Prajapati Education Endowment Fund (PEEF)

Introduction

The Rotary Club of Patan has been implementing the Prajapati Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) programme providing educational scholarship to needy children in public schools since 1991. The programme has demonstrated that the value of a small monetary contribution is exponentially larger in terms of improvements of a child’s overall well being and potential to develop communities through continued education.

Through this flagship programme, the Rotary Club of Patan has provided scholarship support to some 2750 students of 27 public schools of Lalitpur District. Initially scholarships were provided from grades 6 to 10, which has now been revised to grades 7 to 12. As of 31 January 2019, the PEEF Trust Fund has reached Nepalese Rupees 12.47 million with available programme funds of 2.7 million.

The Rotary Club of Patan established a PEEF Management and Operational Policies that governs this programme. These policies outline the funds’ management, criteria for support, investments and financial management mechanisms, and administrative responsibilities. The Trust Fund is securely invested, while interest earned in the Trust Fund and contributions to the programme funds are used to provide annual scholarships.

A key to the continued success of this flagship programme of the RCP is that the entire RCP family takes ownership of it. In addition to a dedicated committee managing this programme, the RCP family volunteers its valuable time and resources during the annual student selection and funds distribution in the assisted schools throughout the Lalitpur District. This ownership and support ensure that PEEF continue to operate entirely by volunteers from the RCP family with zero administrative cost.

The Rotary Club of Patan appreciates the contributions and continued support from all its donors and well-wishers. RCP Members, their families, relatives, friends and other well-wishers are among the contributors of this programme.

Continuous Improvement

In March 2016, the year of PEEF’s 25th anniversary, the RCP conducted a situation analysis of this programme, reviewing its successes, strengths, and challenges. It pointed out that a long-term mechanism was needed to deal with the PEEF’s dependence on fluctuating interest rates and that reporting to its expanding donor base needed to be simplified. The programme fund had been decreasing due to reduced interest rates while the scholarship amounts needed to support students had been increasing due to continuing inflation.

Feedback from all members confirmed that the scholarships provided were highly appreciated by the students and that they helped needy students in continuing their education. Subsequently, the Rotary Club of Patan institutionalized several changes in the management of the PEEF.

Towards qualitative support of a student, the Rotary Club of Patan gradually increased the annual scholarship amount, while reducing the number of students and schools supported based on affordability. This year, the scholarship amount per student in grades 7 to 10 was increased from NRs. 2,000 to NRs. 3,000, with an additional NR. 1,000 given to meritorious students obtaining 70% (B+) or more marks in their final prior year examination. From grades 11, students receive NRs. 5,000 per year.

Latest Developments

In August 2017, President of Sarswati Govinda Foundation, late Rtn. Govinda Das Shrestha contributed one million Nepalese Rupees to the PEEF, and subsequently signed a MOU with the Rotary Club of Patan pledging to contribute this amount annually. In the history of Rotary in Nepal, this is the largest long-term commitment of annual contribution made by a Nepali through a Rotary Club in Nepal, and the RCP is proud of this trust bestowed upon it.

With the inclusion of grades 11 and 12 in secondary education system in Nepal, and the expansion of its donor base, the RCP is providing scholarship support to continuing grade 11 students and will continue this support to grade 12 from the coming school year.

During Rotary Year 2018/2019, 395 public school students from lower-income families in 27 schools of Lalitpur District received scholarships totalling NRs. 1,178,000 to support their education.

Complimentary Activities

The Rotary Club of Patan established the ‘Kamalmani Educational Excellence Award’ (KEEA) to meritorious students receiving PEEF scholarships in 2013 with the initial sponsorship of late Rtn. Kamalmani Dixit. The award fund has since been expanded with annual support from several other members of the RCP. The KEEA currently recognizes top ten meritorious students in grade nine from among the PEEF scholarship recipients with certificates and cash awards. The award amount totals NRs. 100,000 annually and includes NRs. 25,000 to the first, NRs. 15,000 to three second, and NRs. 5,000 to six third best students.

In December 2018, the ‘Rotary Club of Patan Graduate Studies Scholarship Award’ was established with the initiation of Rtn. Matsyendra L. Kayastha and support of Rtn. Prakash R. Regmi. Starting in 2020, this award amounting to NRs. 14,000 per year for up to six years will be given to two students from among the PEEF scholarship recipients for college studies till the master’s level. Since each year, two students will be added, in six years, Rotary Club of Patan will be awarding 12 students every year for master’s level studies.

Conclusion

The RCP is committed to continue the PEEF programme to suit the evolving context of the public education system in Nepal with its principal mandate to support public school students from lower-income families to improve their education.

Example of a group of students in a school supported by the PEEF (Shree Krishna HSS Dhapakhel) after receiving their scholarship funds with the RCP representatives.

At the KEEA awards ceremony, the first prize-winner, Ms. Samdoma Sherpa, made an outstanding speech thanking the RCP and all the sponsors of the PEEF and KEEA, on behalf of all PEEF-supported schools and recipients of KEEA. She represented all the students when she spoke about how grateful they have been for the recognitions. She cited her own example as a success story – coming from illiterate and economically poor but determined parents who facilitated all their five daughters’ education, she mentioned that the RCP support has been truly inspirational and has indeed changed her life.

President of Sarswati Govinda Foundation Mr. Govinda Das Shrestha (3rd from left) handing over the cheque of Nepalese Rupees one million to the President of the Rotary Club of Patan in the presence of his family, District Governor of Rotary and other RCP officials.