Kolbung Primary School

Lin Lin and Nicholas bravely took the challenge to recce the area in West Bengal and Sikkim where we would visit. They brought back these beautiful pictures to show us the children that we would be visiting and the changes that we could make to improve the lives and futures of the kids.

After much deliberation, the team decided to visit Kolbung Primary School in West Bengal, as the needs here seem greater than other areas.


The faces of the beautiful children of Kolbung Primary School captured our hearts.


Most of the parents of these beautiful children live below the poverty line, earning less than $0.50 per day!

Kolbung Primary School is only 30ft. by 30 ft. in size. Classes here begin from Kindergarten up to Grade 4. Seven classes are conducted in this tiny space all at once! In order for the teachers to be heard, when one teacher speaks, all the other six classes must be quiet.


But education is precious indeed, for the children have to walk 20km to the nearest school in order to continue their education.

The school is freezing cold in winter time, and the children are often needed to help earn money for their families. So the government has provided a lunch program to 'attract' the children in the hopes that they will stay in school for as long as possible.

The team has decided to build a 15ft by 15ft extension to the current school. With that extension, the children will be able to continue their education for three more years to at least a Grade 7 level, before having to choose to walk 20km. to continue their education, or to stop studying.

The library is housed in these few cupboards - given by the Scouts from Singapore. Nicholas and Lin Lin were told by the teachers that the children's English is not very good yet. We will be bringing over some donated English books to expand their library.


This is the area where the children play, but there is no fence. Much to our team members' horror, we were told that a little boy had fallen down the side of the cliff, just a few days before Lin Lin and Nicholas visited the school. He was rushed to the nearest hospital 2 hours away and is now recovering.


To prevent such accidents happening again, we will be building a strong wire fence around the area.

The team will be going to Kolbung Primary School, West Bengal from the 6th to the 20th of December. It truly promises to be a trip like no other!