In 2020, we commenced in our biggest project yet, as we started the process of building a new school in Taplejung, Nepal, in collaboration with our partner Human Practice Foundation.

The project was fully financed by the sales of Paper Collective posters. So every time a poster was bought, it played a part in the project.

The framework agreement was in place with the local government for the ongoing staffing, running and maintaining the school once it was completed.

Read more about the project below.

The project has started!

We have started to build up a school close to Fungling in Taplejung, Nepal. The school is located in the most beautiful surroundings in the mountains and we are so happy to get started here.

The school contains 282 students and hopefully our work, building up the school, will increase the number of students.

We are aiming to build up 10 classrooms and moreover we’ll have a focus on building up a library, computer room, science lab and teacher training.

The foundation is almost ready

…but it takes time and we are right now on a pause because of the monsoon.

Nepal has been hit hard by landslides and floods. Fortunately, Taplejung has escaped ‘cheap’, but has still been hit by a lot of rain and we are therefore waiting for more build-friendly weather.

Good news from Nepal – the school building at Singhakali Secondary School has begun!

After the heavy monsoon in Nepal good progress has been made.
The ground floor, walls and ceiling/floor between the two floors are now moulded – yeay!
This process requires a lot of hands and we are so happy that the met up numerous times to help with this process.

It is always great joy receiving an update from Nepal.
The progress on the first floor is going well and it won’t be long before we will start building the roof on the new building – yeah, we are getting closer and closer to 1st Days of school!

We’re almost there!

The construction is progressing very fast.
Soon 300 children will have an opportunity to learn in the new, modern, earthquake resilient building.
Gender segregated and disabled-friendly toilet facilities are now under construction and will be completed within two weeks.

The local community and the teachers from the Singhakali Secondary School showed great interest and commitment to the project and some of the Teachers have already attended our Teacher’s Trainings in order to improve the quality education at the School.

We are looking forward to the official opening of the new school building and to assure that the development continues, quality education program will be implemented.

Meet Nabin Limbu, Nepali teacher from Singhakali Secondary School.

‘’Our school was facing many problems in the past.
The old building was in a great risk to collapse, the classrooms were small and dark with many holes in the walls and the roof was leaking.

Currently, we are teaching in the Temporary Learning Center and are all looking very much forward to the opening of the new school building and toilets.

Around 300 students attend to our school, but most of them don’t attend regularly so the daily attendance ratio is not higher than 50%.
I strongly believe that thanks to the new beautiful and safe building the attendance ratio will increase and more students will receive a proper education.

Together with other teachers we are planning door to door campaigns promoting education and our goal is to encourage parents to send their children to school daily and teach them about the crucial role of education.‘’

Meet Soni Limbu, 12 year old student from Singhakali School.

‘’My parents are farmers and I have a lot of responsibilities at home.
I mainly need to cook, clean and take care of the buffalos. I like to go to school to play with my friends and I am enjoying Nepali lessons, especially reading poems.

I am looking forward to the opening of the new school building so we can finally study in a nice and cosy environment.’’

Meet Santosh Limbu, who surprised us with his great English skills.

‘’My favourite subject is English and I find it really important to learn that language, as I would like to to work abroad in the future.
My parents are farmers and I hope If I am able to complete my education, I can find a decent job and be able to support them financially.

Our school was facing many problems before and thanks to donations of honourable donor and support of the Human Practice Foundation we will soon be able to study in a safe and friendly environment.

I believe it will have a great impact not only on students but the entire community as well.‘’

Meet Junu BK, 15 years old student from Singhakali Secondary School.

‘’Me and my friends are really looking forward to the opening of the new school building.
Currently, we are studying in a Temporary Learning Center which is very unpleasant, especially now in wintertime as we often struggle with the cold weather and wind.

My favourite subject is Nepali and in the future I would like to become a teacher and educate young people from our village.‘’

Meet Biwash Limbu, 15 years student from Singhakali Secondary School.

‘’Both of my parents are teachers. Therefore, I understand the important role of education attend the school regularly.

My favourite subject is Social Subject and in the future, I would like to become a teacher.
Our community is facing many problems.
There is a big alcohol problem, child marriages and lack of education.

I believe through educating children we can change bad habits of our society.‘’

COVID-19 update from The Paper Collective Project (August 2020)

Due to the current global COVID-19 situation the Human Practice Foundation has been challenged to be creative.

Since the beginning of March, lockdown and vast restrictions have be enforced in Nepal, where we have been building a school in Taplejung.
As a result, the project has been put on standby and new ways have been implemented to keep the students stimulated and activated.

In Taplejung, the students are forced to stay at home with no access to education.
They have had to spend their days helping with farming and household chores instead of studying. However, the local education team initiated an HPF Education Radio Program, focused on training students of grade 10, 11 and 12 primarily in English and exam preparation through exercises and activities they can do at home.
Depending on the length of the lockdown, they will extend the program and include more grades.

The program has already received great feedback from the students, as outlined here by Iksha Angbuhang, a grade 11 student at Change Secondary School.

„My daily routine of activities has changed and now I help my parents for kitchen work, then go to the field to support my parents for farming. Physical distancing has also isolated me from my friends whom I used to meet on a daily basis. I am a weak student in English, so I had participated in the HPF English Language training in the school that has helped me a lot. Recently, HPF started to broadcast English Radio Program which I will regularly listen to and hope will make me better prepared for the exam. Thank you, HPF for bringing me back to the study desk from the farm work.“

While we are currently finalizing our Paper Collective project, building the school in Nepal, we decided to have a Green Weekend (27/11/20 – 29/11/20).

During this weekend we offered all customers 20% discount on our art prints and donated 20 sqm of rain forest to the preservation of Forests of the World for every purchase made.

The weekend was a great success as we were able to donate in total 8.100 sqm of rain forest.
We decided to double up, and the final donation to Forests of the World will be 16.200 sqm.

Thank you for helping us help!

Since 2013 we have supported more than 25 different causes from Refugee aid and nature preservation to cancer research and clean water projects.