Somerset charity faces ‘reality’ of restoring education in Nepal

“Once the cameras leave, we’re going to face the reality of how to restore education.”

Jimmy Lama, a Kathmandu-based charity worker who has been employed by Somerset charity School in a Bag since 2012, has seen first-hand the devastation wrought by the immense flood along the Trishuli River, on the Nepal-Tibet border, on 26 August.

To date, more than 1,000 people are known to have died, while nearly 4,000 remain missing.

Entire villages have been wiped from the map under a torrent of mud and water. Among them, Lama said, are up to 20 schools educating thousands of children.

“There are just so many things happening at a time and, at the same time, people who’ve come down to a relatively safe place are now struggling for clean water. Food, health and sanitation are a big issue,” Lama said.

“For hundreds of people who have lost everything, it’s about temporary shelter, what’s going to happen next.”

When it comes to helping people navigate the next steps following the disaster, Luke Simon – founder and chief executive of School in a Bag – said a major priority was working with families to get children back in a routine.