Bikalpa Baniya ’19

January 2016

Post Disaster Education Assistance

First-year Bikalpa Baniya ’19 returned home to Nepal to examine the current education system following the aftermath of the devastating 2015 earthquake that killed more than 3,500 people. While there, Bikalpa volunteered at Shighadevi Secondary School, located in the rural Sindhupalchowk District. This district was one of the areas most affected by the earthquake, with more than 95 percent of homes destroyed. As a part-time English tutor, Bikalpa interacted with the students and discovered the many barriers that stand in the way of students in Nepal. After returning to Oberlin, Bikalpa intends to create a club on campus to spread awareness of the difficulties students face in Nepal.