Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people! – Psalm 3:8 (NRSV)
Today, September 8th is International Literacy Day. It is the 50th anniversary of this day that celebrates the work of individuals, organizations, and governments in their efforts to increase literacy rates all over the world. In celebration of that, we share this post. It was written by Rev. Franklin Ishida, Area Director for Asia and the Pacific.
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In Nepal, education is so highly valued that, following the devastating earthquakes in 2015, makeshift classrooms were built immediately so children could continue their learning. In many places, rebuilding school buildings was a great challenge due to the difficult mountainous terrain.
Lutheran Disaster Response, working with partners in Nepal, was not just about rebuilding homes, livelihood, and other infrastructure, but also about building up the very foundations of life: education. One of the partners, United Mission to Nepal, was tasked by the government to help rebuild schools in some of the most inaccessible places.
Shree Oile Basic school was one of these schools rebuilt with funding from LDR. A new two classroom building now stands proud, built in an approved earthquake-resistant design. Compared to the crumbling old building, the new one has tall ceilings, a bright interior, and wonderful environment for learning.
“Our old building was not so bright,” said headmistress Radha Adhikori. “In the summer, especially, children would fall asleep when it was dark inside. It is now bright and it will be better for the students and the teachers.”
The children themselves are excited about the change. “We don’t have to worry about earthquakes and we feel safer now,” said Tara, a student at the school. “We also don’t have to worry when it rains or thunders outside,” noting the sturdy roof on the building. There also are brand new latrines and a clean water supply.
“We hope to achieve so much more in learning now that we have a new building,” said Adhikori. “I am happy for this kind of support for our education. And now, my hope is we can expand this school beyond early childhood and classes 1 to 3.”
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Be a part of the response:
Pray
Continue to pray for all those impacted by the fires,mudslides, floods and hurricanes. May God’s healing presence comfort them in their time of need. Also, share this bulletin insert in your congregation to help spread the word and find additional resources for worship here.
Give
Thanks to generous, undesignated donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe, including the rebuilding of schools. Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response will be used where there is the greatest need. To give to the hurricane response where funds are needed most, click here and select “Hurricane response.” To give directly to relief efforts for Hurricane Irma, click here and select “Hurricane Irma.” Either way, your gifts will be used entirely (100 percent) for direct response efforts.
Connect
To learn more about global migration and what Lutheran Disaster Response is doing:
