The devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 and again on May 12, 2015 affected all 79 VDCs of Sindhupalchowk. 95 percent of school buildings in the district suffered structural damage and were rendered unsafe for use. Thousands of children were forced out of school, and deprived of education.
A prolonged break from school would cause many children to drop out of school. Additionally, the disruption in children’s routine further worsens the post-traumatic stress that children experienced during the earthquake. Given this, our first priority was to get children back to school.
We began by constructing 23 durable temporary classrooms in 8 schools for children to study in a safe environment. Our Temporary Learning Centers are built to endure for at least 2 years till permanent solutions are found. To prevent the possibility of disease due to damaged water systems and toilets, we also installed 3 Bio-sand water filters and 10 toilet units in 3 schools.
Children of Shree Ganesh Secondary School (Bhotenamlang VDC) are back to school in the durable Temporary Learning Centers that we built with local bamboo and labor.
As a next step, we partnered with experts from Samata Foundation to build 2 semi-permanent bamboo schools. Light, durable and safe, our bamboo schools are a model for cost-effective school reconstruction in remote places.
Before and after of Paanchpokhari Primary School, Gobre, Bhotenamlang VDC. Built with local bamboo and labor, the school is an example for post-earthquake reconstruction in the remotest places of Nepal.