Chepang Community Network
The Chepang Community Network (CCN) Project in Raksirang Rural Municipality wasn’t just about bringing the digital divide but also was about connecting people, fostering learning, and creating new opportunities. Through this community-driven initiative, we successfully brought internet access to two schools: Ward No.5 Chainpur, Shree Praja Jagrit Secondary School and Ward No.6 Sillinge, Shree Rastriya Secondary School. Together, these schools serve over 1,500 students who now have access to information and knowledge at their fingertips. To make this possible, our team laid fiber-optic cables stretching over 25,000 meters from Lother to Ward No.6 and having the internet bandwidth speed up to 450-600 Mbps making a significant step in Bridinging the Digital Divide.
On February 27 our team which includes Bikash Khatri (Program Director), Sambidhan Prasai (Program Officer), Rabindra Prasad Chaudhary (Electrical Head) and Ishwor Chaudhary (Electrical Assistant) moved from Kathmandu to Raksirang Ward No.6 filled with excitement and determination. Where they faced countless hurdle like rough terrain and almost no network signals made the journey difficult, but nothing could dampen our spirit. Every obstacle was just another reason to push forward, and by the end of the day, we had successfully reached our destination Bhandara. February 28, our team moved early morning at Ward No.6 while going through the rugged road our team Sambidhan & Rabindra found themselves crossing through a river, soaking their shoes, but their quick thinking saved essential equipment like laptop, cameras and other electrical appliances. And after a long ride we reached Ward No.6 Shree Rastriya Secondary School to provide Cyber awareness and technical training to the local people especially to the students and teacher where they showed curiosity and enthusiasm to our mission, reinforcing why we were there in the first place and after completing the technical training and Cyber awareness our team moved to Ward No.5 for rest.
March 1 happened to be a public holiday, giving our team a rare chance to unwind. We took the opportunity to explore the local landscape, visiting a cave, marveling at a hidden waterfall, and even catching some fish by the riverbank while painting the town red. While Bikram Shrestha (NIF's President), Prashant Rai (Program Assistant), Suvham Shrestha (Volunteer), Tazanna Shrestha (Volunteer) set out from Kathmandu at 11 A.M., reaching Hetauda later that day.
On March 2 Bikram Shrestha and his team departed early morning and reached Ward No. 5 where we held Hand Over Program at Shree Praja Jagrit Secondary School at 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, where the program was attended by Ward No. 5's Chairperson Hari Bahadur Praja, School Teachers, NIF's President Mr. Bikram Shrestha & Mr. Bikash Khatri (Program Director) gave their speech which were filled with gratitude and hope, a reminder of how much this initiative meant to the community. The network was handed over to the community with the presence of Municipality's Chair Rajkumar Malla and Vice-Chair Banastam Thing, with Bikram Shrestha presiding over the event.After the end of hand over program our team gave Cyber awareness and technical training to the students and teacher from 1:15 to 3:15 P.M. Sambidhan Prasai and Bikash Khatri gave Cyber Awareness to the students & Rabindra Prasad Chaudhary and Sambidhan Prasai gave technical training regarding basic network configurations and electrical maintenance while Ishwor Chaudhary made sure that every electrical appliance had power and rechecked the electrical appliances. Prashant Rai (Program Assistant) an active member assisted the team with every possible way he could. Eak Abhyian in collaboration with Saugat Tamang from “Saugat Arts Nepal” painted a stunning wall paint at Shree Praja Jagrit Secondary School, bringing color and inspiration to the school grounds. After completing the handover program and Eak Abhiyan wall art we went to Sauraha for rest after a long day.
Early on March 3, we embarked on yet another journey this time for Ward No.6 to conduct another Hand Over Program. Unlike Ward No.5, the roads here were even more challenging. Bumpy, rugged, and difficult to navigate to tackle this, we opted for a pick-up truck, while Bikash Khatri and Rabindra Prasad Chaudhary rode ahead on bike to inspect the roads. Their task was to check for any damage or landslides, especially since it had rained the day before. Despite the tough conditions, our perseverance paid off as we successfully reached the destination at 9:00 AM when we reached Ward No.6 Shree Rastriya Secondary School, they were about to hold off their daily school activities like national anthem, warm up exercise, dancing and singing activities. We initiated handover program from 10:00 am with Ward No. 6 Chairperson Akal Bahadur Muktan, local leaders, and other representatives from the community till noon. Meanwhile, Tazanna Shrestha and Suvam Shrestha, responsible for Eak Abhiyan, promptly began painting a wall paint at Shree Rastriya Secondary School, further beautifying the space for the students.
The Chepang Community Network Project was never just about internet access. It was about empowerment, education, and creating lasting change. Seeing the excitement in students’ eyes, the gratitude of teachers and local residents, and the transformation of the schools reinforced our belief in the power of connectivity. Despite the challenges, our team remained unwavering in our commitment, and together, which took a meaningful step towards bridging the digital divide. This is just the beginning of a more connected, empowered future for Raksirang.
