Sindhuli District & Bagmati Province, Nepal
Back to School Nepal: Earthquake Recovery
Program Start: November 2026
AH&H is dedicated to creating safe, disaster-resilient learning environments across Nepal. By rebuilding damaged school infrastructure, integrating Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, and delivering community-wide training in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Child Protection, and Menstrual Hygiene Management, we support and empower entire school communities. Through our flagship Female Mason Training Program, we also equip local women with sustainable construction skills, opening doors to dignified, fairly paid employment.
Recent Updates
Disaster Profile
On April 25, 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal near the capital city of Kathmandu, the most powerful in over 80 years.
The earthquake caused widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, claiming the lives of over 9,000 people and injuring a further 23,000. More than 8,000 schools were damaged or completely destroyed. On May 12, 2015, a second 7.3 earthquake struck the country, causing further devastation and loss of lives.
More than a decade after these earthquakes reshaped the country, recovery remains an ongoing challenge for many rural communities. Annual monsoon rains and storm seasons trigger frequent landslides, flash flooding, and high winds, posing continuous risks to already vulnerable educational infrastructure.
More recently, on November 3, 2023, a separate 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal’s remote Jajarkot District, causing significant damage to homes, schools and essential infrastructure. AH&H responded to this disaster as well, supporting recovery efforts in a region already vulnerable due to its geographic isolation and limited resources.
Active Program
Shree Kamala Basic School (Sindhuli District)
Located in Bhatahi, Dudhauli Municipality, Shree Kamala Basic School serves 184 students and 12 staff members who have spent over a decade working around unsafe, damaged buildings. AH&H is executing a comprehensive transformation of the campus:
- 9 Disaster-Resilient Classrooms: Replacing damaged, unsafe structures with durable spaces designed to withstand future seismic events and extreme weather.
- Enhanced WASH Facilities: Building a new toilet block with handwashing stations (expanding capacity from two to five toilet rooms to remove key barriers to education for young girls) and installing a clean water filtration system.
- Safe Play & Learning Spaces: Adding a dedicated playground and updated classroom furniture to foster a safe, engaging learning environment.
- Capacity Building: Delivering community workshops in Disaster Risk Reduction, Child Protection, WASH, and Menstrual Hygiene Management alongside our localized Female Mason Training.
Our Work
Our Impact Since 2015
Within 72 hours of the first 2015 earthquake, AH&H teams were on the ground. Across early emergency response and long-term recovery phases, our work has continuously evolved to meet community needs:
- Community Infrastructure: Constructed health facilities (including a dedicated maternity block with water and sanitation access at Dudhauli Health Post) and installed computer labs to enhance local resources.
- 32+ Schools Supported: Rebuilding resilient classrooms, temporary learning centers, and essential school facilities.
- 9,900+ Students Back to School: Restoring safe access to quality education for thousands of children.
- Emergency Relief & Housing: Cleared 104 debris sites, constructed over 100 transitional homes, built 12 community shelters, and safely brought down hazardous structures.
Sustainability & local innovation
Constructing With Sustainability
We are committed to using environmentally conscious and durable building practices wherever possible when rebuilding after disasters. Our school construction projects in Nepal utilize Compressed Stabilized Earth Brick (CSEB) technology, an approach that benefits the environment while providing durable, disaster-resilient infrastructure. CSEB uses a combination of locally-sourced soil and sand, mixed with a small amount of cement, to create bricks for infrastructure that are environmentally responsible, cost-effective and resilient.
CSEB reduces transportation costs, energy and CO2 emissions compared to traditional bricks due to their use of local materials. The bricks offer excellent thermal efficiency, reducing the need for artificial heating or cooling. Additionally, they are disaster-resilient, with metal rebar reinforcement enhancing their ability to absorb shocks, making buildings more flexible and durable than other methods.
Specialized Training Programs
Female Mason Training: Livelihoods, Gender Equality and Disaster Risk Reduction
Piloted in 2017, our Female Mason Training Program addresses both economic inequality and disaster risk. Professional Nepali masons train local women in disaster-resilient construction techniques. Through our local partnership network, graduates receive formal mason certifications, enabling them to secure fairly paid employment in a field traditionally dominated by men.
“When women and men work alongside each other, even the most difficult work becomes manageable.” — Sita, Female Mason Program Graduate
