Sansar Bahadur Chepang, a resident of Kandama, a hill village in Chitwan, who lost all his family members after eating poisonous mushrooms in 2067, has passed the Secondary Education Examination (SEE). Sansar Bahadur, who was studying at the SOS Children's Village in Bharatpur after eight members of his family fell ill after eating mushrooms, passed with a GPA of 2.69.

Eight members of the same family died after eating wild mushrooms in Kandama, a hill village in the northern part of Chitwan, on 2067, on 2067, in Lothar, a hill village. Only Sansar Bahadur, who was small and did not eat mushrooms, was spared. That same Sansar Bahadur has passed the SEE this time.

Currently, it is still necessary to walk all day to reach Kanda village, which is located in Rapti Municipality-13. There is no motorable road to the village. In Kandama, a highly marginalized community with a large indigenous Chepang population, it took almost two days to bring the sick person to the hospital in Bharatpur when this incident happened 16 years ago.

On the evening of Jestha 14, 2067, Baburam Chepang of Kandama cooked mushrooms brought from the forest. Baburam is Sansar Bahadur's grandfather. After rumors spread that all eight people who had eaten mushrooms in the village had fallen ill, the next day, Balkrishna Thapaliya, the principal of the local Kandeshwari School, went to Baburam's house. The neighbors were trying to make them vomit by feeding them animal feces. The principal Thapaliya told them not to do this and to "take them to the hospital as soon as possible." Baburam died as the villagers gathered. Baburam's wife, Sansar Bahadur's grandmother, also died soon after. “Among the sick, Baburam, his wife and one of Baburam’s granddaughters (Sansar Bahadur’s sister) died in the village,” recalled Principal Thapaliya. Thapaliya brought the remaining five to Bharatpur Hospital with the help of villagers.

Sansar Bahadur’s father Purna Bahadur, mother Chandramaya, one of Sansar Bahadur’s sisters, uncle Jeet Bahadur and Jeet Bahadur’s wife died in the beds of Bharatpur Hospital. After Jeet Bahadur, who was taken to Kathmandu for treatment, also died on Jestha 20, there was no one left in Sansar Bahadur’s family.

What to do with all the children in the family? After Principal Thapaliya settled down in Sanchi, Bharatpur’s SOS Children’s Village took over the responsibility of keeping Sansar Bahadur. This incident took Sansar Bahadur to another world.
Sansar Bahadur grew up in the arms of Balgram's mother 'Kanti'. Sansar Bahadur's school life began. 'He has been very interested in football since he was a child. He has gone to different places to play football after school,' said Rajendra Lamsal, director of SOS Balgram.

Three years ago, he went to Kathmandu to play in the selection of the under-16 group, but he could not be selected. SOS takes responsibility until those who come to live in Balgram turn 23. 'Until then, we help with everything from studies. We have science in grade 11. We also help them study other subjects,' said director Lamsal.

Along with football, he said that he is also interested in basketball and volleyball. He also likes to dance. 'Sometimes, I even sing songs,' said Sansar Bahadur. He says that he could not progress in his studies because he could not write well. Although all his grandparents in the village have passed away, there are other relatives. He has visited the village twice in between. ‘The village is very far. Even farther than Kathmandu. You have to walk all day,’ he said.

The situation in Kanda has changed now, says Principal Thapaliya. Ekal Silwal, one of the journalists who went to collect news of the incident on the spot, started the ‘Miteri Abhiyan’ with his friend, artist and filmmaker Rabindra Singh Baniya, to transform Kanda. Lakshmi Pratishthan was later added to the campaign. The Pratishthan started a hostel in the village in 2072 BS.

The children started studying in the hostel free of cost at Kandeshwari School. In 2067 BS, the school, which was only offering classes up to grade 4, now offers classes up to grade 8. Since there was no school nearby to study higher grades, the students of Kanda were taken to a hostel run by Lakshmi Pratishthan in Kavre and educated up to SEE.