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NEPAL: Salesian missionaries complete rebuilding and equipping 10 rural schools after 2015 earthquake

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Nepal are still hard at work with long-term reconstruction efforts after a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 and a second earthquake struck just after that on May 12. Today, thanks to Salesian missionaries, 10 rural schools have been rebuilt and equipped.

Children and youth from Sankhu, within the district of Lalitpur, Nepal will now be able to return to school at the beginning of the new school year. The Shree Saraswoti Center has been rebuilt and equipped with everything necessary to provide children an education. In addition, new bathrooms have been installed. The school will also have a kindergarten so that even the youngest children in Sankhu can access a quality education.

The school’s inauguration brought together more than 200 people, including teachers, students and their families. Among those present were the head of the village development committee, Dhurva Ghimire, and the head of the Salesians in Nepal, Father Augusty Pulickal.

More than 8,000 people died and close to 20,000 were injured as a result of the earthquakes and their aftermath. Forty of Nepal’s 75 districts were affected, 16 of them severely, with homes, schools, buildings, cattle, fields ready for harvest and other property destroyed. More than 500,000 people were displaced and in need of shelter and other assistance. The United Nations reported that more than 1,300 schools were destroyed during the earthquakes.

Salesian missionaries living and working in Nepal have been engaged in long-term reconstruction efforts, helping communities to rebuild homes and schools as well as offering important training to increase the capacity of communities to deal effectively in the aftermath of disasters.

In addition, the Nepal Don Bosco Society entered into an agreement with the government of Nepal for the reconstruction of 12 public schools in areas most affected by the earthquakes, 10 of which have been built. Salesian programs are also helping to train teachers and supply school materials in order to offer quality education for children.

“Salesian institutions are welcome centers where everyone feels at home and the educational programs and diplomas provided help many young Nepalese to build their future,” a Salesian teacher explained.

Salesian missionaries have been working in Nepal for more than 25 years, taking care of the most vulnerable children and young people. The construction of schools that can withstand earthquakes and provide access to education for the youngest and most vulnerable children is the daily commitment of Salesian missionaries in Nepal. The goal is to help equip youth to have the education and skills necessary to change their lives and become agents of development in their country.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Nepal – Reconstruct earthquake-resistant schools and assist children and young people in need

NEPAL: Salesian missionaries’ humanitarian effort to rebuild 10 schools impacts more than 1,500 students

Salesian Missions – Nepal