During her stay in Nepal at the beginning of January 2025, Anne Oschwald once again visited facilities run by Nepalhilfe Beilngries. The freelance journalist, who lives in Ravensburg, has been a committed supporter in many ways for many years. It is therefore no coincidence that she summarised her encounters and impressions in the following report:

My two-day trip, together with Shyam Pandit, one of the employees of Nepalhilfe, took me back to the Sindhupalchok district to visit various projects. On the outskirts of Kathmandu, we travelled past scrap yards, which look like works of art by Tinguely with their decommissioned moped skeletons, and into the terraced fields, which glow in all shades of green even in winter. Potatoes, rice and maize will soon be harvested here. The steep landscape is parched after the heavy rains last autumn. The damage to many of the roads has so far only been repaired to a limited extent. After two and a half hours of arduous driving for around 40 kilometres, we reached the Shree Jalapadevi Secondary School in Melamchi.

School with agricultural branch
The building, which was badly damaged after the severe earthquake in 2015, was reopened last October. The heavy autumn rain has already left its mark here too. Behind the school, the water has found its way down the slope. The undercutting caused near the building needs to be repaired and stabilised as quickly as possible.
As soon as they arrive, the children and young people perform their morning ceremony and sing the national anthem before retiring to their classrooms. In the arcade on the first floor, four young women bend over their books and study together. They attend the agricultural branch of the school from year 10 to 12. They express their joy at being able to learn this subject. Even if some of them find learning the scientific subjects less easy than the others, as the 17 to 19-year-old schoolgirls say with a smile.
Long journeys to school
549 pupils currently attend the school. It takes them up to an hour to reach their destination. A young teacher gives a tour of the building, which was financed by Nepalhilfe Beilngries. It is flanked by a second wing, sponsored by Education First – EF, an organisation based in Switzerland. The teacher shows some of the classrooms as well as the new kitchen and canteen. Here, as at the other schools, the younger children have recently started receiving a free lunch every school day. However, 15 rupees, or 10 cents, which the government provides per meal, does not exactly keep the plates overflowing. The schools need to find other sources of support. Realistically, at least three times that amount would be needed. There is also often not enough money for new school uniforms. Each child needs one winter and one summer uniform. Each is available for just over ten euros. In one of the poorest countries in the world, this is a lot of money that families are often unable to afford. The school is also seeking support for this, including from the Beilngries aid organisation.
The ‘Health Post’, the first aid centre that has been set up at the school for some time now, is a welcome development. In everyday school life, the responsible member of staff dresses many a wound, helps with circulatory problems and comforts if necessary. In more serious emergencies, the school is fortunate to have the hospital in the immediate vicinity.
Helping: a matter close to the heart
After a fortifying dal bhat, the journey continued on a bumpy dirt track to the Kubinde Health Post. The new building was completed two years ago with financial support from Nepalhilfe Beilngries. The spacious building replaced the old building in the more distant neighbourhood, which had been damaged by the earthquake. The dedicated team is waiting for us. No patients need their attention at the moment. The four trained nurses and midwives have already treated twelve people that day. There are up to 400 patients a month.
The medical staff are responsible for around 2,800 residents of the neighbouring villages. Common health problems include diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma, as well as injuries resulting from accidents during farm work. For the women, the work is noticeably close to their hearts. The longest-serving member of the team has been working for the health centre for 22 years. ‘We are happy that we can be there for the people in the neighbouring villages,’ says Mom Kumar Nepal, a trained midwife, also on behalf of her colleagues. The medical staff carry out vaccination campaigns, carry out health checks during home visits and offer programmes for pregnant women. The size of the team means that two people are always present at the health centre for these activities, which often take place on the move. The manager is also available 24 hours a day: There is a small flat for him in the building.