The village of Patlekharkha is inhabited by Gurung and Tamang communities whose livelihood depends on agriculture. The 83 households with 344 inhabitants live isolated in the hills at an altitude of 1,975m. They can be reached in a day’s walk from the nearest larger village, Arughat.

As in so many other places, the old school building of the Shree Balkalyan Basic School, built on dry masonry, had collapsed during the earthquake in April 2015. Students from kindergarten to fifth grade spent months studying in makeshift tents, where they were exposed to both the burning sun and the rain and were also struggling for space. In 2016, Chay Ya became aware of the situation and decided to help.

Construction work began in February 2017 and was completed on schedule by December the same year. Of course, great attention was paid to earthquake safety here as well. There was even a workshop on how to best use a construction method with stone, cement and mortar! Architects from various Indian universities came to visit via the Kaarwan organization – a great exchange where everyone was able to learn a lot.

Thanks to the hardworking villagers and the good cooperation with the School Management Committee, six classrooms and two toilets were built in record time. In addition, new furniture and office supplies were purchased for the school, so that 50 students now finally have a nice, suitable environment for learning!