Kavre, May 10 -- As the sun dipped behind the hills on Sunday, the rhythmic sound of school bells and the chatter of students heading home filled the air at Budol in Banepa. For most, it was the end of another routine day in the new academic session. But for nine-year-old Roshani Niraula, watching from the periphery of the Nepal Red Cross Society Training Centre, the sight was a painful reminder of a life she was forced to leave behind.

"When will we be allowed to go back to school?" asked Roshani, her eyes fixed on a group of students in uniforms walking past the gates. "Will I ever be able to study like I did before?"

Roshani's life, along with those of nearly a hundred others, was upended two weeks ago when the Kathmandu Metropolitan...