According to Dorje Lama, a social leader from Listi, the new building is expected to change the future of children in the Himalayan region.
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It is still not easy to reach Listikot, a remote part of the district bordering neighboring China. One has to cross landslide-damaged roads, narrow winding roads, streams flowing during monsoons, and mountainous weather.
Two schools that were destroyed by the devastating earthquake of 2072 BS are now standing in a new form. The reconstruction of Ugrachandi Secondary School in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-1 and Sunkoshi Secondary School in Bahrabise Municipality-2, Budepa has been completed. These school buildings, built with the assistance of the Chinese government, have now become safe and well-equipped study places for about eight hundred children in the border area.
China's Agency for International Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce constructed the school building with an investment of about 6.95 million US dollars, or about one billion rupees. The construction was undertaken by China Railway First Group Company Limited. The construction, which started on December 8, 2022, was completed on December 31, 2025, said Chinese project manager Liu Chao.
‘The road from Bahrabise to Listi is very difficult. The weather also continued to be unfavorable. However, despite all these challenges, we managed to complete the construction on time,’ he said. ‘Now, we will hand over the building to the Ministry of Education of the Government of Nepal in the coming month.’
Since Listi is a mountainous area, many children here come to school from far away. That is why a hostel has also been built at Ugrachandi Secondary School. The school, spread over an area of 2,126 square meters, has 12 spacious classrooms, a hostel, a canteen, a playground and a compound wall. 350 students are currently studying here.
Similarly, 13 classrooms, a hostel, a canteen, a playground and a fence have been prepared at Sunkoshi Secondary School in Budepa. Spread over an area of 2,455 square meters, the school currently has about 400 students. The classrooms are child-friendly and modern in design. The building, built with earthquake-resistant structures, has adequate lighting and open space.
According to Dorje Lama, a social leader from Listi, the new building is expected to change the future of children in the Himalayan region. ‘Earlier, studying was very difficult.’ The old buildings were risky. Now, with the facility of a hostel, even children from far away will be able to study easily,’ he said.
26 Chinese technicians have been living in the Listi and Bahrabise areas for three years in the construction of the school building. 210 Nepali workers were also involved in the project. About 50 percent of the construction materials were brought from China, while cement, sand, wood and food were purchased in Nepal, according to the project.
