KASKI Area Development

Programme

Myagdi

Parbat

Syangja

tanahun

lamjung

Manang

6 0 6 12 18 24 Kilometers

thumki

Pokhara City KalikaMajhthana

HansapurlekhnathMunicipality

Rupakot

wHo we aReworld Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

Motivated by our Christian faith, world Vision is dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. world Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

world Vision formally started its long-term development work in nepal after signing both general and project agreement with the Social welfare Council in 2001. over the past years, world Vision international nepal has funded community development and currently we are operational in 14 districts namely bhaktapur, Doti, Jumla, Kathmandu, Kaski, Kailali, lamjung, lalitpur, Morang, Rupandehi, Sunsari, Udayapur, achham and Sindhuli.

inSiDeHow it all began 3

improving livelihoods 4-5

access to water and sanitation 6-7

Promoting early-childhood development and child-friendly education 8-9

Keeping children and families safe and healthy 10

Child clubs promotes participation of children 11

transformation through sponsorship 12

impacting the lives of children 14Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness; Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so

KaSKi DiStRiCt

n

Map of nepal

aRea DeVeloPMent PRogRaMMe (aDP)aDP is our primary approach to carry out the transformational development in the community where we work. aDP is a long term development programme (10 to 15 years) in which world Vision works with the poor and its partners in specific, defined, targeted geographical locations to address micro and macro poverty issues in the sectors of Maternal Child Health and nutrition, education, livelihood, water, Sanitation and Hygiene (waSH) and Child Protection.

working areas of Kaski aDP

aCKnowleDgeMentworld Vision believes that partnering with others is a key factor in bringing about lasting changes in communities. world Vision partners with government, community groups, ngos and the private sector; wVin adopts a multi-stakeholder approach to partnering, recognising that all of these different groups have an important role in creating change. the nature of the partnering relationship varies depending on the issues being addressed, and the resources and capacity of the different partners involved.

Kaski aDP acknowledges the support of all its community partners, ngo partners, district line agencies, District Development Committee and respective Village Development Committees in the successful implementation of its programme and projects in Kaski District.

Kaski aDP is also thankful to all its staff and donors in australia who have contributed towards the work of world Vision to achieve our goal “to empower vulnerable children, their families, and communities in nepal to improve their quality of life with dignity and peace.”

BENEFICIARIES IN NUMBERS

215

early childhood care and development…5400 children and mothers

sponsorship….3241 children and their families

education…32550 children and parents

water and sanitation….9480 children, men and women

livelihoods…12000 children, men and women

from 2001-2013 impacting the lives of 76,830 men, women

and children in Kaski

How it all beganKaski District lies at the foothills of the mighty annapurna range of the Himalayas, which dominate the landscape. though Pokhara, a small lakeside city and haven for tourists and trekkers keen to take in the beauty and challenges of the high mountains, is located in Kaski, it is generally oblivious to the underlying day-to-day challenge of poverty experienced by many outside of the main town. the district is home to a mix of ethnic groups and falls in the western Region of nepal.

world Vision began working in Kaski District in 2002, initially with a water and sanitation project funded by world Vision australia. the work then expanded to become an area Development Programme (aDP) sponsoring children, and addressing a range of needs of children in the poorest villages. Kaski aDP started its work with the name “naulo abhas aDP ” in Kalika, thumki, Majthana, Rupakot, Hansapur Village Development Committees (VDC) and different wards of lekhnath Municipality.

Developing partnerships with community groups, VDCs, non-governmental organisations,

government line agencies and various like-minded organisations, over the years the aDP has sought to address issues in the areas it works in. issues such as poor water and sanitation, low agricultural production, limited access to markets for poor farmers, environmental degradation impacting forests and fisheries, migrant workers, and limited access to education were issues taken into account while designing projects. involving local people in decision-making about the changes they wanted for their community and mobilising the community played an important role in implementing projects.

the major projects implemented were in water and Sanitation, early Childhood Care and Development, education, livelihood, national Children’s Congress Project, and HiV and aiDs. the activities for most of these projects included awareness-raising, technical and management training, basic infrastructure development, developing networks, and coordination.

women particularly were encouraged to become involved with local organisations. now, with world Vision’s financial support, they are making big changes in the lives of both children and their families in poor communities.

