The UK aid funded Community Support Programme (CSP) is helping rural communities in Nepal lift themselves out of poverty. In its tenth year now, the CSP is helping people living in remotes areas of Nepal to grow and sell their crops to feed their families, send their children to school and pay for healthcare. More than 2,800 communities have already benefitted from improved school facilities with more than 1,000 other earthquake resistant community buildings also due to be built.

Pupil Abhiral Chaudhari, 8, a pupil at Manakamana Primary School school said: “I did not go to school when we did not have a classroom. It was too far for me to go to the other school and I missed my friends.

“I really like our new building. It is safer than the old one and we all have somewhere to sit down. I am learning a lot and am much better with my words and numbers now.”

The Community Support Programme has improved school facilities for 2,800 communities – benefitting 600,000 families. More than 1,000 other community projects are being supported to benefit 116,000 households.