Bamboo School for Underprivileged Children in Nepal

The high rate of poverty in Nepal makes it difficult to provide quality education to the underprivileged children. Many children, especially girls, are deprived of education. Addressing the problems faced by the poor and homeless children, a school for the underprivileged children was started.



Established in 2001 with the aim of providing quality education to the underprivileged children was Samata Sikshya Niketan, the first bamboo school in Nepal. Witnessing the challenges and difficulties that the children in streets had to face, made Uttam Sanjel give up his dream of becoming a hero and return back to Nepal from Bombay.

With the expectation of enrolling 350 children, he decided to open up a school in Kathmanu. However, the presence of 850 candidates made him nervous. It was a challenge finding a suitable building, teachers and staff members for the school but his willingness and courage paid off. That is how the first bamboo school came to existence in Nepal.

The school provides quality education at the low cost of Rs 100 as a tuition fee. Many organizations have been providing donations that help the students to get quality education. The school has been providing education to the children of poor peasants, workers and the street children.

In 2008, Karuna-Shechen partnered with Samata Shiksha Niketan to construct schools quickly and efficiently using bamboo which is inexpensive, strong, earthquake-resistant and easy to find. In 2011, Karuna-Shechen supported the construction of a bamboo college in Jorpati in order to provide high school education to them.

The school has spread to Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Makawanpur, Sindhupalchowk, Kavreplanchowk and Nawalparasi and has provided education to more than 30,000 students (especially underprivileged girls). The founder Sanjel plan to open up the school in all 75 districts in Nepal.