ride-sharing companies will be liable to bring blanket insurance and other facilities for the riders and passengers.
“The regulation has still not been fully ready. Once it is all set, we will begin the process at the earliest,” said Nabin Kumar Singh, spokesperson at Physical Infrastructure Development Ministry of Bagmati Province.
Singh also added that the ride-sharing companies would not be restricted from operation even when the regulation is not brought into implementation.
Senior officials of the ride-sharing companies like Tootle and Pathao, over several conversations with The Rising Nepal, have urged the government to bring a proper regulation soon because the number of ride-sharing companies is on the rise.