Projects

Background to project

Oyam is a small remote village in the Panchthar District, Eastern Nepal and has a population of c5,100 (730households) that is growing annually. Approximately 500 students attend Shree Gupteshwor Secondary School (above) located within the village that provides education from Pre-primary to Grade 12 (post-16yrs). Many of the older students including Numaya Rai who is 15 yrs old (below), have to walk, across challenging terrain, up to 4 hours every day (2 hours each way) to get to school and back, in all seasons and weather conditions. Students arrive to school tired after their long walk and still have to walk home again at the end of the day. This has an impact on their ability to learn and makes their day very long.

*Numaya Rai has to walk 2 hours each way to school.*

The school is keen to provide quality education and the students are eager to learn but at the moment are limited by the facilities available, either at the school or in the village. Therefore, working with Pahar Trust Nepal, the team from the Oyam Memorial Hall Project (OMHP) are seeking to raise funds to provide a new, earthquake resilient, 3-storey building, that will consist of:

· Hostel accommodation

· Kitchen and dining room

· A fully equipped computer room

· Public library

· First Aid room

· Toilets and showers

Weekly hostel accommodation will be available to those students who are required to make the longest and hardest journeys to school and back. This will save some of the students around16hrs in travelling every week.

This is Parmila Rai, a Year 11 student who also walks two hours each way to get to school.

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Rajan Rai, Year 11, is another pupil who will benefit from the hostel accommodation at Oyam.

Children will return home for weekends. There will be beds, a kitchen/dining facility, a medical room, toilet facilities and solar energy to ensure that those children who do stay are looked after comfortably and safely. The building will be built to currently earthquake resilience requirements and to the high standards of all PTN projects.

The computer room and library will provide all students with access to educational books and software to help them make the most of their education. The library will also be open to the public to encourage all members of the local community to access the books available.

The land required to build the new Memorial Hall was purchased in Spring 2021 and, with support from the local Municipality Government, the ground has been levelled and new retaining walls have been built.

A team from the UK with close links to TheQueen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment have embarked on the challenge to raise the required funds to deliver this major project in Oyam, east Nepal. Additional donors include the Hong Kong Ex Servicemen’s Association (HKESA) who kindly donated £8,000

Additional donors include the Hong Kong Ex Servicemen’s Association (HKESA) who kindly donated £8,000 to the project.

Gurkha connections

These two Gurkha Soldiers of the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, both come from Oyam. Left – Private Mausam Seling and right Sergeant Ajip Rai.

Retired Gurkha Soldiers, both born and raised in Oyam. The man on the left served the Indian Army Gurkha and the one on the right has served the Queen’s Gurkha Signals in the British Army.

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Latest progress updates

August 2022

The PTN construction team (pictured with a teacher from the school) are working through the monsoon season.

July 2022

Land preparation works and new retaining walls under construction

Fundraising challenges and events

Fundraising is currently underway in the UK and is off to a great start with great support from a wide variety of donors towards the project. There have also been a number of fundraising challenges undertaken and more to come; including;

· Static bike challenge to ride 7669km. The distance from Oyam, Nepal to Hullavington, Wiltshire

· RLC & QOGLR team undertaking the “Goggins Challenge” to run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours

· London Marathon in October 2021

So far, over £60,000 has been raised (or pledged) for the project which is a great start but there is a long way to go. The estimated budget for the project is c£184,000 so there is still a lot of work to do. It is hoped that works to the foundations will take place in early 2022 with project completion in June 2023.

Update May 2022

On Saturday 28th May, the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment hosted a dinner auction and raffle in Aldershot to raise funds for Project Oyam. Here are some photos from the event:

March 2022 saw supporters take part in the Gurkha peak challenge set up by Milan Paruhang and Grg Gyabit on Pen Y Fan mountain in the snow:

Well done to everyone who took part in the event.

*The team undertaking the "Goggins Challenge"*

February 2022

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of many supporters including involvement from the Ex IRON OYAM, HQ 3 (UK) Division, the total raised so far is c£82,000. Keep up the great work! What a difference this project will make to the people of Oyam.

Ex IRON MAN challenger with Chakra and Paul Gilham holding a contribution towards the Oyam Memorial Hall Project.

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LCpl Rajan Limbu ran five kilometres a day for 30 days in loving memory of his late mother, Prem Maya Limbu. Here is his Just Giving page.

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If you would like to support the Oyam Memorial Hall Project you can do so here. Remember to select "Project Oyam" from the dropdown menu.

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Oyam Memorial Hall

Project Cost:

£184,000