The Himaljyoti school project was instigated by a UK couple who visited Nepal whilst on a Saga holiday.

During a subsequent visit they decided to sponsor a child in the village of Bhattidanda, near Dhulikhel, and were horrified when they saw the conditions of her local school. Not only was it in a very poor state, but also under threat of closure.

The couple decided to take action themselves and started to raise money to build a new school, which would be owned by the village community. The Saga Charitable Trust was delighted to back the project and the school was officially opened in 2004.

The Himaljyoti Community School now has over 140 students, many of which come from the Tamang community, historically the most under-privileged ethnic group in Nepal. The school is really flourishing and their motto is ‘Prosperity through Education.’ Children have a chance to practice their English when Saga groups visit and this has also helped them to grow in confidence.

Our ultimate goal is for the school to become self-sufficient, and we are currently funding a micro-finance scheme to help raise the economic status of the villagers and thereby able to pay school fees to cover salaries and running costs.