The Malagiri School, Nepal

The Malagiri School, located in a remote rural village roughly 50km south-west of Kathmandu, was opened in 2011. Three educationalists, Kevin Fossey (a lecturer), Pema Dorjee (a Tibetan Monk), and Carin Soderlind (a Swedish teacher) visited Malagiri and immediately saw a vital need to build a school for the local children. Their singular vision for this school: ‘to take local families from lack of education…to opportunities for change and hope for the future’ has remained strong – the school is now the beating heart of the community and has a deep impact across the entire Municipality. 

The school has four classes for children aged three to eight and educates 60 children. Four teachers, two cooks, a caretaker and a guard are employed. The school day begins at 8.00 am and ends at 4pm. The curriculum is varied, dynamic and is informed by Montessori principles. The school:

*      generates local employment opportunities

*      raises expectations and aspirations for young people – especially girls

*      offers real prospects for those children facing exceptional challenges

*      provides an interesting and varied curriculum, informed by Montessori principles

Since 2008, volunteers from the UK (the Friends of the Malagiri School), and Sweden (Trinity) have made equal contributions to meet the running costs of the school. Both groups collaborate with a Nepalese NGO (The Jangchup Charitable Organisation) – an organisation that takes responsibility for the governance of the school – to ensure that the children experience high quality education and care. The school depends entirely on donations received from Sweden and the UK.

Key Events
2008 Building work starts.
2011 The school opens on 10th April with 2 classes for children aged 3-6
2014 A third classroom is built, and 48 children (aged 3-7) now attend the school       
2015 An earthquake damages the school. A fundraising campaign for repair  is launched
2017 The repair and rebuild is completed
2020 The COVID-19 pandemic results in the closure of the school. Teachers make home visits
2021 The school celebrates its 10 year anniversary. There are now 4 classes with 64 children aged 3-8.
2024 All staff receive Montessori training. The internet is installed.