It was indeed surprising that eight years after the dramatic earthquake in April 2015, there were still damaged school facilities that had obviously fallen out of the focus of Nepal’s state authorities when both the school management of the Jalapadevi Secondary School and the responsible municipality of Melamchi approached Nepalhilfe in March 2023. This with the request to take over the financing for the renovation of the building. The three-storey building with its 12 classrooms is still the centre of school life for 540 boys and girls and 28 members of staff. The damage to the 25-10 metre building, which is also located in the Sindhupalchok district, is apparent, as is the damage to most of the schools supported by Nepalhilfe.

Repair work has been ongoing since the end of 2023, with a particular focus on reinforcing the 18 concrete columns. According to the responsible contractor, 15 of the 18 load-bearing columns have already been reinforced. In summer, all columns should be completed in an earthquake-proof manner and the construction of the walls can begin. The aim is to move back into the almost new school by autumn 2024. In September 2024, the work was completed and the students were able to move back into their school.