Coronavirus: Rebuild Lives in India and Nepal

In the most poverty-affected areas, the pandemic often struck the hardest – areas like rural Nepal. 

During the lockdown, all schools in Nepal were closed, bringing a halt to our work to increase girls’ education among the most vulnerable communities. 

Fortunately, this delay didn’t last long; our partners were able to act quickly so that students didn’t miss out. Around 62 episodes of educational radio teachings were broadcast from three local FM stations, with over 650 radio sets provided to students who were unable to afford a radio at their homes. Likewise, 150 online classes were transmitted from two local TV channels.  

Alongside this, the schools that the project works with were trained on how to minimise coronavirus transmission. This included establishing hand-washing stations and supplying sanitisers, facemasks and cleaning materials. 

However, once schools reopened, families still struggled due to the lockdowns. Many girls were pulled from school to work alongside family members to earn extra income just to survive. 

This issue highlighted just how important awareness-raising in support groups was in our project’s work. We were able hold almost 250 meetings with mothers from the community, addressing the importance of girls’ education and the negative impact child marriage can have on progressing women’s rights. 

Overall, thanks to this incredible project, we have not only reversed the drop-outrate but have seen an increase in both girls’ attendance at school and their retention rates.  

Thank you for your support in making this possible. 

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