Organic farming fosters good health and village economy ‘i am very happy that my children are now getting to eat a variety of vegetables as a result of my hard work and without me having to spend money in buying those.’ says Saraswoti.

Saraswoti and her children are one of the beneficiaries of Kaski aDP’s project. a mother of two and resident of Rishi Danda, a village in lekhnath Municipality, Saraswoti enrolled herself in the permaculture training offered in the village, and since then, not only has she been growing a variety of vegetables on her own land but also saving money to set up funds in her village.

in 2003 world Vision, along with local organisations, the nepal Permaculture group, and the Society for Rural Urban Partnership, started to work with poor farmers in Kaski to improve agricultural production. this was in response to farmers saying that what they grew was barely enough to sustain them through the year. Most farmers reported that there was 2-3 months of the year when their stores of food were virtually finished, and often they lacked the money to buy extra food. therefore groups of interested farmers - men and women - were invited to redesign their plots of land along permaculture principles. this meant getting rid of all chemical pesticides and fertilisers, finding natural ways of controlling insects, and using only organic compost to fertilise the soil. Permaculture focuses on how all aspects of production can be integrated – so that water run-off is managed and sustainable, and animal waste is

used to enhance crop production.

Rishi Danda was one of the first villages selected by world Vision in training locals to adopt farming based on permaculture principles. People were shown how to make organic compost, liquid fertiliser, organic pesticides, micro-irrigation systems to water vegetable gardens, and trained in crop rotation, seed saving and water storage techniques. even the local schools set up vegetable gardens for students to tend. Production in the village has increased significantly. Farmers involved in the permaculture training were mandated with encouraging the farmers in their individual villages in how to adopt the new techniques. Rishi Danda farmers have also formed a group called

Rishi Danda taja tarkari Samuha that works in collecting organic vegetables from farmers to sell in markets.

Kaski is a district known for its natural beauty and plays host to a multitude of tourists who visit year-round to get a glimpse of its breathtaking landscapes and mountains. Despite that tourism has not been able to uplift the conditions of the people in the largely agrarian villages. oblivious of their surroundings, but dependent on subsistence farming, most village people seem to spend most of their time trying to make ends meet. they produce only enough to feed their families. Many just own small plots of land where they mostly grow corn and maize. Children often suffer because of a diet that includes little fruit or vegetables. Families spend precious savings on purchasing chemical fertilisers to try to increase the production of their land.

but today, with the knowledge of permaculture and organic farming, villagers in Kaski have learnt to put nature to good use in agriculture, and to stay healthy. they are no longer unaware of the benefits of their natural surroundings. they have come to realise that their fertile fields can produce much more than just corn and maize. this has consequently improved their income.

today 8 villages and around 260 farmers trained by world Vision use the permaculture approach that bases production around the natural cycles, seasonal cultivation, and use of sustainable resources through small-scale farming.

“Save our lakes, save our environment” was the catchphrase for the women living around begnas lake. a group of 70 local women worked for five years to clean up their environment. begnas lake women’s group, formed with the support of world Vision, raised awareness in preserving and conserving nature through their oft-repeated slogan “Use without abuse”. Fish farming, lotus-flower rearing, household waste management, sanitation campaigns, adult non-formal education, leadership training were some of the many activities these women carried out in their community of 120 households. the funds raised from their activities helped sustain their development efforts around the lake.

