Himalayan Children Society

Today school education is a norm in the lives of almost every human child of this magnificent earth. Human beings today are growing in the schools. Have we ever wondered how many children are there in the school worldwide today? Let’s assume 90 percent or more or little less? Putting aside our assumption, we know it took several generations’ work to bring school education system to where it is today. In our so-called global modern era, we are basically trying to characterize upcoming mankind on the basis of school education.

In Yalbang, a remote village in Himalayan regions of Nepal saw its first school in the year 1980 A.D. This school along with many other schools was a nationwide initiation from the central government to modernize its population in order to cope with rapidly globalizing new world. However, for locals of Yalbang, this idea of modern era was a distant story. Life in this village was pretty much still in medieval era. Everyone in the village were primarily farmers and reared cattle for livelihood. They produced their clothing locally. Monetary transaction was almost non-existence in day-to-day living of the villagers. As with most mankind throughout the world, villagers of this place too had their hopes and ideals wrapped inside their religion and traditions. They were actively striving to fulfill their hopes of better lives within their fields of their religion and traditions.

People of this place approached to this new school education system with some degree of fear and some degree of hope. The hope is the ancient yet to be fulfilled dreams of happy life, and the fear were of the unknowns within this package of modernization that could challenge their old known and established old ways of their life.

As with most beginners, school infrastructure was yet to be developed. All the resources including education materials had to travel a long journey from central government offices in Kathmandu to this isolated mountainous place in Humla. Teachers were flown into the region from other parts of Nepal. A bunch of students from two nearby villages were gathered and so the schooling began in open sky and under the shades of plum trees. This whole  system of school education was a new thing for both the teachers and students. Teachers were at beginners’ level of teaching. The languages used in the books were new language for the students. In acute  lack of teaching resources and skills, the school education system was imposed upon both the teachers and students by the rest of stakeholders. The teachers worked hard to keep rolling their classes. Soon this school drew students from far away villages and became a happening lower secondary level school in the region. Establishment of Shree Mahaboudha School in the year 1980 A.D. so marked the beginning of modern school education in this region.

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1997

In the year 1997, with the help of few friends, Kumar Lama founded organization called Himalayan Children Society to assist Shree Mahaboudha School to impart quality education to the students. The school after 17 years of its establishment was badly failing as a school. Once a happening place for teachers and students had lost all its charms. The school had stopped growing as center for teaching and learning for several years. As a result, majority of students discontinued their further studies and  few left Humla for other parts of Nepal to continue their studies. There was classroom building, which was badly in need of some renovation, but inside the classroom there were hardly any students.

1998-1999

1998-1999. Residential facilities for the students were developed right next to the school in Yalbang. The hostel with 3 rooms had with two key objectives behind it. First, most of villages are several hours distant by walk from this school, which made it very difficult for students to attend the school regularly. Secondly and more significantly, the hostel is providing the freedom that is required for the students for reading, writing and growing. 20 students and 2 teachers stayed in the hostel and attend the local school i.e., Mahaboudha School at Yalbang.

2000

Hostel facility closed due to escalation of armed conflict in the region also known as Nepalese Civil War. More information available https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalese_Civil_War

2001

2001 Hostel facility was started in Kathmandu for Humli children who were displaced from their villages by Nepalese Civil war, which lasted in from the year 1996 A.D to 2006 A.D. The hostel in Kathmandu began with eight students. The number of students later rose to 24. These internally displaced children of war were offered a safe place to stay and were all enrolled into schools nearby.

2003

• Altogether 24 students from Humla arrived at Kathmandu and were supported by Astrid Vohringer from Nepal Schul Projekt, Matthieu Ricard from France, Mingfen Su from Taiwan and Kanjok Tamang from Humla Nepal for their complete schooling, fooding, uniforms and staff support to take care of the children at Hostel.
• Organization Registered in Kathmandu Metropolitan Office and Social Welfare Council

2005

Humla home moved to Bansbari, which was supported by Adara Development. Those students were hold at a center at Arubari, which were taken care by HCS.

2006

• Establishment of residential facility in Yalbang, which can accommodate 50 children. This is the 1^st building of HCS supported by one of our dearest friend Miss. Astrid Vohringer from Nepal Schul Projekt Germany. The hostel was inaugurated in August 2007.

2007

• Enrolled 45 students at Yalbang hostel. All these students are from Upper Humla from Yari, Muchu, Tumkot, Kermi and Khangalgaun. At that time, 25% of food required for the students were collected from the parents. Parents contribute to transport goods and materials procured by HCS  from Simikot to Yalbang. 80% of the seats for scholarships were provided for girls

2008-2010

• Adara Development extended its helping hands to Himalayan Children Society
• Sponsored 20 children at Yalbang hostel, supported two teachers,  two cooks and  a helper along with two admin staffs at Kathmandu and gradually increased scholarships 10 children  per year. 
• Expanded classrooms at Mahaboudha School
• Supported beddings, toilets, furnitures, medical support for the students.

