Barpak Sulikot Rural Municipality has built a free hostel in ward 6 of the municipality for children who are either orphans or have parents suffering from disabilities.

According to Bhim Kumar Shrestha, education coordinator of the rural municipality, the hostel was inaugurated on Sunday, and there is a plan to enrol at least 20 school-going children in the free hostel.

This will not only give the orphan children a place to flourish, but also take the burden off their disabled parents, Shrestha said.

Children will be able to live in the hostel free of charge until they pass grade 12, he said.