Support for Schoolchildren in Nepal

Nepal – Construction of a New School Kitchen in the Tsum Valley

In October 2025, the foundation was laid for another important project: the construction of a much-needed new school kitchen in the remote Tsum Valley in Nepal.

During a trekking trip undertaken by Alfred in 2024, it became clear that the existing kitchen at the school in Chumling was in a very poor and precarious condition. As part of the support for around 30 children and teachers, renovation work was initiated, and by the end of November 2025, after approximately three weeks of intensive work, the new kitchen extension was successfully completed.

In October 2025, Mingmar, our friend from Nepal, set out for the Tsum Valley together with four porters. Already during the summer, he had commissioned villagers in Chumling to fell several fir trees within about an hour’s walking distance from the village and allow the timber to dry over several months. In total, 13 tree trunks were used. Compensation was paid to the forest owners for each tree.

The cut timber was laboriously carried over rough terrain to the school and further processed entirely by hand on site.

Upon arrival in Chumling, the team immediately began dismantling the existing roof above the storage room in order to construct an additional storey using timber-frame construction. Step by step, a solid wooden framework of vertical posts and horizontal beams took shape. Numerous frame components were precisely cut to size and joined by hand. The footprint of the new structure measures approximately four metres in width and ten metres in length.

With each passing day, the progress became more visible: first the framework, then a balcony, followed by a staircase leading up to the new kitchen area. In addition, a room for the school’s only teacher was created on the same floor. In the final days, Mingmar and his team completed the project by installing the roof on the new structure. Throughout the construction period, the helpers slept on simple mattress camps within the school building.

In just three weeks, an entirely new section of the building was completed – under very basic conditions, without heavy machinery and far removed from any infrastructure.

After finishing the work, the team began their journey back: on foot via Lokpa down to the vicinity of Machakhola, and from there by jeep back to Kathmandu. On Monday evening, they reunited with their families – knowing that they had created something lasting in the Tsum Valley.