Situated in a very remote setting of Sindhupalchowk (Melamchi Municipality), Kalika Chetana Secondary School has a long way to go in terms of development. Open defecation and scarcity of clean drinking water are the major problems in the community.

The population composition is 50% Brahmin/Chhetri, 30% Tamang, 10% Danawor, 5% Maghi and another 5% Dalit.

Kalika Chetana Secondary School was first established in Phatakshila VDC in 2047 BS (1990 AD) and later shifted in Melamchi Municipality. It was successful in becoming a Secondary School only in 2069 BS (2012 AD). 347 students are studying in ECD to Grade 10. 3 SLC batches have come out of the school so far. TFN Fellows’ placement started in 2014 AD and 3 fellows are teaching right now. School enrollment rate among children is 10% and Literacy rate is 95%.

The school is about 65 km away from Kathmandu. Public vehicles from Ratnapark to Melamchi are available. You will have to walk for an hour after you get off the bus.

There are no hospitals in the area but a small health post is available. There is no police station and landline but mobile networks of NCell and NTC are available. People depend upon springs as sources of water which is not sufficient. There is no drinking water facility in school, either. Students have to walk for 10 minutes from school for drinking water.

There are 13 teachers (5 female and 8 male teachers) in the school out of which 3 are TFN Fellows. The others are 3 permanent teachers, 2 Relief Quota and 5 private teachers.

Toilets are available only for teachers but there is no water. Students go for open defecation. Electricity is available from national grid. There is neither a science lab nor a library. Computer lab and Math lab aren’t available either. The number of desks and benches for students isn’t sufficient. Whiteboards are available only in 5 classrooms. An Eco-club is there for children. The estimated annual budget of the school is Rs 35 Lakhs. 50% of the funding is provided by the government, 5% is contributed by the community, 35% is covered by the VDC while remaining 10% is collected from various other sources. SMC and PTA are active.

Students walk up to 2 hours to attend classes. There is no hostel facility.

Number of students who appeared in the SLC Examinations in the last three years and the Pass Percentage:

Year Total students Passed students Pass Percentage 2071 24 20 83.33 2070 24 17 70.82 2069 34 12 35.29 Earthquake Impact

This area has been adversely affected by the earthquake. Most of the walls of the buildings have cracked and three buildings have been severely damaged. Out of 9 classrooms, 6 have been damaged. All the houses in the community either have collapsed or are in unlivable conditions. There has been a huge loss of livestock and properties. Fortunately, no member of the school lost their life. People are living in temporary shelters and the community needs reconstruction.