HGC helps fund Humanist Library for High School & College Students in Itahari, Nepal
Education opens the door to knowledge, critical thinking skills and the empowerment that one needs to make one’s life and the world a better place. Sadly for the high school and college students of Ward No. 4 of Itahari Municipality, there was not a single library in the area. HGC initiated the establishment of a library with $300, with our partners Atheist Republic Nepal.
Together we purchased 80 books on science, technology, world history, and Western philosophy. Emphasis was on books to attract readers to humanism, atheism and rational thinking.
Itahari is a rapidly growing city with an estimated population of about 300,000 people in eastern Nepal. Lying at the crossroad of two national highways on the fertile plain called the Terai, it functions as a major gateway to the hills and mountains.
The Covid-19 pandemic affected students in Nepal - all schools, colleges and universities were closed. The students of Ward no. 4 of Itahari Municipality had to travel 4 kilometers to reach the nearest library in another part of the city. The library didn’t have sufficient books and available books were old, torn, filthy and outdated. There were no books on philosophy and very few books on science and technology.
The municipal government nor the state government had any plan to build a library in the city. Therefore, the HGC library is a milestone in the city’s history. It will serve as a center of learning for not only the students of Ward of No. 4, but the students of the entire city. It will have an immense impact on their education and on their life.
HGC Library will
provide materials that will stimulate student’s acquisition of factual knowledge, development of literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards.
provide a source of information which, when consulted, may enable pupils to make informed judgments.
maintain and preserve books, materials and resources with historical, cultural, social, economic and scientific values.
keep pace with progress in all fields of knowledge and education.
attract readers to the concepts of humanism, atheism and rational thinking.
include 30 Science and Technology books, 30 Philosophy books, 20 History books
Expected Results:
Academic success rate of the students will be increased.
Information seeking skill of students will be enhanced.
Factual or bibliographical information will be gained.
Studying habit of the students will be improved.
Students will utilize their free time by reading in the library rather than playing games on their cell phones.
Hopefully, the number of humanists, atheists and rational thinkers will increase.
Project Manager:
Mr. Asmeen Dhakal, Member of Admin Team, Atheist Republic Nepal
