Nepal kids get scholarships

The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Thailand has provided scholarships to 40 students affected by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal three years ago which took more than 9,000 lives and damaged 900,000 houses and schools.

According to NRNA-Thailand, each student will receive 4,300 baht per academic year. The recipients of this scholarship will be supported until they complete high school education.

NRNA-Thailand is supporting children via a Civil Scholarship Fund, a nonexpendable fund in coordination with Civil Initiative, a non-profit education-focused organisation in Nepal.

The scholarship announced last year by then NRNA-Thailand Chairman Khagendra Raj Dhakal now has a revolving fund of 1,040,000 baht.

NRNA-Thailand established the fund through the sale of a book called Everest Base Camp and through various charitable events held in Thailand.

Mr Dhakal, who is now chair of the Nepal Policy Institute which advises the Nepal government, said the project is aimed at supporting needy students from disadvantaged communities, with priority to earthquake-victim children for the first five years.

For the first year, the project was implemented in the Dolkha and Gorkha districts, for 40 students, with 20 students in each district and the following years seeing a minimum of 100 students awarded scholarships.

The NRNA Thailand and Civil Initiative raise funds by soliciting the interested individuals and organisations.

The donors may also choose the students who they would like to sponsor through the Civil Scholarship Fund.

All the transactions will be published on the organisation’s website.

“Since April 25 marks the 3rd anniversary of Nepal earthquake, I would like to express my gratitude to the Thai people for helping Nepal,” Mr Dhakal said.