Major Dil Bahadur Gurung
When the Major was a boy there was no school in his village. Getting to the nearest school from his home in Galem, Nepal would have meant a 2-hour walk down a dangerous foot path clinging to the side of a mountain, followed by a 2 1/2 hour uphill journey back. During the monsoon this narrow, exposed path is particularly treacherous, and there is always the danger of a rockslide (which are often started by monkeys higher up on the mountain). Not surprisingly, the children in Galem did not go to school. Not only was the nearest school too far away and too dangerous to get to, but the children were needed to help on the farm. So, the children's lives consisted of rising at the crack of dawn, feeding the animals and then going out with baskets slung on their back to collect heavy loads of firewood and feed for the animals.
The recently widened(!) path to Galem
Major Dil Bahadur Gurung would never have had a chance to go to school if it hadn't been for a very lucky break. In 1954, his cousin, who served as a Gurkha in the British Army, offered to take the boy with him to his posts around the world. And so Dilbahadur went to school for the first time at the age of 14. He went for three years, going to school in Hong Kong and Malaysia. He recalls this time as being difficult on the one hand, as he was trying to learn from teachers speaking a different language, but this was also a very happy time that was full of surprises and new experiences. Then, in 1957 Dilbahadur joined the British Gurkhas himself.
Namaste! A kindergarten student and her teacher
A little girl in Galem has opportunities her grandmother could not have imagined
Becoming a Gurkha is no small feat. The Gurkhas are an elite force, and each year thousands of young Nepali men vie for a handful of positions. Only the best of the best are selected, and they are paid well, receiving about ten times the salary of a soldier in Nepal’s military. Not only did Dil Bahadur become a Gurkha, but he rose progressively through the ranks: Private, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Sergeant Major, Lieutenant, Captain, and finally, Major. All with only three years of schooling before joining the military. During his career, the Major served in Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunnei. He raised five children and put them all through school, including a son who earned a degree in law, and a daughter who finished a bachelor’s degree.
Wearing her finest, Galem
Villager with Tika Meanwhile, however, little had changed in Galem. In 1958, the government finally built a primary school in Galem. It was a single-room hut and the first class had 15 boys; later, girls were allowed to attend. Nonetheless, continuing school past the primary level was still such a hardship that the children had few options beyond joining the military or growing up to be farmers like their parents. Moreover, by the time the Major retired in 1986, the school was leaking badly and unable to accommodate enough children.
The Major in front of the school he helped build
The Major and his "troops"
Though he now spent most of his time in the city of Pokhara, Major Dil Bahadur dedicated himself
to improving life for the people in his village. As education was not an option when he was a child, the Major decided that educating the children of the village should be the first order of business.
Major Gurung was able to enlist the help of the Gurkhas; he received a grant from the Gurkha foundation, and raised funds from his many colleagues and friends. A pair of Italian doctors also donated heavily to construct the modern, multi-room school that stands in Galem today. With more rooms, the school is now able to accommodate students through grade 8. However, the problem has remained that to continue their schooling to grade 10 (the grade that a student needs to complete to apply for most decent jobs) the students must still make the grueling 4½ hour round trip to the nearest upper secondary school. To continue to grade 11 and 12 (called “college” or “plus one” and “plus two” in Nepal), they have to go even further away. The Major is currently working with the Nepali government to get them to fund grades 9 & 10 in Gallum. As the outlook for that is not so good (they don't even fund grade 8 in Galem!), the Major has already begun raising private funds to pay the teachers’ salaries, and two new rooms two house these grades are already under construction.
Taking a break from exams, Galem
Other improvements that the Major has facilitated for the school include a library, kindergarten with a kitchen, toilets for the boys and girls, and sports facilities. He has also brought clean water to Galem, enabled the town to improve the path to the village, and recently helped the town to acquire a motherhood health clinic.
Motherhood Clinic, Galem
New classrooms being built to accomodate the addition of 9th & 10th grades
It was my great pleasure to be able to accompany the Major on a visit to Galem along with a group of NGO representatives and reporters. For a man who has every right to be proud, the Major is a surprisingly modest man who treats everyone with great respect. The village itself is a breath of fresh air from those that lie on the well worn tourist track. The people of Galem put on quite a welcoming ceremony for us; greeting us at the edge of town, festooning us with flowers and silk scarves, and performing music and dance for us. Such ceremonies are not always sincere, but it was clear that the people of Galem were not just being polite, or just performing for us; They were polite because they are polite, and they were enjoying themselves fully, singing, dancing and laughing even when the delegation was occupied inside with presentations. We were just an excuse to have a party, and as we started the long walk back to our vehicles, we could hear the music and singing fading into the distance.
Villagers celebrating while the delegation retires inside
The party continues as the delegation departs Helping a student in Galem is not hard to do, nor is it expensive. The Major has set up a scholarship program for the best and most needy students. $100 will support a student for one year, and can make the difference between staying in school or dropping out.
If you would like to donate, you can make out a check to:
Shree Sheetala Nimna Madhyamik Vidhyalaya (that's the name of the school!) and make a note on the check that this is for a scholarship
And, send it to:
Major Dil Bahadur Gurung 'MVO' (ret.)
Chairman
Ganeshmansing Road
Block No. 418
Bagale Tole - 8
Pokhara, Nepal
I doubt that this donation will be tax deductible in the U.S., but I'm positive that it will be money well spent.
For more information, you can contact Major Dil Bahadur by email: galemdanda@yahoo.com
Bright eyes and a bright future
Woman with Bindi
Take my picture, too!
A moustache-proud fellow 
Gentleman of Galem
Dressed for celebration
Terraced fields, Galem
Thai Dancer
Fisherwomen - Ko Samui
Fisherwoman
Postcard
