Location
Sikkim was one of the three Himalayan kingdoms, situated between Nepal and Bhutan. In 1975, the king abdicated and Sikkim became a new state of India. The capital of Sikkim is in Gangtok, East Sikkim.
St. Xavier’s School is located in Tikjuk, West Sikkim. Tikjuk is a hillside village of about 30 houses along a road between Geyzing and Pelling. A short ride away you can see Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world (8,586m/28,169 ft), on the Tibetan border.
The mountainside area is cold in the winter months, and the school classrooms have no heat. Monsoon rains bring water down the mountain behind the school and often blocks the highway. Often electricity and phone service go out for days. The nearest city is Siliguri, the second largest city in West Bengal State, and the 6-7 hour winding mountain road to the school from there is subject to chronic landslides. A recent strike in nearby Darjeeling cut off food supplies reaching areas to the north for 100 days.
School Facility
The school occupies a site off the main road that goes through West Sikkim. The two-floor Classroom Building has six rooms on each floor. One is used as a Library and one as a Computer Room. The largest room is carpeted and serves as an Assembly Hall for events. A Toilet/ washroom Building has three toilets and three washrooms with one washing machine. Hot water solar panels were installed two years ago. The Dormitory is on the second floor above the Dining Hall. Younger children sleep in bunk beds, two-three to a bed. Older children sleep on the floor of open space rooms. The Dining Hall is on the first floor. There is an attached Kitchen with a hot water heater for washing dishes. The last building houses a Reception area, used for sleeping at night, and a Prayer Room.
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Classroom Building
Toilets
Inside toilets
Meal time
Desks and benches
Beds
