Nearly 1,000 children attending Shree Saraswati Balkalyan Secondary School now face a brighter future. The secondary school, located in the Jhapa District of Nepal, has been completely rebuilt by GWT. Students can now learn in 24 new and improved classrooms, fitted with desks, benches, and bookshelves.
As part of the building project, GWT constructed gender-separated toilet blocks and an incinerator. Our team also refurbished the school’s library and canteen and supplied new classroom furniture.
Before construction was carried out, the walls of the school were aged and cracked following damage during the devastating earthquake of 2015. The rooms were small and overcrowded, with up to 56 students crammed into one classroom at a time. The roofs had given way and leaked during the monsoon, making it an unsafe environment for the children. Prem Kumar Rai was one of the first students who attended Shree Saraswati Balkalyan when it was founded in 1980. Now, he teaches at the school. “When the school was first established, the population was very minimal around the area,” he said. “Our classroom walls were sheets made of bamboo…there was no roof. Whenever we saw thick dark clouds in the sky, the school would have to close.” Although the school had made small improvements over the years, like installing CGI (corrugated iron) roofing, the infrastructure was worn down over time and by Nepal’s unpredictable weather. The new school buildings constructed by GWT will give hundreds of students a safe place to learn, where they won’t have to worry about leaking roofs, dilapidated desks, or cracked walls. “I cannot express how happy I am [with the school],” said Prem Kumar. “The new building will provide an excellent environment.” “These classrooms will motivate students to attend classes and study. This will help the overall development of students: social, mental, cultural, and educational development. This will help them achieve it.”
