Please Help Us

Our School

Our School, Papa’s Trinity Academy, started its third full year in a new building and in a new location in Basundhara, the village nearest us, and more central to the many students who have joined us. The school year begins in April and runs year round. Our teaching staff consists of 16 very bright, young, and energetic men and women. We have Milan Godar, our principal, entering his second full year, and this year we have hired an accountant who squeezes in the teaching of computer science. On the artistic side we currently have one inspiring dance instructor. We have three full time Didis to manage the cooking and cleaning and to act as surrogate moms to the many children experiencing school for the first time.

Our mission this year was to continue to offer free education to those children who would otherwise be economically forced out of school, while gathering as many paying students as possible to defray the cost. Please see the student profile below which was established with our original 342 registered students.

Class 7: 21 students enrolled, with 9 paying students each charged 600rs/month

Class 6: 23 students enrolled, with 11 paying students each charged 525rs/month

Class 5: 33 students enrolled, with 25 paying students each charged 450rs/month

Class 4: 20 students enrolled, with 16 paying students each charged 425rs/month

Class 3: 30 students enrolled, with 22 paying students each charged 400rs/month

Class 2: 36 students enrolled, with 23 paying students each charged 375rs/month

Class 1: 46 students enrolled, with 38 paying students each charged 350rs/month

UKG: 40 students enrolled, with 35 paying students each charged 300rs/month

LKG: 49 students enrolled, with 45 paying student each charged 275rs/month

Nursery: 44 students enrolled, with 39 paying students each charged 275rs/month

Note: there are 10 students paying on partial scholarship and charged fees per month.

Total monthly fees if everyone paid: 95,405rs

Other sources of income are the exam fees of 750rs (per student) times 298 exam paying students. The application form and registration fees collected for this school year totaled 83,150rs.

In a perfect world our income for this 2007/2008 school year totals 1,451,510rs.

The annual costs of the school are:

Lease on the building	420,000rs
Adjacent lot for playground use	18,000rs
Investment in benches/white boards/chairs	33,000rs
4 computers	91,000rs
Staff salaries (88,700rs/month)	1,064,400rs
Tiffin (lunch for staff and Orphanage children)	72,000rs
Electricity and Phone	30,000rs
Exam preparation cost	18,000rs
Office and teacher supplies	12,000rs
School supplies for students	28,000rs
School registration fees to Education Ministry	10,000rs
Total costs for school year	1,796,400rs

The difference in a perfect world would then be a net loss of 344,890rs ($5474, using the exchange rate of 63rs = $1.00).

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to collect fees in total from any student's parents; the average student may pay 60% of their total bill. This reduces our income by 580,604rs and results in an annual net loss of 925,494rs ($14,690) for Papa's Trinity Academy.

This is not sustainable. According to most schools I have spoken with we are doing well in collecting 60% of fees. Based upon the 342 student population used, the cost to us per student would be 925,494 (our loss) divided by 342, or 2706rs per child per year. At an exchange rate of 63rs/$1 that becomes $42.95/child per year. We receive no government or philanthropic funds at all.

If you are able or interested in donating to an education fund please specify that on your PayPal contribution page. The average cost of providing a year of quality education for a child at Papa's Trinity Academy, based on an enrollment of 342 students, is approximately 5250rs or $83. Sponsor a child's education

Our Home

In our Home we have 32 children ranging in age from 4 to 17. Our newest family member, Sita, who is just 10 years old, joined us this past week (August 8th, 2007). Our Home staff consist of three didis (sisters) and one female college student, Rupa, who handles the after-school homework assistance for all the children. The three didis and Rupa also live in our Home.

Our total monthly cost averages around 237,383nrs or $3767, based upon the current declined exchange rate of 63nrs per $1. Divided by the current 32 children we have an annual cost of 89,018nrs or $1,412 per child. Factoring in our overall cost of the 342 children in our school at 5,250nrs, our children's share of that being the same, brings the cost per child in our Home to 94,268nrs or $1,496.

With careful budgeting we provide good facilities, food, medicine, dental care, education (see above), spacious rooms with single beds, clean clothes and school uniforms.

So if you would like to sponsor one of the children of Papa's House for one year and exchange letters and photos, your cost would be $1496. Sponsor a child

Village

The village of Dhapasi is looking a lot different now than one year ago. Around 200 of the children are now in our school, dressed in nice uniforms and shoes instead of rags. Because of the Maoist situation many people were fleeing the countryside. Those with money were settling in Dhapasi, as it is one of the prettiest areas in Kathmandu. This has also changed the landscape, offering a sharp contrast between the few with resources and the many without.

In addition to the school help I continue to give aid to the villagers and their children in the form of medical and dental care on a very discretionary basis. One very bright little girl had her front three teeth broken in half. Her parents have no money, but between them, and with all the other villagers chipping in, and with me paying half, we were able to get her new teeth. Some children still are dressed in rags when not in school and I try to get them clothes when possible, and once in awhile food runs scarce and I will buy food for the family. These costs average around 6500nrs per month, or 78,000nrs ($1114) per year. Make a donation

The Dhapasi Project

We are slowly trying to put systems in place to develop a self-sustaining village project.

This will include the purchase of land and the building of a new environmentally friendly campus using solar power and growing some of our own food. This is something that I hope to start collecting donations for and hope to make a land purchase within the year. Everything will be in trust, never owned by individuals, but guided by trustees. Make a donation

Remote Village Project

This is an area that burns inside me. In a nutshell, over 100,000 young girls are sold into lives of prostitution from small remote villages each year. The parents are offered a few thousand nrs and told their young daughters will be working in a good environment and be able to send lots of money home. The girls, ages 9 and up, are then taken to India to live in filthy brothels until they are too sick, usually with AIDS, to work. I want to offer an alternative. I want to build small schools, get young ambitious teachers to staff them and pay the parents the same money to let the girls go to school instead of leaving. If you are interested in this we have several villages already checked out. The cost will be finalized later. Make a donation

In Conclusion

I really need help. The selling of my property back in the United States, along with support from family and a few steadfast donors have borne the cost over the past two years. These children are remarkable and they need help. They are more than worth any sacrifice. Their loyalty and love are the purest I have ever experienced. To offer some individual help would allow you to build a relationship with a child that would be everlasting. I will always make sure that these children have every opportunity and encouragement to make a difference in this world.

Please give some consideration to individual child support, or donating to have a room named in your honor, or the playground equipment, or all the books, the kitchen etc. There are many ways for you to help and in return be recognized for your effort.

Thank you,
Michael Hess (Papa)

	Samjhana Khadka

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