Himalayan News Service

Phidim, February 12:

Bal Bahadur Nepali of Phidim VDC-7 is delighted to listen the news that his daughter Sushila has secured 93 per cent marks in nursery level from the Everest Boarding School, thanks to a Japanese organisation which provided her with scholarship.

Bal Bahadur — a tea state worker — who was unable to afford his daughter’s education on his own is now happy with the prospect that his daughter will no more remain deprived of the light of education.

Had it not been for Bajaro, an organisation founded by some Japanese youths, she would have been staying at home or working in a tea state.

Many kids of Sushila’s age were staying in home or working at tea states till last year as their parents could not afford their education. But now they are attending schools after the Japanese organisation provided them with scholarship.

Bajaro is providing financial aid to children of 148 tea state workers of Kanchanjunga Tea Estate. Eighty-seven boys and 77 girls have been benefited from the scheme. Bajaro has promised to support their education till Grade 10. Sita Banskota had stopped her studies due to financial difficulties but she rejoined her studies after she got a scholarship from the organisation. Now she dreams to pursue higher education.

Dilli Banskota, the executive director of the tea estate, said the organisation spent Rs 350,000 on the scheme last year.

Bajaro is also exporting organic tea and coffee produced in the rural areas, including the tea estate, to Japanese market, manager of the estate Bal Krishna Gautam said.

Gautam said that the tea estate has been producing about 30,000 kg of tea, including green and orthodox tea, each year.