Chay Ya Nepal
Chay Ya Nepal is a Non-government Organization. We have been working Health & Education sectors in the Himalayas (Nepal). Our projects are geared to the needs of the local community in the Himalayas. Chay Ya supports humanitarian emergency aid, builds basic hygiene and medical supplies, supports children's education, finances adults' medical education and organised reconstruction projects after the earthquake in Nepal in 2015.
We are working on the following types of Projects:
- Education
- Disability Learning Centers
- Health
- Women Empowerment
- Environment
- WASH
- Humanitarian Aid
The projects mentioned above have been completed in various districts of Nepal. Similarly, we are working on related projects.
At the outset, the primary aim of the association was to enhance well-being and education in isolated mountain villages. Our initial efforts involved conducting annual mobile health camps, encompassing hygiene training sessions that entailed rigorous three-week treks reaching altitudes of up to 4000 meters. We also extended support to schools by providing teaching materials, teachers, and warm clothing for the children. After two years, we successfully secured sponsorship from Scouts Austria, enabling us to establish a permanent health post, complete with a birthing ward.
During the midst of constructing the health post, a devastating earthquake struck the project region of Tsum Valley, Gorkha in April 2015. This catastrophic event, with the epicentre located a mere 50 kilometres away from our construction site, resulted in the destruction of 70-90% of houses in the surrounding villages. In the months that followed, we swiftly provided essential supplies to over 3000 families across eight districts. Through our relentless efforts, we managed to inspire numerous generous donors, allowing us to rebuild 21 village schools and establish four disability learning centres. Furthermore, we successfully constructed eight health posts, each equipped with birthing wards. In addition, we constructed a waste management facility and provided training to women in two organic model farms.
Chay-Ya Nepal Project in Sindhupalchowk
Sindhupalchok is a district heavily affected by the 2015 earthquake. During the earthquake, the structures of educational institutions and health institutions were damaged. We coordinated with various donor agencies for the reconstruction of the building of Ganesh Secondary School in Sunkoshi, Sindhupalchok, which was affected by the earthquake.
1) Shree Ganesh Secondary School, Yamuna Danda
The Sindhupalchok region was severely affected by the earthquakes in 2015. The local schools in the area, which were made of mud and stone, suffered extensive damage and some completely collapsed. To address this situation, we worked with the villagers in the mountain village of Yamunadanda, located at an altitude of 1,125 meters, to rebuild the Shree Ganesh Secondary School. This new school accommodates over 200 children and consists of ten classrooms, a teachers' room, and a kindergarten, all built to meet the government's earthquake-resistant standards.
When we learned about the school, a local NGO had already financed and constructed two rooms. However, they ran out of funds, forcing the classes to be held in makeshift shelters made of corrugated iron and plastic sheets. This was a challenging situation, particularly during the cold winters. With the new building, made of reinforced cement and earth bricks, children from underprivileged ethnic groups now have access to education in a more suitable environment.
In October 2016, we laid the foundation stone for the new school alongside Sabine Klotz (chairwoman of Chay Ya Austria) and Kamal Thapa (Managing Director of Chay Ya Nepal). The ceremony included the distribution of flower chains, several speeches, and prayers to invoke protection and blessings from the gods and goddesses. Of course, we didn't forget the incense sticks and mantras
For the construction process, we had to purchase cement, iron rods, and bricks, which were transported up the long road. With the help of the hardworking villagers, we dug deep foundations to ensure maximum earthquake safety. By April 2017, the reinforced concrete beams were completed, and the children were excited to receive another visit from Sabine, accompanied by Elmar Klotz, who had crafted school benches and shelves for them in his spare time!
During the summer of 2017, we organized the first training session for the village community on making earth bricks. Unfortunately, heavy rains and floods hampered progress as the earth was too wet to produce more bricks, resulting in a one-month pause in production. However, we managed to finish the school's foundations, the ceiling of the first floor, and the construction of the staircase.
Over the winter, we installed the ceiling of the second floor and conducted three training sessions on producing "Compressed Stabilized Earth Bricks" (CSEB). We successfully produced and dried over 5,000 CSEB bricks, which accounted for more than one-third of the total. The training was also provided by Build Up Nepal on constructing walls using CSEB, allowing us to start raising the walls on the lower floor. Despite delays caused by severe floods affecting 35 out of 75 districts and the first regional elections in 18 years, we completed the first floor with four freshly painted classrooms by June 2018.
The children were overjoyed at the opening ceremony. An additional 7,500 earth bricks were ready, enabling rapid progress in constructing the first-floor walls. On the second floor, two more rooms were built using lightweight prefabricated elements, and both Sristi Silwal (chairwoman of Chay Ya Nepal) and Sabine Klotz (chairwoman of Chay Ya Austria) attended the official opening in May 2019. We are thrilled for the 250 children and their families who can now benefit from this wonderful school!
