During the past 3 years of the covid pandemic, despite school closures, virtual classes, postponed exams, job loss, and family crises, our ANSWER students have persevered by attending virtual classes using their parents’ cell phones since they lacked computers and Wi-Fi in their homes! While those in the primary and secondary classes advanced year by year, our university students, for the most part, were graduating on time with good, if not record scores (see Pabitra Bhandari’s story above “Pabitra receives Gold Medal”). But the downside is that over the past 3 years ANSWER has lost 200 students to graduations with few replacements. How so?
During covid, ANSWER has had little opportunity to recruit new sponsors in the churches as most had switched over from live to virtual (online) services. Even now, our recent visits to newly reopened churches still offering hybrid services, live attendance is but a fraction of what it had been while many have less discretionary money to help. Yes, a few sponsors have taken on a follow-up student if theirs graduated or had dropped out, and a few others have come on board simply through the grapevine. But, the net result is that we have dropped from over 700 students enrolled in the pre-covid era to only 504 currently–approximately half in primary and secondary schools, and half in college.
So, we must make up these lost numbers in order to contain costs and have a bigger impact on Nepal’s democratic and infrastructural development. Before I step down as executive director, it is critical that I don’t leave our Board with the huge task of re-growing the numbers. We at ANSWER are calling on all of you to HELP US once again!
If you have a friend or family member, a neighbor, co-worker or fellow congregant who might be interested in sponsoring a student, please mention and introduce them to ANSWER and us to them. Forward this newsletter to them, and add a note telling them of your experience with us. Below are a number of candidate students who have persisted for months and months in their studies, patiently waiting for help. Look them over and share them as well. Thank you.
Either they or you (with their permission) can contact Lisa or Earle (me) by email or phone, and we will follow up. Earle’s contact numbers are 616-516-0955, jecan314@gmail.com. Lisa’s email is lisa.durham@answernepal.org.
