Kumar Lama – Chairman HCS Nepal

During the Panchayat period (1961–1990), Humla had very limited access to education. There was only one secondary school in the entire district, located in Dharma. Education was not widely valued or accessible, particularly for children living in remote villages. Students who wished to continue their education beyond the primary level had to leave their communities and travel to other districts, facing significant financial, geographical, and social challenges.

I experienced these difficulties myself. In 1973, after completing my primary education at Muchu School, I had to travel to Jumla and later to Kathmandu to  continue my lower secondary education. The hardship, scarcity, and struggles I experienced in pursuing education left a lasting impression on me. These experiences gradually developed into a strong determination to create better educational opportunities for children in Humla, so that they would not have to leave their families, communities, and surroundings simply to exercise their basic right to education.

These personal experiences and continued encouragement inspired me to organize and develop child education initiatives in Humla. This vision eventually led to the establishment and development of the Himalayan Children Society (HCS) in the year 1998 with the aim of ensuring that children from remote and disadvantaged communities could receive quality education in their own environment, close to their families, culture, and communities.

With the support of many helping hands, this dream has gradually become a reality. On behalf of the Himalayan Children Society, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to David Friedlander, Nepal Schulprojekt , Adara Development, Karuna Shechen and our many partners and stakeholders. Their trust, support, investment, and continued contribution have played an important role in strengthening child education in Humla.

Through these collective efforts, more than 400 children have graduated from Yalbang School, and since 2007, the Himalayan Children Society has supported 3,422 students through its child education initiatives. These efforts have contributed significantly to reducing the need for children from Humla to migrate outside the district in search of education.

Our work has also demonstrated the potential of a Public–Private Partnership approach to education in one of Nepal’s most remote regions. The experience gained through these initiatives has provided valuable lessons and practices that can contribute to improving education opportunities in other remote and disadvantaged communities.

The Himalayan Children Society will continue to evolve, learn, and innovate. We remain committed to sharing our knowledge, experiences, and best practices so that the model developed in Humla can inspire and contribute to similar education initiatives in other districts of Nepal.

Kumar Lama
President
Himalayan Children Society