“Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to be a nurse,” says Ditya, who is in her final year at Yalbang School. “We don’t have good health services here in Humla. So I want to go and become a nurse and bring my knowledge back to the people of Humla.”
Ditya is originally from Chhipra, a remote village in Humla. Ditya’s family live far from any schools in Humla which meant she attended boarding school in Kathmandu until she was in grade six. But when her parents found out she could receive a quality education closer to home at Yalbang School, they were thrilled.
We have partnered with Yalbang School in remote Humla since 1998 – it was our first ever project. Back then, it was a one classroom school with only a handful of students. Today, it is a model for remote education.
We work hand in hand with Humla-based organisation the Himalayan Children Society to support one of the school’s hostels and to provide learning materials, additional trained staff and scholarships for marginalised students. In 2017, the government named the school as the fifth best in the country based on exam results.
Ditya now goes to school in Yalbang and lives at one of the Adara-supported hostels so she doesn’t have to walk for hours each day.
“I like being able to go to school here. I feel like we’re linked with our culture and language.”
Today the Yalbang School is an amazing government school. Originally a small room with three students, it now has 286 students, 16 teachers and 222 students living in two on-site hostels. Children from all around Humla come to attend school here.
Since partnering with Yalbang, we have expanded our work to include seven other schools in Humli villages. We want to ensure children can access a quality education closer to home. Our work with these schools focuses on the employment of trained teachers and school helpers. It provides training to strengthen school management committees from the local community; builds new classrooms; helps make existing ones more children-friendly; and provides school learning materials, children’s uniforms and basic school supplies. We also ensure students are educated about their rights, health and safety, and are empowered to participate in their school communities.
We are so proud of the beacon of hope and the model that the Yalbang school has become.
