Rebuilding schools post disaster

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

School is a building which has four walls – with tomorrow inside. ~ Lon Watters

Construction of a new school building was recently completed in Khalte, Dhading. Beautifully painted in blue and white, the staff of the secondary school say the gentle colours depict a sense of peace and tranquility which is quite important in this post-disaster scenario.

Furthermore, the local villagers also appreciate the new building which is much stronger than the previous one which was completely destroyed during last year's earthquake. As many as 2,500 schools were damaged by the earthquake affecting thousands of children nationwide.

Shiva Khatiwada, principal of the school, says, "Our old building was severely damaged by the earthquake and our new building was only half-built. To make matters worse we had no funds to complete the construction of the new building and we were stuck in a very difficult situation."

World Vision supported the school to complete the construction and now the students feel good being able to study in a safe environment.

Kanchan, 14, a tenth grader, merrily explains, "Our earlier school building was feeble and its roof was made of iron sheets. Now, I feel pleased to study in the new building which is much more earthquake resistant and it has a concrete roof. Students can study best in the absence of fear."

Dikshya, 14, another student, shares, "As students spend a lot of time in school, the buildings there need to be robust. I am content that this new building has been built according to modern safety standards unlike the old one." She is a member of her school's child club.

In an effort to empower children to promote and ensure child rights in the local community World Vision has also provided various trainings to her and other members of her child club.

"The training has molded me into a more confident person and now I am more aware of child rights and child protection," Dikshya said.

Madan Khadka, World Vision's Education Coordinator in Dhading elaborates, "School is like a second home for children, where they spend a lot of time. Therefore, reconstruction of such infrastructure is vital to ensure that children have a safe learning atmosphere."

To date World Vision has been involved in reconstruction of 7 schools and Early Childhood Education and Development centres in the earthquake affected districts of Dhading, Dolakha, Gorkha, Nuwakot and Sindhupalchowk.