Improving rural schools in Nepal

In this report we'd like to do something a little bit different. We'd like to share with you a short film we have made that illustrates how something as simple as providing a midday meal can keep children safe in school, and out of the hands of traffickers.

When our staff first saw the children at Dokotar primary school they were shocked. They couldn't believe that parents would send children as young as five to school with "hooch" - which is locally produced alcohol. 

When we saw this, we just knew we had to do something. 

You can find out what happened by viewing the film here

Links:

• Our short film showing how midday meals make a difference

This latest report brings news of a new safe house for girls, educational bursaries and continuing school reconstruction work following the earthquakes of 2015. 

Marigold House

We have recently set up Marigold House, a new Safe House for rescued girls. We are running this in partnership with Shakti Samuha, a survivor-led organisation with a strong history of rescuing and rehabilitating girls. We named it Marigold House because marigolds open up in the warmth of the sun – like we hope these girls will when they are finally safe. Since opening, three girls have already been rescued.

One girl we rescued was 14-year-old Kusum. When Kusum was just eight years old, her stepmother took her out of school and forced her to work at her restaurant. Kusum had to cook and wash dishes. Later, Kusum was forced to have sex with customers and was beaten if she refused. Eventually Kusum was able to alert a neighbour to her plight, who contacted the Child Welfare Board. With the support of social workers, police and our partner Shakti Samuha, Kusum – now aged 14 – was rescued and taken to safety. She is receiving specialised counselling and support.

School reconstruction  

Despite the earthquake happening over three years ago, there are still many schools in Makwanpur with temporary classrooms that need our help. This year we will be constructing eight new classrooms. Four classrooms have already been completed, directly benefitting 117 students – and many more in the years to come.

Keeping children safe in school

We distribute educational bursaries to the poorest students to enable them to attend school. Bursaries consist of books, stationery and uniforms. If they didn’t receive these bursaries, then they would be at high risk of dropping out – and vulnerable to traffickers.

Preventing trafficking

We have delivered anti-trafficking awareness workshops in 20 community schools in the district of Makwanpur, where 600 students have directly benefitted. We held six sessions where 180 key community members benefitted. The sessions were focused on the risk posed to girls by traffickers, who lure them away from their families with the promise of marriage and work opportunities, but instead sell them at the earliest opportunity.

Thank you so much for your interest in our work. We continue to work tirelessly for the most forgotten and disadvantaged children in Nepal, but there are still children that need our help. Would you be willing to donate again? 

With grateful thanks 

Jo Bega
Chief Executive