Panchpokhari Sikai Mela
Rojina Tamang, a Grade 5 student at Shree Saraswati Basic School in Lapse, Langarche-08, Sindhupalchowk, walked an hour and a half with her classmates Ram Tamang and Amrita Tamang to reach the Sikai Mela venue (“Learning Fair”) at Shree Kshetrapaleswori Higher Secondary School in Bhotenamlang-07, Sindhupalchwok on 23rd Magh, 2082. They carried with them a model on water purification along with other math projects.
Rojina recalls, “We made a lot of mistakes while building the project, which we eventually fixed. It was fun working with my friends and being guided by our teachers. We worked as a team even though we came from different grade levels. I was nervous at first about presenting to so many people, but we became more confident each time we explained our project. We also showcased it to Tasi Lama, Chairperson of our Rural Municipality, who asked us many questions.”
Like Rojina, nearly 1000 students from 29 schools across Paanchpokhari Thangpal Rural Municipality (PTRM) participated in the fair, with more than 2,000 people attending. Sikai Mela (an educational fair) is an annual students event organized by PaanchPokhari Thangpal Rural Municipality. It was formerly supported by the collaborative initiative of Saaathi Teacher by HELP, and Teach For Nepal fellows. At the Sikai Mela, students from different grade levels have the opportunity to exhibit their projects and learning outcome. It also serves as a great platform for students to practise their 4C skills.
Umesh Dhungana, a Saathi Teacher at Shree Bhotenamlang Secondary School, shared, “Sikai Mela is a platform where my students and many others can display their creativity. Despite limited resources in the region, the projects and creativity shown by students are commendable.”
Alongside Saathi Teachers attending with their students, the HELP team was also present with a stall to share information about HELP’s Post-SEE Scholarship and Mentorship Programme. Over 200 students appearing for the SEE from PTRM this year visited the stall. The aim was to ensure they are aware of the opportunities available to support their higher secondary education. Congratulations to all the students and initiative of PaanchPokhari Rural Municipality, one of our longest partners working in education on multiple fronts.
Program / Celebration
