Kiwi classroom build wraps up in Nepal

Three years after the devastating earthquakes in Nepal, the Himalayan Trust will complete the final eight classrooms in its rebuild of 150 earthquake-strengthened classrooms at 36 schools across the Everest region.

“This $1.5 million rebuild effort, funded by the New Zealand public, will benefit more than 7000 children and their communities,” said Himalayan Trust general manager Prue Smith.

“This has been the largest and most complex infrastructure project undertaken by the Himalayan Trust since Sir Edmund Hillary built the first school in this remote, mountainous region in 1961.

“The logistical challenges were huge. Many of the schools are inaccessible by road, or even helicopter. Building materials had to be carried along the steep mountain tracks by yaks, mules and porters. Construction work needed to be planned around the monsoon rains and the freezing winter temperatures. There was no machinery, not even a wheelbarrow, so all the work had to be carried out by hand,” Smith said.

On April 25, 2015 a series of devastating earthquakes struck Nepal — one of poorest countries in the world. The earthquakes took the lives of almost 9000 people, destroyed over 600,000 homes, and severely damaged roads, hospitals and schools.

Smith said the building programme was made possible thanks to the generosity of the New Zealand public, many of whom feel a strong connection with the Everest region because of Hillary and the horrors of the Christchurch earthquakes.