Hau Pur Primary School
Date of Completion: May 1994
The people of Hau Pur are Tharu, an indiginous tribe who have lived in the
lowlands of Nepal, along the border of India for centuries. The Tharu had
been fairly isolated because malaria was endemic. With the invention and use
of chemicals that erradicated malaria in the 1950’s, the Tharu’s land was
taken from them. These new landowners oppressed the Tharu, enslaving them as
bonded laborers. Recently the Tharu have been able to fight back - through
education. By taking community based literacy classes, the Tharu were able
to become literate, enabling them to use the court system to retrieve
their lands. They have now recovered over 75% of their lands.
With this knowledge of the importance of education the people of Hau Pur
were excited at the possibility of a new schoohouse for their children.
Their original mud hut school was not able to hold all the students who
wanted to attend. In three and a half months this community built a six
room schoolhouse designed to last 100 years. There are now 250 children
attending this school.
The people of Hau Pur are Tharu, an indiginous tribe who have lived in the
lowlands of Nepal, along the border of India for centuries. The Tharu had
been fairly isolated because malaria was endemic. With the invention and use
of chemicals that erradicated malaria in the 1950’s, the Tharu’s land was
taken from them. These new landowners oppressed the Tharu, enslaving them as
bonded laborers. Recently the Tharu have been able to fight back - through
education. By taking community based literacy classes, the Tharu were able
to become literate, enabling them to use the court system to retrieve
their lands. They have now recovered over 75% of their lands.
