It Was a School, Now a Shelter for Many



14-year-old Rahul Khatri and his friends now call their school home. The Basundhara Academy classrooms are temporary shelters for residents in this area after repeated aftershocks and cracks on their building walls forced many to flee their homes.



"I have to live in the school since my home has been destroyed and I have nowhere to go," he says. There are more than a hundred people living in this school alone. The widespread damage has meant a majority of schools are now makeshift relief camps, where parents and teachers alike share the load, from cooking to everyday chores. Sandeep Dongana, a Math Teacher says, "My students and I are taking shelter in the same school. It is the same story in most government schools. Homes are so unsafe and even if the buildings are intact people are too scared to stay in those."



At a relief camp in Kathmandu we meet 12-year-old Bibek Adhikari and his cousin Rajan, who is 10 years old. When asked if he likes going to school, Rajan replies, "But it doesn't exist." Bibek jumps in to clarify. "The school walls have collapsed. It's not safe to go there. We don't know when it will be repaired," he says.



For now, children are happy that their playtime doesn't come with any restrictions, but for parents, there is the additional worry of what happens to their education. Sapna, who is taking refuge in a school, too scared to go home says, "It's ok to stay in these schools for now but we have to also think about vacating them soon. It's also about the future of our children and their education."



Nepal is fighting battles on multiple fronts and though education may not be the top priority in the immediate aftermath of earthquake, getting back to school may also help children overcome some of the trauma they have been witness to.



