The School

• The students of the Sikkim Himalayan Academy come from poor families who were not able to attend public schools. Most students arrive at the school without knowing any English. The common language of Sikkim is Nepali, however the mother tongue for most children may be Bhutia, Lepcha or Limboo.

• Currently, there are 50 students at the school ranging in age from 4 to 11. Over half of the students live at the school.

• Apart form their studies, the children enjoy playing many games in their spare time. They often get in groups to play cricket or football, using home-made balls of used plastic bags. This is one form of recycling in Sikkim. The children also play with other home-made toys and often sing and play with improvised musical instruments.

• The students are also required to do some chores like collecting firewood and gathering wild fruits and vegetables. The students become very close with eachother and is remarkable to see how well they look after eachother.