Connection and Progress at Bardia Memorial School

Connection and Progress at Bardia Memorial School

Bardia Memorial School was alive with joy, connection and progress on its first week back for a new school year! Actually it is the year 2076 on the Nepali calendar this year! The aliveness was triggered by a team of visiting students who have been in Nepal on a leadership and adventure summit run by the Adventurous Life Project, as part of the Bright Futures of Bardia program, to raise funds and give practical support to the school, whilst giving the visiting children first hand experience in what contribution really means.

It was such a delight to observe new friendships being made between our visiting team of young students and adults from Australia, the UK and Switzerland, and the local students and teachers. An exchange of culture and ideas, magnificent heart felt smiles and a sense of fulfilment as projects were undertaken as a united team.

The youth leaders together with the adults on the trip received a heartfelt welcome like no other. Our welcome was one of joyful celebration including traditional dance with a modern twist that created so much excitement for the students. Some of the student leader of Bardia Memorial School had practiced a special rendition of Waltzing Matilda! Our team sang the Australian National Anthem with great pride and then performed the ‘Nut Bush’ as a gesture of friendship and shared celebration.

As the week unfolded, so much progress was achieved …

  • Our students taught Geography, Science, Australian Culture, Dance, Art, story telling, singing and so much more!
  • New computers were set up and installed with books and educational programmes. A projector was set up to support group learning.
  • The temporary library was created and catalogued with all the books donated. The delight in the students eyes was something to behold.
  • A new laminator was donated to help protect materials against dust and dirt which is a reality in the school environment.
  • Teacher training commenced – we were fortunate to have as a part of our visiting team a retired educational professional who shared her knowledge and tools with the teachers at the school.
  • Stories were shared, games played, friendships blossomed.
  • The playground was alive with new frisbees, soccer balls, hand balls and other donated equipment.
  • The new toilet facilities were rendered and painted with the help of our students as well as the Bardia students. A huge sense of pride was shared by all.
  • Rubbish was separated and an incinerator pit built for disposal and recycling of  waste, and education was shared about the importance of looking after our planet.
  • Structures were dismantled to make way for Phase 3 building of the new Science and Technology Block and Library.


It was an action packed week! After school hours families welcomed us into their homes to experience first hand what it’s like to live in the community of Bardia.

Together our presence made such an impact and similarly the impact on us is immeasurable. The resources shared will continue to support the school in our absence and create a ripple effect like no other.

The progress photos included here, and what you may have seen on social media, are tribute to the work underway right now thanks to all of your donations over the past 8 months.

  • Phase 1 works are very close to completion and will be officially signed off by two of our core team, Steve James and Jayne Hannam, who will be visiting the school at the end of May.
  • Phase 2 works which include the lower 5 classrooms are well and truly underway and the classrooms are also due for completion and inspection at the end of May.
  • The foundations for the Science and Technology Block and Library will begin next week. Assuming the weather is good to us, they too will be close to completion at the end of this month.

Later in the month of May we will be launching Phase 3 of our campaign. This is an exciting phase as it will give the school, and the greater community, facilities they have never had before. It will include a Science Laboratory, a Technology room, a Library, and an Early Learning Centre. These facilities will be available to the school and a system will be put in place to give access to these spaces also to the broader community for educational purposes. We are very excited about this phase.

This phase will require additional funds and expertise to bring it to life. Perhaps you can help, or perhaps you know someone who can help? We are looking for people or companies who can help us through donation of skillset, donation of equipment and infrastructure,  particularly for the science lab and the computer lab, donation of books, donation of shipping to send the books, donation of funds and people to host fundraising events of any size in any country.

We are also seeking someone to join our team who has marketing experience and would like to support us as we broaden our reach. So if you are keen to have a chat, or want to send this mail on to someone you know, please reach out, perhaps now is the time to dedicate some of your time and energy to give back to a community less fortunate that us.

What we saw in the eyes and felt in the hearts of the children in the Bardia Memorial School is incredibly challenging to put into words, but we can guarantee that your contribution, in whatever way it comes, is very much appreciated.

If you are interested in visiting the school as part of a volunteer trip please feel free to email us. We are also taking expressions of interest for the teen youth summit for April 2020 open to kids from 12 – 17.

You sharing our message with others is a wonderful way to expand our impact.

Thank you again for your interest and support.

The Bright Futures of Bardia team

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