20 years Shree Kali Devi Higher Secondary School (in German: Michl-Dacher-School) in Nepal - April 2015

In summer 1992, during his visit to Beilngries, Rajendra Giri asked the members of NHB whether they could build a school in his village. He grew up illiterate with no access to education, in the little mountain village Kadambas, 80 km north-east of Kathmandu and dreamt of changing the situation.

The aid organisation had existed only for some months and financially supported projects by Mary Ward and the dispensary of Bir-Hospital. Although the members of NHB with their former president Karl Rebele aimed to create their own projects, they didn’t believe they would have their own school or children’s home so soon. Rajendra Giri’s motivation and confidence was one of the reasons why the resolution of building a school in this remote area was finally passed. After having made some personal contact and viewing the existing school they decided to start. The people of the village began to excavate the mountain in autumn 1992. Pickaxes, shovels and a two-wheeled carriage were the only working equipment, the rest was manpower.

Originally the plan was to build a one-storey primary school with five classrooms and an office. The commitment of the local population, the political support and the financial support by NHB enabled the addition of a second story and a teacher’s house (as there are no pensions or flats to rent).

All of the building materials including sand, cement, steel and the furniture had to be carried to the little mountain village above the river, Sun Kosi, as there was no road access at the time. The village people were responsible for the coordination and the payment of the sherpas. For several months stone mansions from the Mount Everest region were busy breaking stones for the walls and making them into quarters. Rajendra Giri was the head-organisator, who wanted to see his life long dream fulfilled.

21^st April 1995 was the day of the official inauguration of the new school called Shree Kali Devi Higher Secondary School. Nepal’s Minister for infrastructure, Prem Singh Dami, the German ambassador in Nepal, Karl-Heinz Scholtyssek, hundreds of people from Kadambas and the surrounding villages as well as many visitors from Germany wanted to be part of this extraordinary event. 

This school was to be called Michl-Dacher-Schule in German, called after one of the most successful German mountaineers. The famous alpinist who was from Peiting was our first guest to come to a fund-raiser in Beilngries. Despite all his success he was humble and modest. Dacher himself wasn’t able to be part of the inauguration as he had died at his home only several months before however his wife Josefine was among the many guests. 

Rajendra Giri also passed away a few years after “his” school opened. A statue was put in the entrance hall of the school in memorial of him and his merit. From there he has a good view over to the hospital which was opened 2012 and which had also always been one of his dreams.

NHB has been paying for the running costs since its establishment. The school complex has been extended enormously over the last couple of years. Peiting has also contributed to the continuance of the school in several ways over the last twenty years.

At the moment approximately 400 pupils are taught by 14 teachers. The circle of education was closed many years ago, when former pupils became teachers in the Kadambas region.