Newsletter May 2025

 Next steps in education and agricultural developments!!!!

The Ton Memorial School will be:
Shailung Hill Ton Basic School

Dear sponsors and friends,.

We are happy to share the latest developments of our projects in Sailung, Nepal. Thanks to your support we have been able to make great strides in education and agricultural activities.

Official transfer and new school name.

In April, our secretary Jeannet Diteweg and chairman Jan Post traveled to Nepal together with friend Johannes to officially hand over the school to the local municipal government. During a festive ceremony, attended by approximately twenty official representatives and about two hundred parents and children, the new name of the school was revealed: Shailung Hill Ton Basic School. This means that the name of Ton van den Brink, in whose memory the school was founded, remains linked to the educational project.

Official handover ceremony with many awards

Thanks to many sponsors and donors, a modern school building has been built in remote Sailung, where excellent learning results are now being achieved. The local government has therefore taken the initiative to integrate the school with two other primary schools in the region. After extensive consultation, it was decided to integrate the school, with the aim of safeguarding the quality of education. Although some children have to travel longer distances as a result—sometimes up to two hours of walking—this step is expected to contribute to a higher level of education in the region.
 The festive ceremony was preceded by dance performances by different classes and speeches. After signing the formal papers, the event was concluded with a communal meal.
The foundation will continue to provide financial support to the school in the coming years, partly at the request of the VDC. This will allow families to be supported through child sponsorship and the school to purchase additional teaching materials. In addition, teachers will receive a higher salary, provided they obtain the required certificates.

registration of new students

New teachers

The regional education coordinator is steering well on the quality of education. This has led to the replacement of four teachers from one of the other schools by well-qualified teachers. Krishna and his team are happy with it.

All teachers in a row. 

Guest lecture on the importance of a varied diet

From the agricultural project, the pupils of groups 7 and 8 recently received an inspiring guest lesson about the importance of eating different vegetables. The children listened attentively and asked many questions. They discovered how a varied diet contributes to a healthy lifestyle and why it is important to eat different types of vegetables every day. It was an educational and interactive session that made them think about their own eating habits.

Agricultural Development: SATSh Project Progress

one of the first test tunnels, bamboo and plastic

During our visit, much attention was paid to the seven formed agricultural groups within the agricultural project. After the inventory phase until the end of 2024, an enthusiastic restart was made with the follow-up project SATSh (Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Shailung).
More than twenty families who have been working with greenhouses for a year have been visited. Everyone was very enthusiastic and wants to build more greenhouses. The first forty greenhouses have survived the monsoon rains and winter storms well. Only three greenhouses with bamboo roof supports were damaged. This spring, larger metal greenhouses of 6 by 12 meters have also been built.

Metal greenhouse with drip irrigation system

Agricultural project

In collaboration with our local partner in this project, the Nepalese organization ISARD, two additional agricultural groups have been formed, so that now a total of more than 150 families are involved in seven groups. Trainings have been given, apple and kiwi plants have been delivered, and more than fifty plastic greenhouses have been put into use for the cultivation of vegetables, herbs and mushrooms. The SATSh project will run for at least another twenty months and is co-financed by Wilde Ganzen.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances, it was not possible to realize the financing for SATSh via a Global Rotary Grant before December 2024. Thanks to the many friends, sponsors and certainly the contribution of various Rotary Clubs, we have been able to secure the project at least until December 2025. For which we thank you very much. There is no financial coverage for 2026 yet.
During the various meetings with the groups, the excellent leadership and input of the ISARD staff became clear. All families send a representative for each monthly meeting. In the meetings, learning takes place, knowledge is transferred, supplies are distributed and money is made available. They are therefore the heart of the project.  

Enthusiasm for training in commercial vegetable growing 

In Jhor, an hour's walk from the school, a training on commercial vegetable cultivation has recently started. This training is part of the program of one of the two new groups. The participants show great enthusiasm and dedication during the sessions.
The attached photo shows how the participants, despite the limited space, come together all day to gain new knowledge. In the front left, in the red vest, is Anita, an ISARD employee. She has been living in Sailung for a year and a half now and plays a crucial role in teaching and supporting the various groups and families within the program. Her dedication and talent are invaluable to the success of these trainings.

Intermezzo:

A good example from the group meetings is the saving and lending system. Each participant contributes an agreed amount from his/her agricultural income to the joint savings pot every month. Small loans can be provided from these resources, which are then used within the agricultural project. A neat record is kept of who contributes what, how much is lent and when it is repaid. The group decides collectively whether or not to provide the loans. 

In addition to the greater diversity of vegetables and crops that are now (can be) grown, there is also extra income from the sale of vegetables and mushrooms. The first offspring of the super breeding bucks have also been born and the goats looked good.

Future

The board of our foundation is currently investigating whether we can set up a revolving investment fund in the future, similar to the savings-loan system. During the meetings we had in Nepal, we also discussed loans for larger investments, such as a large cash fund of €1,500. We were very surprised when it emerged that several families had taken out loans from MFIs (Micro Finance Institutes) for larger amounts at interest rates of 30%. Loans to enable children to go abroad, for example, to work there for a number of years to earn a few thousand euros. This information was discussed with the higher VDC board, who promised to curb this type of usury. Furthermore, during our visit, we were introduced to a large agricultural cooperative that has been around for a long time, by chance. And from that contact, the idea arose to refinance the extremely expensive loans from that cooperative into loans with a normal/advantageous rate. We are going to discuss this with various parties.

Water project

The implementation of the drinking water project in collaboration with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has started. A group of volunteers of 7 engineers, 5 from Germany and 2 from Nepal have implemented the plans that were prepared by a group of 20 EWB engineers in the past six months together with the community. An inlet construction, a settling tank and now 1.5 km of pipeline have been constructed to bring clean drinking water from a higher point in the mountains to the community. There will be a follow-up in November.

and much consultation…..

With various lead farmers, visits were made to model farms. In Katakuti, about 1.5 hours drive from the school, we visited a nursery of tomatoes and various other vegetables. It was important to learn that the large metal tunnels were strongly preferred over the tunnels constructed with bamboo. Despite the fact that the bamboo grows locally. The tunnels built from metal and plastic are 6 by 24 meters and cost about €1500, - About a year's salary. But they are certainly profitable when growing the right vegetables with a suitable sales market.

Our visit to Shindu Farmstay and subsequent discussion with the board of Suryamukhi Small Farmer Agriculture Co-operative Ltd was very enriching. The morning program included a tour of the cow and buffalo farm and the milk and butter production. This was followed by a detailed discussion on cooperative formation and financial possibilities. Chairman Mitra Lal Chaulagain has promised to support ISARD in the accelerated implementation of the planned cooperative formation.

On behalf of the Sailung community and board.

Together with the children and the community of Sailung we wish you a wonderful summer!
With your support we will continue. 

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