The long walk to school

Children from a Baglung village walk up to six hours daily through treacherous mountain trails to attend school. Officials plan a municipal hostel to ease the students’ plight.

Going to school is an uphill battle for 14-year-old Sharmila BK of Thalepokhara in ward 8 of Galkot Municipality in Baglung district. Every morning, she embarks on a three-hour trek through steep, slippery trails and dense forest to reach her school, Shiva Secondary School, located on the bank of the Daramkhola river. Her return journey is even more arduous, which takes nearly three and a half hours due to the uphill climb.