Kathmandu:

While most of us are busy spending all the pennies we earn on clothes, shoes, partying, 16 students from Japan were here to help students of the Jhor Mahankal School at Jhor get a better school compound.

Working with Save the World, an organisation that believes that any disturba-nce to peace is to be found in the twin process of marginalisation and urbanisation, these students from the Washida University were here to give students of one Nepali school a better place to study and play.

Their answer to save the world from such a fate is by encouraging friendship and cooperation amongst people of the developing and the developed nations.

“I had come last year too, with another group. We built toilets, helped bring water to a village. I have come back as leader of this group,” said Atushi Kato.

Why had he returnted? “Helping people in need gave me tremendous courage and self-confidence,” he said, adding, “We are focussed on education and communication. We chose to do a project for a village school.”

They decided on Jhor Mahankal School after a lot of study. “We saw that the school is situated near a jungle, and that children studying here need protection. They should have a quiet place where they can concentrate on their studies. All these factors led us to do this project for this particular school,” said assistant leader Ryota Iida.

“They lived like brothers and sisters with the villa-gers, got along very well despite the communication gap. They communicated in gestures and managed to capture the hearts of all,” said Shiv Shrestha, president of Save the World. The team’s work did not end with the completion of their project. They stayed back and cleaned the place and gave the villagers lessons on hygiene.

“We organised a culture exchange programme and taught the students about our culture, and we too got to know more about Nepali culture,” Kato added.

They raised fund for the students here by selling Save the World T-shirts and posters in their university. “We did not just want to give the money to the school and forget about it. So, we organised cultural programmes and other activities for students,” said Yuka Kitamatsu.

What is more humbling to know is that students like Kitamatsu worked day and night in Japan to collect enough money to bring here to be used for a better cause. “We collected 45,000 yen from each student. I was very interested in social wor. This was a wonderful opportunity and I joined the group. Why spend so much on another nation? Because I guess it’s buying an experience,” said Kitamatsu.

To show their gratitude, the villagers gave each Japanese student a Nepali name, said Shrestha.