Mr. Satish Loomba, Director, Directorate of Adult Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, inaugurated the RLEK Primary School at Khasausi village, block Jaunpur of Tehri-Garhwal district.
The villagers of Khasausi donated the land for the school, and the Focus on Education from Netherlands, sponsored the cost of construction. The Self Help Groups of the village will manage this school.
Mary den Ridder and Jacques den Ridder, representatives of the sponsor organisation, Focus on Education, The Netherlands, were present on this occasion.
Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), which has been working in this tribal region since the past three decades, facilitated the construction of the school.
There are 47 girls and 33 boys in the school. This is a very remote village, approachable only by a jeep able road, 25 kms from the nearest town Nainbagh. Nainbagh is 27 k.m from Mussoorie.
There is no primary school in this village. Although, there is one government school at village Bistaunsi, at a distance of 2 kms. However, the school building is in totally dilapidated condition. The classes are held only in clear weather for around 15 days in a month. Moreover, there is a big stream between Bistaunsi and Khasaunsi, which the small children find very difficult to cross. This school shall benefit the village Khasausi, which has 35 families, out of which 8 families belong to Scheduled caste.
In the past RLEK has constructed similar schools in the region (Dhaura, Seedie, Gaichwan) which are being run and managed by the "women's Self-Help Groups".