A new milestone in the preservation and revitalization of Chepang Indigenous knowledge and culture has been marked with the establishment of the Chepang Indigenous Knowledge Center in Jimling, Rapti Municipality–11, Chitwan.

The initiative is led by Biswash Chepang, who returned to his ancestral village after completing higher education in Nepal and abroad with support from various organizations, including the Pestalozzi Childrens Overseas Trust (POCT), Miteri Foundation, European Union Erasmus Mundus Scholarship . Biswash decided to dedicate his knowledge and experience to the development and empowerment of the Chepang community.

The Knowledge Center building was constructed on land donated by Biswash Chepang with financial support from Namaste Nepal Belgium. The building was officially inaugurated in the presence of Namaste Nepal Belgium representative Niraj Joshi, K.P. Kiran Sharma; Chairperson of the Chepang Conservation Center in Gambesi, Tulman Gurungm Chitwan Posts Journalists, Krishna Acharya, Journalists of Narayani Online, Manish Chepang, First Civil Engineer from Chepang community who sketched the map, community members, and other invited guests. Inaugration was carried out through a shamanic cultural ritual by a lead shaman in the Chepang community, ensuring the safety, security and overall wellbeing of the entire process of functioning the Indigenous knowledge center. Indra Chepang, Shaman checked the location, the land, direction of the building and the overall periphery to ensure that the knowledge centre will take a good pace in upcomming years without any spiritual disturbances from the deceased ancestors or the evils.

Photo credits: IIAD

Constructed at cost of approximately NPR 1.4 million, the center is envisioned as a learning and resource hub where community members can participate in classes, consultations, and practical learning related to the Chepang people's Indigenous knowledge systems.

The center aims to strengthen community education while preserving traditional knowledge that has been passed down through generations. The center is established to address the growing loss of Indigenous knowledge and to support educational opportunities for children and youth from economically disadvantaged families, many of whom discontinue their education at an early stage due to poverty and limited awareness among parents. The Knowledge Center has been designed to preserve and promote Chepang Indigenous knowledge systems, language, cultural heritage, food and traditional forest-based livelihoods. It will document, protect, and revitalize cultural practices, spiritual traditions, oral histories, traditional ecological knowledge, and customary institutions, including the Pande system, as well as Indigenous knowledge related to the Chiuri tree and its ecological relationship with bats.

The center will also function as an intergenerational learning space where elders and Indigenous knowledge holders can transmit their oral histories, cultural values, traditional ecological knowledge, and ways of life to younger generations. By fostering cultural education and youth leadership, the center is expected to strengthen Indigenous voices in conservation initiatives and serve as a resource hub for Indigenous rights advocacy and community engagement.

Photo credits: IIAD

Envisioned as a shared and culturally sacred community space, the Chepang Indigenous Knowledge Center seeks to ensure the long-term preservation, practice, and transmission of Chepang knowledge, traditions, values, and worldview. It is expected to serve future generations by creating opportunities for learning, cultural continuity, and community resilience.

The organization supported the construction of the Knowledge Center to promote educational empowerment and cultural preservation within the Chepang community. While the main building has been completed, additional work, including painting, toilet construction, and installation of drinking water facilities, remains to be undertaken.

Namaste Nepal Belgium, established following the 2015 Nepal earthquake by Belgian supporter Guido, has invested in educational initiatives across several districts of Nepal.

The knowledge centre will be managed by Institute for Indigenous Affairs and Development (IIAD) which is community based non profit organization in Nepal.

Photo credits: IIAD