To remove the financial barriers that restrict access to quality education for girls and boys in Nepal.
To support the economic recovery of the Makwanpur, Kathmandu and Chitwan Districts, all affected by the 2015 earthquake, in order to remove the financial and cultural barriers that restrict access to quality education.
A drop in female and male illiteracy rates, a rise in school attendance, and a reduction in early school leaving linked to financial issues.
Our work focuses on Makwanpur District, which lies south of Kathmandu District. The area is home to a population of about 430,000 people. Most of them work in the agriculture industry, which is the district’s main source of income. There are around 600 different educational establishments of various types and levels in this part of the country; nevertheless, illiteracy rates remain high, especially for women (36.6% overall illiteracy, 46.1% for women, 27.4% for men). Due to the major earthquake that struck this region of Nepal in 2015, these figures are increasing at a dangerous rate.
The main goal of our project is to remove the financial barriers that restrict access to quality education for girls and boys. To this end, we work to ensure that families have sufficient income to be able to afford to send their children to school. We also promote women’s empowerment programmes to allow women to enter the world of work and thus become an important source of income for the family unit.
We have set up support systems for local communities – some of which are located in rural areas with poor transport connections to the country’s main economic hubs – in order to boost economic and production processes. To do this, we work closely with cooperatives and small producer associations to better understand their needs and requirements.
Another important aspect of our work is the introduction of vouchers and cash as an initial means of support in order to overcome the financial barriers that limit children’s access to schooling.
Project costs
120.000 €
Beneficiaries
Project backers
Partners
Project leader
Bharat Patak
Country representative