Building a School Fit for A Gurkha

The remote village of Thulo Lumpek, high in the Himalayan foothills, was once a primary recruitment area for the Gurkhas and is now home to many veterans who fought in WWII. Following the war, the community recognised the urgent need for a local school, leading to the establishment of Shree Dharampur Higher Secondary School in 1960.

Over the years, the school has educated many Gurkha soldiers. However, while it still welcomed nearly 500 students every day, the building’s structure had become dangerously unsafe.

A Community Left Behind

Years of use had left the classrooms run-down and weathered. The roof leaked during the monsoon and the lack of insulation under the CGI sheets made the rooms unbearably hot in summer. With no lighting in the classrooms and old, rickety desks, the school was deemed unsafe for students and far from the comfortable learning environment we would hope for.

“The school faced a lot of problems; we didn’t have enough classrooms and furniture. We had to conduct classes outside in turn. We had approached the government for help, but maybe because we didn’t have proper connection, our remote location or because we belonged to the deprived community, our demands were not met.” Mr Bal Bahadur Rahadi, Principal of Dharmapur HSS

Thanks to a generous donor, we were able to begin work on the construction of a new school for the children of Thulo Lumpek.

The Challenge of Remote Construction

There were a few setbacks once construction began. To reach the village our team had to drive for two days across rough terrain, with the last 11km completely off-road. Early monsoon rains made the dirt track muddy and even the 4-wheel drive vehicle got stuck. It took the team nearly two hours to get the vehicle out of the mud with the help of local villagers.

During the monsoon, the village often gets completely cut off due to landslides, and in July 2019, a huge landslide claimed two lives, caused numerous casualties and swept away many houses and livestock. 

Another difficulty arose when large boulders were discovered while digging the foundations, and the layout had to be adjusted around them.

Building Resilience in the Hills

However, despite these challenges, we completed construction of the new 12-room classroom block, built to an earthquake-resilient standard.  Shree Dharmapur Secondary School stood ready to welcome its students into a significantly improved and safer learning environment.

A New Chapter

Each classroom has electricity, suspended ceilings, fans, whiteboards, and desk and bench sets, creating a safe, dry, and quiet space for pupils to learn. A well-equipped library has been included to enhance the knowledge and skills of the pupils.

Additionally, we have supplied a modern toilet block with gender-separate toilets, a clean water supply and handwashing facilities. These improvements to sanitation and hygiene promote better health and inclusivity for female and disabled students.

Poverty is often driven by a lack of opportunity, but improved facilities at Shree Dharmapur Secondary School are helping to break that cycle. By creating an environment that is truly fit for the children of Gurkhas, we have ensured that every student has access to the quality of education they deserve.