Send Pratik Gurung to school

Meet Pratik Gurung

 

 

Pratik is a 7-year-old boy who enjoys football (soccer) and cricket and aspires to become a doctor. He loves Bollywood movies, and his favorite actor is Salman Khan. He struggles a little bit at school and learning because of a lack of a suitable environment at home. His family faces an immense hurdle in providing him with quality education for reasons I shall describe below.

 

After I learned about his situation through a family friend, I started thinking of ways to help and figured fundraising using gofundme is the way to go.

 

Pratik’s family

 

 

 

Pratik’s father, Gyan Bahadur Gurung, of Bharatpur-5, Chitwan (Nepal), used to be a constructor worker when he met with an accident, leaving him paralyzed below the waist and unable to work anymore. His wife Jhuma Gurung takes care of her paralyzed husband and their son Pratik. While Jhuma works very hard, it is nearly impossible for her to make ends meet, take care of her paralyzed husband, and be involved in Pratik’s education.

 

Though the family’s needs are immense, we attempt to provide small help by raising the funds necessary for Pratik’s education in the coming years. Therefore, we decided that it is best to enroll Pratik in a hostel, where he is completely taken care of. In addition to sending him to school, the hostel provides him with food, co-curricular activities, after-school coaching, and help to complete assignments and prepare for standardized and school entrance examinations.

 

Having some free time on her hands might also allow Jhuma to take up a part-time job and uplift their situation. Because, as of now, they’re reliant on financial support from family, friends and neighbors, which may not be sustainable.

 

The Schoolrise hostel

 

We’ve decided, funds pending, to send Pratik to The Schoolrise hostel located close to Pratik’s home at Bharatpur-5, Chitwan. About 20 kids live there, with the capacity for a few more. The hostel is run by Mr Thakur Dhakal , who has been an educator for the past 20 years in Bhaktapur and Chitwan. The hostel building is also Mr. Dhakal’s home, and he lives there with his family and runs the hostel smoothly with support from his wife.

 

The kids there go to nearby schools of their parent's choice but live in the hostel, where there’s a beautiful environment for education and after-school activities. The hostel also arranges transportation to and from their schools. Some kids are day borders, where they are picked up by their parents in the evening and taken home, whereas some are full-time boarders and live in the hostel.

 

Mr. Dhakal is also a close family friend, and we’ve known each other since I was a kid. Hence, Pratik's family and I feel confident leaving Pratik in his hostel. The hostel is very close to Pratik’s home. Therefore, Mr. Dhakal has assured me that if Pratik ever feels homesick and needs time to adjust initially, he can drop him off at his home in the evenings until he feels fully settled in the hostel. My cousin also has been going there for after-school coaching for the past 3-4 months, and she seems to enjoy her time there. Therefore, I feel good about the prospect of sending Pratik to that hostel.

 

Financing breakdown

Our initial plan is to raise $2500, which should support Pratik for a year in the hostel + other expenses related to education (books, dresses, etc.). We hope to demonstrate significant progress in Pratik’s education and personality and raise more funds in the future.

 

We will provide the funds directly to Mr. Dhakal. He’ll give us a receipt, which I shall share with the community. He can also provide us with an itemized breakdown of cost, which I shall post as an update.

 

The money will first go to my Paypal account / Venmo, which I’ll send to Mr. Dhakal. I will also post a receipt for those transfers.

 

About Me

I live not too far from Pratik’s home and the hostel. I lived in the US from 2008 - 2021, and have since then returned to Nepal. You can find my professional profile here .

 

My phone / WhatsApp: +977-9863537671

Mr. Dhakal’s phone / WhatsApp: +977-9851122095

 

If you're based in Nepal, and want to donate, you can use e-sewa or phonepay and send to this number (9863537671, Nabil Bank).