Shree Bikash Lower Secondary School at Kumari-5 in Nuwakot district has a new school building. Their previous building was destroyed by last year’s devastating earthquake.

Ashok Tamang, an eighth grader in the school, was glad to have a new school building. “We now don’t have to get worried of the rain and wind,” he said. Following the quake, students were compelled to study under flimsy makeshifts for the past one year. School Principal Rambabu Pudasaine said that the school had to be shut during severe weather conditions, but that would not be the case now. “We are smoothly conducting classes now,” he said.

Jagat Lama, a local resident, is said to have taken the initiative to construct the new building. “Various social organisations have also helped,” said Lama, adding that they spent around Rs 10.5 million to construct the building.

There are 378 students in the school, with a majority of Tamang kids. The newly constructed building has 10 rooms. Pudasaine said it took eight months to construct the building.

Out of 450 community schools in the district, 300 schools were completely destroyed by the quake.