FHC support for Year 11 & 12s. Thank you Donna Smith.

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Angus Mccoll - news bites

A chance meeting has brought great opportunities to 30 high-school students.

Anil Tamang (now FHC President in Nepal) guided Donna Smith from USA on a trek to Everest Base Camp last year and shared with her stories about FHC and the work we are doing. She wanted to help. She donated enough money to FHC to support 30 students through the final two years of their senior high school.

Completing these final years requires moving to larger urban centres – Melamchi or Kathmandu. For many families the costs are prohibitive and this can mean the end of their child’s education, despite having the aptitude and desire to go on.

Now, with Donna’s help, FHC is able to give 30 poor but capable students a chance to finish their high school and possibly go onto university. Their success benefits the whole community.

Each of these students have successfully completed their Grade 10 Secondary Education Examination (SEE) exams and will now continue on to the School Level Certificate (SLC), which is the final examination of Grade 11 and 12. This is also referred to as the ‘+2 Course.’

Donna recently returned for more hiking with a friend and she caught up with the students benefiting from her kind donation. Most of the students chosen for this support come from the Batase school and seven come from the neighbouring Terse Secondary School in Telamarang.

Very encouraging are the number of girls choosing to go onto senior high school. Traditionally, girls in conservative regional areas were taken out of school by their parents after their primary years to marry and labour on the farm. This is changing and FHC has been an active driver of this transformation in community attitudes.

FHC, with Donna’s donation, will cover their school fees and study materials costs.