The old school in Sarkhaul had mud walls that would have to be rebuilt after the monsoon season."

Sarkhaul lies in the far western region of Nepal. It's essentially an island formed by seven to eight small rivers running through the area. The village borders Bardiya National Park, one of Nepal's natural treasures, home to rhinos, elephants, crocodiles and dozens of species of birds.

Sarkhaul is a growing village. Currently about 1,500 people live here, but settlers are arriving every day from mountainous areas in search of a better life. They settle into mud huts with thatched roofs and earn their living farming. Most of the residents belong to the indigenous Tharu ethnic group.

The old school, which started in a villager's cow shed, was a crumbling structure with mud walls that would not last the rainy season intact. It was crammed with 200 students.

The villagers worked hard on the school, turning out every day on the work site and contributing their buffalo carts to carry rocks and sand. When the work was done after three months, nearly 1,800 villagers turned out to see the fruits of their labor: a permanent seven-room school with enough furniture and teaching support to educate more than 250 kids! The new Sarkhaul schoolhouse, realized with the help of BwB coordinators Gopal Gurung and Panna Maharjan, is dedicated to the loving memory of DiAnna McHugh, a long-time friend of BwB.

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