About a decade back, only two children from the marginalised Bankariya community were enrolled in a school. Most children belonging to this largely impoverished ethnic group would rather go search for wild fruits, kill fish and graze cattle than go to school. Today, the situation has changed, with all 23 children of school-going age from the community attending the nearby schools, Pashupati Secondary and Praja Basic School.

The ethnic Bankariya community is one of the most endangered communities in Nepal and owns no land. Until about two decades back, they were nomadic just like the Rautes. All of them live at Musedhap in Manahari Rural Municipality Ward No. 4.

The community was happy when two of its children, Pampha Bankariya and Santoshi Bankariya, passed the school-leaving exams in recent years. Today, Pampha works at a lab in Manhari Bazaar while Santoshi works as a Junior Technical Assistant at an agriculture office. Their achievements have made other children from the community hopeful of a better future.

Santoshi now tutors 25other Bankariya students every morning. The classes are supported by Rastriya Adibasi Janjati Mahila Manch, an organisation that works for the benefit of indigenous women.

“All of the students come to my class before going to school every morning,” Santoshi said. “It’s a significant achievement.”

The government in 2008 started distributing social security allowance to the Bankariya people, which has significantly upgraded their lifestyle while also opening new avenues of development. Several members of the Bankariya community have now moved to urban areas and landed jobs.

Bankariya is among the ten endangered tribes registered by the government. The list also includes Kusunda, Raute, Surel, Hayu, Kisan, Lepcha, Meche, and Kushwadiya. The government provides a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 to all people from the enlisted communities. The total population of the Bankariya tribe currently stands at 83.