A NEPALESE Gurkha, who has become a regular face at a Milford Haven primary school, has inspired a fundraising effort to rebuild a school in his home village.

Twenty-five-year-old Pte Jagnath Gurung regularly visits St Francis School as part of its weekly reading club for boys.

After sharing the news that his former school had been destroyed in the recent earthquakes, pupils were inspired to raise money, which will go towards the clean-up.

A non-school uniform day and cake sale recently raised £300, which Jagnath will take to Nepal later this year, when he goes out to work with charity organisations helping to rebuild the country.

Although Jagnath’s parents settled in the UK in 2002, he still has friends and family in Nepal, and said it was frightening to hear what had happened.

“I tried to get in touch but at the time there was no way of communicating with my friends and family,” he said.

“It was such a relief when I eventually got to speak to them.”

Speaking about the fantastic amount raised by pupils at St Francis, he said: “Every penny does count.

“Any money raised will help put a smile back on children’s faces.”

Head teacher Sue Roberts said: “We were very saddened to hear of the devastating earthquakes which hit Nepal, causing so much damage.

“When we heard that Jags’ village had been affected, we decided that we would like to do something about it.

“We hope that we will be able to see the school being rebuilt over the coming months and know that our money has helped to make things better for the children in Nepal.”