2011

•  9 children from HCS Kathmandu Arubari Homes were reintegrated to Humla and they stayed at HCS hostel in Yalbang attended Mahaboudha school Yalbang. These children were supported by Astrid Vohringer.
• Altogether 35 students were reintegrated to their families at Humla from Nepal and India  and were enrolled at Shree Mahaboudha Secondary School ,resided at HCS hostel Yalbang.

2012

• Karuna Shechen and Rotary club matching grants was funded for the following activities;
  • Construction and expansion of hostel building which can accommodate 100 more students at HCS hostel. 
  • Procurement of warm bedsheets, blankets, mattresses, beds and other furniture required for 100 more students
  • Expansion of school building at Mahaboudha Secondary school with 6 classrooms.

2013

• Matching grants from Karuna Shechen – USA and Rotary club- Belgium supported scholarships for 130 students at Yalbang hostel.
• Two girls graduated from Yalbang school/hostel. This was the 1st batch of SLC from Shree Mahaboudha Secondary School -Yalbang 
• 10 students reintegrated from Adara Development Kathmandu to Humla who attended Mahaboudha School Yalbang and resided at HCS hostel.
• Conducted need Assessment Survey on 10 feeder schools of Upper Humla and was supported by Karuna Shechen France.
• Implemented School in a Box project supported by Karuna Shechen which had provided I pads,  computers, computer labs for the Yalbang school and  one computer teacher

2014

• Scholarships for 100 students were added which was funded by Karuna Shechen.
• Started Feeder school support Programs in 7 schools of upper Humla (2014 till end of 2017) as below;
  • Khasarpani Primary School, Muchu:  supported scholarships (Textbooks, uniforms, notebooks and sports items) for the students. One teacher for english and community language was supported .Two classrooms and two toilets were constructed. 
  • Araniko Primary school, Yari:  Supported scholarships (Textbooks, uniforms, notebooks and sports items) for the students and  one English /comunity language teacher was supported.  Drinking water supply, fencing around school, two classrooms and two toilets were constructed.
  • Motiram Primary School, Khangalgaun: Supported scholarships (Textbooks, uniforms, notebooks and sports items) for the students, one community/english language teacher was provided and  fencing around school, two classrooms and two toilets were constructed.
  • Buddha Lower Secondary School- Hekpa: Supported scholarships(Textbooks, uniforms, notebooks and sports items) for the students, two (English and Math/science) teachers were provided.  Drinking water, fencing around school, five classrooms, two toilets, furnitures were constructed.
  • Chyasara Primary School- chyaduk:  Supported scholarships for the students(Textbooks, uniforms, notebooks and sports items), one teacher, drinking water, fencing around school, two classrooms and two toilets and furniture were constructed.
  • Namduchomu Primary school – Dinga: Supported scholarships(Textbooks, uniforms, notebooks and sports items) for the students, one teacher, drinking water, fencing around school, two classrooms and two toilets were constructed.
  • Namkhakhungzom Primary school, Tangin: Supported scholarships for the students(Textbooks, uniforms, notebooks and sports items) were provided . One teacher for english/community language was provided. 

2015

• Started teacher supports at Tatopani Lower Secondary School Kermi Humla. Two teachers are supported on Mathematics and Community language teacher.
• Reconstruction of the school, which was collapsed due to earthquake at Nuwakot.

2016

• Constructed two rooms at Tatopani Primary School, kermi that was supported by Foundation Helpeducation France.
• Constructed hostel, kitchen, dining and toilets at Kermi village, which was supported by Chun Heng Chou from USA..

2017

• Shree Mahaboudha Secondary School is awarded as Best performing schoos in remote district of Nepal by Department of Education. It stands in 5th Position amongst the community schools in remote district of Nepal.
• Constructed Birthing center at Kermi village, which was supported by Astrid Vohringer, Nepal –Schul projekt
• Constructed  well spacious, well ventilated  two classrooms at Shree Tatopani Lower secondary School – Kermi which was supported by Fondation Helpeducation 

2018-2023

•  Adara Development added 40 more scholarships for the students of Yalbang Hostel from 80 to 120 children from 2018
• Adara Development started  supporting visionary project i.e Diploma in Agriculture Education,  since July 2021 by supporting two highly qualified teachers, agriculture lab, farm house development, green houses for practical classes. 
• Adara Development celebrated it’s 25th Anniversary at Yalbang school from where it started it’s community development projects.