May 2015

MEP status and hostel expansion (May 2015)

Project Name: Manjushri Educational Project

Address: Nyingma Palyul Retreat Center

Ganeshthan, Sheshnarayan 3, Pharping, Kathmandu Nepal

Charity Name and Registration:

Penor Rinpoche Buddhist Society (P.B.S.) Reg. No: 1060/2066, Pan No. 303627791

For further queries, please contact:

Nepal
Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche. Email: knamdrol@yahoo.co.in
SingaporeRobin Chan. Email: chantw1@gmail.com
Azhar Ali. Email: azhar.ali11@gmail.com
Tan Hui Ping. Email: huipingtan76@gmail.com
Chia Chiu Yuin. Email: chiuyuin@gmail.com
MEP Web Portals
http://www.facebook.com/manjushrieducational
http://manjushrieducational.org/

May 2015
MEP Summary
Nepal remains one of the poorest countries worldwide and this is especially pertinent in rural areas
where the poverty rate is higher. Due to extreme poverty, poor families living in these rural areas
often send their children to work rather than to school and this perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
About one quarter of children in Nepal are engaged in some kind of family or wage labour. The
presence of social discrimination plays a significant role in keeping people poor and marginalized in
rural Nepal. Though illegal, discrimination on the grounds of caste is still widespread, especially in
rural areas and members of the lowest caste are the most disadvantaged group. Most families from
the lowest caste work as wage labourers for higher-caste farmers. The Manjushri Educational Project
(MEP) was established by Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche (since 2012) for the sole purpose of
providing basic education over the course of ten years to children from poor families. This
sponsorship will cover all school expenses (tuition fees, textbooks, uniform, shoes, stationery items
and transport, when required), boarding hostel where children are provided additional help and
tuitions in their studies and meals during school semester. This project aims to provide opportunities
in the form of education to these poor children with the intentions that they are able to contribute
to their society upon obtaining an education that will secure them a decent job.

Summary table
Description

Number of Children

Cost (SGD)

Education @SGD500/year
Boarding Expenses @SGD500/year
New hostel expansion
TOTAL

82
82
40

SGD$41,000
SGD$41,000
SGD$40,000
SGD$122,000

May 2015
1. Objectives
The key objectives of MEP are (i) to provide full education, in a form of scholarship over a period of
ten years, to children from poor families and (ii) to provide meals and lodging to these children
during school semester.
The MEP budget is divided into two arms:
Education covers the tuition fees, uniform, shoes, textbooks and stationery items. The cost
per child is US$365/year or about US$1/ day, or SGD500/year.
ii. Hostel covers the fixed assets (land lease of 30 years, building construction and furnishing)
and operational costs (building maintenance, educators cum administrators, basic
healthcare services, food and other living expenses). The cost of providing daily meals and
allowance is about US$365/year or US$1/day, or SGD500/year.
i.

2. Project status
i. Education Currently, there are 82 students under MEP sponsorship : 62 in Nepal and 20 in
Bhutan.
ii. Hostel Rinpoche has secured for a parcel of land for 30 years and in the agreement, the
landlord is not allowed to sell the land within this period. The rental of land for 7 years has already
been paid. The construction of three building structures (two for dormitories and one to house
dining facility, kitchen, administrative room and study room) was completed in November 2013. At
present, the two dormitories are fully occupied (with 40 children). Children staying at the hostel
receives three meals daily and a little pocket money. Two staying-in teachers/educators (one male
and one female) are employed to oversee the running of daily activities including tuition after school
hours to help weaker students. Cleaners and cooks (who may come from families who abuse them)
are also employed and monks, nuns and other retreats members provided assistance when possible.
MEP students who are not staying in the hostel receive three meals daily as well.

3. Immediate plan: Hostel Expansion

In recent months, Rinpoche has been approached by many parents who have travelled far from the
remote mountains and villages and have expressed their wish to enrol their children under MEP.
These parents together with their children, unfortunately, had to be turned away as there is
currently no vacancy in the hostel. These parents apparently got to know of the MEP by word of
mouth.
In view of this situation, the hostel will be undergo expansion whereby two single level buildings will
be added for 40 more children (one for boys and the other for girls). The expected costs for this
construction is approximately NR2,800,000 (SGD$40,000 with currency exchange rate SGD$1 =
NR70) and building time is expected to take approximately 4 to 6 months from start date (June
2015). A breakdown on construction costs is listed in Table 1 below.

May 2015
Table 1. Breakdown of costs for the construction of two single level hostels
expansion).
Purpose
Advance payment (prior start of construction)
Pre-fab materials and labour (beginning of construction)
Pre-fab materials and labour (completion)
Total
*exchange rates of SGD$1 = NR70.

Costs (NR)
600,000
700,000
1,500,000
2,800,000

(hostel

Cost (SGD)
8571.43
7,000.00
21,428.57
40,000

4. Annual costs for education and boarding expenses.

The amount needed to maintain the education and boarding expenses for 82 students is described
in Table 2 below.

Table 2. Annual costs for education and boarding expenses (80 children).
Description

Number of Children

Education
82
Boarding Expenses
82
*exchange rates of SGD$1.36 = USD$1.

Cost (USD) at USD1 per day

Cost (SGD)

29,930
29,930

41,000
41,000

May 2015
5. Images of MEP Nepal Hostel and students

Stages of construction of MEP Hostel in Pharping, Nepal

May 2015

Gathering of Rinpoche and students those who excelled in

their studies were awarded gifts in appreciation of their
achievement.
6