Scholarships to Bhutanese Refugee Students in Jhapa District in Eastern Nepal

In 2010, Punya Foundation started its projects from the Bhutanese Refugee Camps located in Jhapa and Morang districts in eastern Nepal. From 2010 until 2015, a few dozen students received scholarships to pursue with their higher secondary level education. Mr Roshan Sankar, Mr Vidhyapati Mishra, Mr Tilak Niraula and Mr Shekar Rizal played various roles during the scholarship implementation.

In 2015, Punya Foundation decided to reallocate its fund based on the need. Children orphaned by the earthquakes of 2015 in Nepal and their dire need appealed Punya Foundation. As a result, 127 primary school students, who lost at least one of their parents during the earthquakes were prioritised and selected as the beneficiaries of the scholarships then.

In 2023, based on the request by the community-based organisations, Punya Foundation decided to recommence the scholarship program in the Bhutanese Refugee Camps in Nepal. In 2024, Punya Foundation have had a few rounds of meetings with the camp management committee and community-based organisations to develop understanding and implementation strategies.
The following agreement has been reached;

1. Punya Foundation to provide scholarships to at least 5 students in the academic year 2024.
2. The settlement management committee, led by the Camp Secretary of Beldangi, takes ownership of the implementation, and engages community-based organisations to select students and implement the project.
3. The scholarships are reserved for deserving, poor and vulnerable Bhutanese refugee students.
4. The performance indicators are students’ academic performance.
5. Punya Foundation Nepal will monitor the project.

The representatives of the Settlement Management Committee, Bhutanese Refugee Children Forum, Bhutanese Refugee Disability Forum, and Bhutanese Refugee Women Forum visit huts in the Bhutanese Refugee Camps to verify applicants’ vulnerability and their genuine scholarship need.

The scholarship selection panel constituted of representatives of the camp management committee and all camp-based CBOs. The panel selected:
1. Prabin Biswa (grade VIII)
2. Saraswoti Gurung (grade VII)
3. Sonam Magar (grade VIII)
4. Firoja Biswa (grade IV) and
5. Sudesha Rai (grade VI)

Punya Foundation extends its sincere thanks to its donors for making this project successful. To reach our support to other needy students, Punya Foundation requests for your kind donation.