Rebuilding stronger, together in Nepal

After a devastating earthquake, EF Global Classroom reconstructed a school in one of Nepal’s hardest-hit regions.

On April 25, 2015, life changed in Nepal. A 7.9 magnitude earthquake shook the country, flattening entire villages and taking thousands of lives. Following the devastation, EF committed to aiding Nepal’s long-term recovery in the area we know best: education. Soon, EF Global Classroom — which oversees charitable activities, from international disaster relief to funding for educational opportunities — created the EF Nepal project team. Together, EFers embarked on a three-year journey to rebuild a school damaged by the quake.

First, we had to find the right school. So, we traveled to Nepal in search of a school that served village girls and boys. After a year of location scouting, we discovered the Shree Jala Devi Higher Secondary School. Situated in one of Nepal’s hardest-hit regions — a difficult four-hour drive from Kathmandu — the school’s remote location made it difficult to receive any previous aid. We knew we were ready to take on the challenge.

Our goal was not to rebuild the school as it had been before. We wanted to build a school that would last. A school where children and teachers could feel secure. To make this vision a reality, we sought out cutting-edge technology from Japan. The new and improved Shree Jala Devi Higher Secondary School was specially engineered to withstand even the most powerful earthquakes. When its doors opened for the first time in January 2018, the school became one of Nepal’s safest structures.

Today, the Shree Jala Devi Higher Secondary School’s revitalized grounds include a three-story main building and a two-story multipurpose building accommodating nearly 1,000 students and educators. The campus includes reading rooms, teacher offices, laboratories, and other state-of-the-art facilities. In the years to come, the school will serve thousands of children from five villages, providing them access to high-quality education and a safe place to flourish.