Chandramani nearly left school for good. Today he leads one.
Discover how investing in local educators builds the leadership that transforms communities.
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Chandramani nearly left school for good. Today he leads one.
Discover how investing in local educators builds the leadership that transforms communities.
In 2018, Chandramani Subba Limbu returned to Saraswati Secondary School, the school where his educational journey had nearly ended decades earlier. This time, he arrived as headteacher.
The student who had almost dropped out now leads the school, applying modern teaching methods and leadership skills gained through years of partnership with the Himalayan Trust UK and our local education partner.
Born in 1971 in remote Taplejung, Chandramani grew up when accessing education meant travelling between schools just to sit exams. During his lower secondary years, he faced severe bullying that pushed him to the edge of abandoning his studies entirely.
The combination of isolation, inadequate school infrastructure and bullying created an environment where dropping out seemed inevitable.
For many children across Phaktanglung and Sirijungha Rural Municipalities, this pattern repeated itself generation after generation. Schools lacked trained teachers, students had minimal access to quality learning materials, and leadership capacity within remote schools remained underdeveloped.
Chandramani could have become another statistic. Instead, he persevered.
After completing his education, Chandramani passed the Teacher Service Commission exam and began teaching. But for 13 years, he worked without formal appointment – a common challenge for teachers in remote regions.
In 2017, he received formal appointment. By this point, he had been participating in our Teacher Training and Quality Education Programme (TTQEP). The programme transformed his practice. Rather than focusing solely on curriculum delivery, TTQEP develops comprehensive teaching skills.
In 2018, the opportunity arose to lead Saraswati Secondary School. Chandramani’s appointment carried particular significance: he would guide students through the same school where he had nearly given up.
Under his leadership, transformation has been measurable. Saraswati Secondary School has earned several awards from from our local Education partner for educational quality. More importantly, the school has become recognised regionally for student-centred teaching approaches and inclusive practices.
The Teacher Training Programme has played a vital role in shaping my journey from a local teacher to a confident educator and leader. The continuous support helped me grow professionally and believe in change. Now, I am working to upgrade my school into a fully recognised secondary school, which would enable rural families to give their children access to education without leaving their communities.
Chandramani’s journey represents one story within broader transformation across Taplejung’s remote communities. The outcomes across TTQEP schools demonstrate what sustained investment achieves.
These improvements reflect exactly what Sir Edmund Hillary envisioned: walking alongside communities over years, not months, and investing in local talent who understand community contexts. We don’t impose external solutions, but instead identify committed local educators and provide the long-term support they need to transform their own schools.
Today, Chandramani serves as a mentor to other teachers in the region. He models what’s possible when local talent receives appropriate support and when someone who nearly dropped out can become a respected educational leader. His transformation demonstrates what long-term investment in local educators achieves. Your support doesn’t just fund teaching, it builds the leadership that transforms entire school communities.
£500 provides comprehensive leadership training for an aspiring headteacher in remote Nepal.
£1,200 supports a full year of mentoring and in-school support for teachers serving the most isolated communities.
