The Tamang
The hand drum "Damphu" heats up the rhythm. The dancers get faster, their movements wilder. The dance "Tamang Selo" pulls everyone under its spell. The Tamang, one of the largest Tibetan-Burmese speaking ethnic groups in Nepal, maintain their numerous traditions that they originally brought from Tibet [...]
Sheep Farming in Mugu
Our project region, Mugu, consists of two areas named after their indigenous peoples: Upper Jadan and Lower Khasan. The Jad are Tibetan lamas, and the people in the southern Khasan region are from northwestern India [...]
There are two winters in Nepal
Hemanta & Shishir Nepal has 6 seasons to offer Once you have been to Nepal, you will probably never forget the country. It’s wonderful. The nature is incomparable from the lowlands in the south, the Terai, which lies at only 70 meters, to the highlands in the north, which include Mount Everest as the highest […]
A Generational Change in Nepal
Nepal's parliamentary election of 5 March 2026 brings a generational change: the young Rastriya Swatantra Party wins a clear majority, and 37 percent of the elected MPs are under 40. A report from Kathmandu on how Nepal votes, the ballot boxes carried over mountain paths in Mugu, and what political stability means for our work.
Keepers of balance – the shamans of Nepal
The full moon is over the mountains, the ceremony has already begun. A young woman in the village who is plagued by an inexplicable disease has visited the shaman in the community's "Than" temple. She begs advice on what to do about her unbearable abdominal pain [...].
Buddha’s Best Birthday Present
For the start of the 2025/26 school year, Back to Life is supporting children from impoverished families with school uniforms and learning materials. Anjana, Amina and other pupils show how education and school sponsorships open up new opportunities.
Rainy season
The term monsoon is derived from the Arabic word 'mausam' for season, which is what it means in the language [...]
A look back and ahead. Loharbada in the Mugu Mountains.
When program director Dikendra Dhakal looks around Loharbada today, he can hardly believe it. "When we first arrived here 10 years ago, not only was the standard of living extremely low, but hygiene conditions were actually non-existent [...]
Dhamili in Chitwan. A village that no longer surrenders to “fate”
Do you have to accept poverty as fate or even God-given? Is 90 Percent Illiteracy Acceptable? Where we shake our heads as a matter of course, the people in Nepal unfortunately often still think differently [...]
The Bond of Humanity
At the Nepalese festival of Raksha Bandhan, people celebrate connection, protection and care. Bali Rokaya and his sister Pashupati show how strong this bond is – and how help for self-help makes a self-determined life possible.
Nepal in profile
Nepal is located in South Asia between Tibet in the north and India in the south. It has an area of 147,516 square kilometers, around 40% the size of Germany. 39% of the 30 million population live below the poverty line of $3.20 per day per capita (World Bank, 2019) [...]
Breaking a Taboo in the Himalayas
In Mugu, midwives, schools and village communities work together to end Chhaupadi. Education and public commitments create safe spaces and strengthen health, respect and dignity for women and girls.
The life of the Tharu – the “people of the forest”
It is the first national park to be established in Nepal: Since 1973, Chitwan National Park has been the sanctuary of 68 different mammals - including the famous Bengal tiger [...]
A day in the life of the Alimaya
Alimaya is 11 years old and lives with her parents and two siblings (eight and 14 years old) in a remote village in the hills north of the well-known Chitwan National Park. Three other siblings are already out of the house and married [...]
Current Situation in Nepal – 10 September 2025
Notice of 10 September 2025: Back to Life reports on the situation after the Gen Z protests in Nepal. People and facilities in the remote project areas are safe; the birthing centres and the mother-and-child hospital continue to operate.
Mugu – Standstill in the snow
In Mugu, our project area in the high mountains of Nepal, everything changes from one moment to the next when it snows. the trails between the mountain villages ice up, become slippery and highly dangerous especially for those carrying heavy loads [...]
Taking Stock of the 2024 Monsoon in Nepal
The 2024 monsoon brought Nepal vital rain, but also floods and landslides. This report shows how the people of Mugu cope with the consequences and how Back to Life helps through safe construction projects and climate protection.
The Chepang
In the small wooden house that is only covered with straw, the ragged sleeping mats lie on the floor. A “jaabi” hangs on the wall, a bag made of plant fibers. In it, wild fruits, berries, and edibles are gathered from the adjacent forest [...]
