Maya Universe AcademyNetherlands

Current Affairs

In Nepal all school are still closed due to Covid-19. Bas de Nijs gives an update ont he situation


Maya Education
Covid-19 cases are increasing rapidly in Nepal, causing one lockdown extension after the other. But rather than letting the whims of fate drag them down, our Maya students are taking matters into their own hands. The online classes were working well for the older grades, but the younger ones weren't in any position to resume their education digitally. Through a coordinated effort of Manjil-sir, some of the 10th graders and a few local teachers, Maya set up six education hubs in the villages surrounding the main school. These hubs are used as meeting points where small groups of students can come to learn together. Since Maya already managed books for everyone back when the lockdown was more flexible, the students work on material suited to their level and are guided by the older students. It's very exciting to see our next generation of educators stand up and take charge!

Maya Entrepreneurship
Maya's philosophy is that social entrepreneurship can be used not only to generate an income to fund education, but also to provide local communities with job opportunities. To anyone who has experience with business and entrepreneurship 'trying again' is not an unfamiliar concept. Throughout Maya's nearly ten years of existence, there have been many attempts, mistakes and learning curves concerning running a profitable business, and I'm sure there will be many more. Setting up a successful start-up in rural Nepal is no easy thing, and the experience the Maya staff, students and their families have gotten over the years is immensely valuable for future explorations.
In terms of our latest venture, we have approximately 250 lemon trees, planted around five years ago, that are giving fruits. As you can see in the picture, students and staff are working together to harvest the fruits and we have a team of older students doing market research for lemon in Damauli. The country might be in lockdown, but nature will keep growing, and so will Mayans!