Elevating Education: The Jakar School Project

One of the world’s greatest tools of empowerment is education, through it we open boundless opportunities, reach unlimited potential and shape the brightest of minds. Equally important as access to an education, is the quality of that education and the resources used to create the best environment in which to learn. The Jakar School Project dedicates itself to providing such quality education for The Jakar School located in the misty hills of Bumthang. At the heart of the cause, working to fundraise and promote awareness for the project, is bright and driven 23-year-old Sonam Peden,

“With rapid progress, our country is tirelessly working to provide free educational institutes in all corners of Bhutan. I think that as one of the many grateful members of our society who was able to enjoy the gift of a free education, I have an inherited responsibility to help improve the institutes that already exist and accelerate the process of delivering a quality education in public schools so that all children can enjoy a learning environment that provides high-quality facilities and educational resources” Sonam said emphatically.

Born and raised in Thimphu, Sonam has been based in Japan since 2015, throwing herself fully into all that she is passionate about whether that is sustainable environmental practices, her unyielding work ethic or The Jakar School Project. This project is very close to home as her father Mr. Karma Gyeltshen is not only the Chairman of the initiative but also part of the alumni who graduated from Jakar School,

“I grew up listening to my father tell us stories and share memories of his student life at Jakar School which he attended as a young boy. My father found a silver lining to the pandemic by taking the time to rekindle connections with his old friends and alumni of Jakar School and that is when the idea for the project was born. My father’s old classmates who were scattered all over Bhutan and overseas, got together and tapped into their network to do something special for the school’s 60th Anniversary which is this year.” smiled Sonam.

Established in 1961, The Jakar School celebrates its 60th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary commemorating one of the oldest public schools in Bhutan. In an effort to mark this special milestone, The Jakar School Project was created by its alumni in collaboration with the school’s administration to raise funds for infrastructure and education facilities that are desperately needed,

“The fundraising committee comprises 11 Jakar School alumni and is spearheaded by the Chairman. They received proposals from the school’s management that highlighted the need for facilities such as a school museum, a mathematics lab, a history lab, a prayer wheel and the regeneration of the campus landscape.  The project then raised funds with these goals in mind, knowing they would benefit the students by raising the overall quality of education” detailed Sonam.

Undaunted by being so far from home and in the midst of a global pandemic, Sonam instead used what was in her power to make a difference. Her dedicated advocacy for the project via social media attracted supporters to the cause, as she shared exciting updates about the project and historical information about the school on their Instagram page (@thejakarschoolproject). She also created several crowdfunding campaigns both in English and Japanese to get the greatest reach possible. Impressively, Sonam raised USD $14,439 in a miraculously short period of time, 

“The response has been overwhelming! We have received great support from the Bhutanese both locally as well as from overseas and the international community has also been so giving. Two of our biggest sponsors Mr. Michael Wu and Mr. Randall Krantz donated all the way from Taiwan and Switzerland respectively. Donations came in from all parts of the world, whether from Japan, Thailand, Australia, US, Indonesia, China, Korea, UK, Canada, Taiwan and Switzerland to name a few. Through these generous contributions the project has been able to fully fund the mathematics lab, the school museum and the prayer wheel! As for the History Lab, we are still accepting donations within Bhutan and we welcome all who are interested in getting involved to email us at karmagyeltshen@hotmail.com” an ecstatic Sonam shared.

As humans we are at our best when we work together and the Jakar School Project is a shining testament to that. The project brought together people of all walks of life and from different backgrounds to build a bright future filled with learning and knowledge, for a small school in Bumthang with a big heart,

“This experience has moved me and highlights the importance of not only ensuring an education for all but also creating a space where students are able to take full advantage of their education and are given the freedom to explore their creative thinking and analytical potential. Through the Jakar School Project we were able to elevate the quality of education but also encourage young minds to research, explore and interpret the world around them using new dynamic learning tools such as the mathematics lab or the history lab. We hope to not only provide physical amenities but give the teachers and students an ability to stretch their curiosity and imagination as far as they dream to” beamed Sonam.

Article contributed by Jetsuen Wangmo for the UN/JICA We Care We Share Initiative