Tue 26 Feb 2013 Farewell Ceremony

Another bright morning. Whilst David and I are better than we were we are still feeling chesty and under the weather again.

We went back to the school to complete our final training session and to finish updating the computers. Unfortunately the Internet was not working again. We eventually found that it was a cable problem which causes us an issue as to whether the teachers would be able to cope and analyse any fault. So in addition to completing the Excel training we took them through which cables needed to be checked and how to unplug and plug them back in.

After lunch we met with the headmaster, teachers and school management committee to deliver a closing address. Following this there was a farewell ceremony which began with every schoolchild greeting us with garlands of flowers after the mothers had put the red powder on our foreheads. The flowers were very heavy and we sat through the first dance performed by the children.

During the next part of the ceremony we presented the headmaster with a BARC banner and presented BARC badges to the headmaster, Capt Laxman Gurung, Lt Man Bahader Gurung, the 2 IT teachers (Durga and Jaya) and Major Lil Bahader Gurung. We were then made Honorary Advisers to the school and Capt Laxman presented us with plaques. Terry and the headmaster then officially signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

Following this students performed for us again. Then the inevitable happened. It was announced that the girls were to dance for the last time and as expected when the music started they came over to us to join them in the dance. Of course we could not refuse a final dance. The mothers group also joined in.

Tonight we are advised Capt Laxman is hosting our meal and it has been said that the mothers group are not coming round as the electricity is again off until 9pm.

We were wrong. By 9pm not one but 2 mothers groups started to congregate. In the end there were about 35 members and they mainly sang to entertain us with a little dancing. As usual, Nepali time meant it did not draw to a close until 22:30 so again we did not start our main meal until very late.