(This text is revised 2017-05-15 and some new photos have been put into the gallery. )
In year 2008 the village council of Yangar set aside land for KMCH where they could build a new school home. In summer 2009 the Swiss engineer Bastian Etter led the efforts to draw a water pipe to the place from a source in the mountains. In summer 2010 KMCH built a house with four toilets. Both these projects were sponsored by Bastian Etter. In summer 2011 stones were collected for the future construction and in spring 2012 KMCH began to build the new hostel.
Late autumn year 2012 KMCH moved to the new hostel from the rented house in the village. Four rooms were ready and a provisional kitchen was in a building beside the hostel. It was very crowded until we got funds to build a second floor with four new rooms. A new greenhouse was also built in year 2012. In December just before the children went on winter holiday there was, as you can see, a lot of snow.
In spring 2013 KMCH started to build a second floor with four rooms. It was completed before the summer with both lighting and a tin roof. The tin roof was bought in Tibet and brought to Yangar on yak backs. The electricity comes from a small hydroelectric power station just north of Yangar. Almost all building materials except the tin roof were taken from the surrounding area. Adjacent to the provisional kitchen building there is also a provisional dining hall. With eight rooms instead of four KMCH was able to take care of twelve more children. The number of children were - in autumn 2015 - 47, 28 girls and 19 boys. The children are sleeping in five of the rooms and the staff in the other three.
In spring 2014 there were built bunk beds in the rooms so the children did not have to sleep on the floor. Also with bunk beds is it crowded if you sleep up to nine to ten children in rooms of around 15 sq.m.
In the spring 2014, KMCH also built a new house with five rooms in one floor. These rooms are larger than in the first hostel. Two of the rooms are used as classrooms, one room for the older kids and one for the younger ones. The other rooms will include storage, office and will also be used to relieve the hostel so the children will have more space.
The photo album below shows among others some photos from our visit in July 2014. They show how the two houses looked like then, an interior from one of the girls ' rooms, Pär when he has a lesson in one of the new class rooms, Naki and Chembal at the hose and when Susie plays with two of the girls.
At our visit in July 2014 we felt that we as soon as possible should try to improve the hygiene conditions at the school home. The only water tap was an ordinary garden hose. It was uncomfortable and crowded both on dish and laundry, and the toilets were too few. In August 2014 we got an investment grant which would lead to improvements in the washing options and to build two new toilets. In the fall of 2014 the planned investment of stoves in the children's rooms started and the construction of the new building was taken up again.
It was not so much done on the water project in the fall of 2014 because the winter came early and part of the equipment remained at the border with Tibet due snow barriers. In spring 2015 the work with water project started and the completion of the new building was resumed.
In September 2015 two members of KMCH SG – Anders and Susanne - visited the school home. Their new photos can be seen after the image from 2014 when Susanne is playing with some girls.
We can see that much has happened in 2015. The water project is basically clear as well as the new house. In this there remains some interior work as can be seen of the images. The new toilets are completed and soon also the outlets for water just outside the toilet. The water system is fed by an 18,000-litre water tank.
A connection route between the school home and the main road, which is under construction between the Tibetan border and Simikot, has been built. The latter has on many parts replaced the narrow paths that have so far been predominant in the district. At the same time a new flat surface for the children's play was made.
When the above investments are finished there remains among major projects mainly to build a permanent kitchen. In the future we can also think of the construction of a second greenhouse, a stable for our goats etc.
In late October 2016 a group from the KMCH Support Group visited the school to home. Then the new kitchen was built and we met the new Cook with family. They are staying in a room adjacent to the kitchen. We did the obligatory visits to the school and to the monastery where we have our health clinic, NCC. It's always touching to meet all children and those who work at the school home. We are always treated with song and dance and happy faces when we arrive.
Our children's school in Yalbang was appointed to be the best school of Humla in 2016. The school also had the best result of the school in Humla among the students who graduated from class 10. It was the third time we met with the school's principal, and we are always impressed by his competence and commitment. The school has 325 students, of which 53% are girls. There are nineteen teachers, of which four are women. KMCH is paying the salaries for two teachers, the authorities for eight and other NGOs for nine.
We went through the premises of the school home and discussed the need for new investments. It's quite extensive investments that are needed to achieve the convenience that we wish our children and employees to have. A level that will still be far below the one we consider to be the absolute minimum.
The new images begin with a group of girls dressed for the dance.
Point on "Continue Reading" below to see the photos.