Shanti Khanal from the begnas lake women’s group acknowledges world Vision’s support in strengthening the role of women in her community. “before

the intervention of world Vision, we were like a rudderless boat. now, with the direction provided to us by world Vision, we have formed an active working group. we monitor the sanitation situation around the lake and meet monthly to discuss our achievements or challenges. we began our work with sanitation and have ended in conservation.” this has also empowered the other women in the community and has made an impact in the whole community. today, children also feel equally responsible for their environment. a member of the same group, Durga adhikari, says, “My children have become so conscious of conservation, they bring their rubbish home rather than throwing it on the roadside.” in the annual lake Festival, the women hold cleaning campaigns and jointly promote home-made products. the next generation will be much more aware of the link between environmental degradation and poverty and poor health.

woMen walKing togetHeR FoR a CaUSe

Begnas Lake Women’s Group working together to keep their surroundings clean

Saraswati and her children

iMPRoVing liVeliHooDS iMPaCting tHe liVeS oF CHilDRen

Children enjoy good healthworld Vision has worked to ensure children’s health improve with access to right nutrition, and improved hygiene and sanitation practices. anC and PnC check ups have significantly improved the health of pregnant mothers and children. today 85.3% of pregnant mothers take all four anC check ups and 27.8% take two PnC check ups. 36.5% of mothers are taking the recommended dose of iron tablets, 84.3% of mothers are taking vitamin a, and 87% of mothers are taking de-worming medicine. the health of new-borns too has improved, with 81.5% of mothers delivering in the presence of health service providers, and improved breast-feeding practice among 98.1% of mothers. the practice of eating complementary food including cereal-based, legume-based, vitamin a-rich greens, meat soup and dairy products is common. Malnutrition rates have decreased with 86.98% reported as being adequately nourished. 66.7% of families use oral Rehydration Solutions and visit nearby clinic/pharmacy and health service centres to treat diarrhoea. there has been improvement in the water and sanitation sectors in the project area. adequate potable water (45 litres or more p. person p. day) was available for 91.45% of households. 99.2% of families have toilets in their houses and use them for defecation. 99.5% of families wash their hands after going to the toilet, 89.9% wash their hands after coming home from work and 58.2% wash their hands before eating.

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Children are cared for, protected and participatingtowards ensuring that children are cared for, protected, and participating, world Vision has raised parents awareness on improved child rearing practices, improved farming and livestock keeping practices and supported extra-curricular activities in schools. agriculture was identified as the major source of income for 34.5% (agriculture 31.1 and poultry 3.4%) of families and 80.4% of families have enough food to provide for their children, confirming that the households in the project area have better living compared to the national average of 75% of families. More than 2000 children have been trained in running community-based children’s clubs, which encourages children’s participation in improving their community and school environment while developing their creative and leadership skills.

Children are educated for life world Vision has reaffirmed the right of a child to education by promoting a child-friendly learning environment, child rights, quality teaching; inclusive education for girls, Dalits, and ethnic minorities; early childhood care and development, and capacity-building – technical and management. today 98.9% of school-going age children are enrolled in schools. Similarly, 98% of 6 to 14 year-olds, 97% percent of 15 to 16 year-olds, and 91.3% of 17 to 18 year-old are enrolled in school. enrolment of children between 6-18 years is 96.9%. 62.8% of children aged 3-5 are going to early childhood development centres ensuring that their developmental needs are met.

Source: Kaski ADP End line Household Survey Report-March 2013

Securing good income for children bijay and bikram, two brothers and friends, enjoy looking after the chickens in their new poultry farm. their father, Pushpa Raj, says, ‘now that i run a small poultry farm and fresh meat house i am able to earn more money to give my children good food, clothes and education. My children love to have meat in their meals and i don’t need to spend money buying it.’

Pushpa did not have enough money to cater for his sons’ needs when he ran a small shop selling a few daily essentials. He could not afford to provide nutritious food or buy good clothes for his sons. in 2010, Pushpa, along with many others in his village, attended a training in entrepreneurship and since then has not looked back. as soon as he acquired some business skills, he bought some chickens and opened a poultry shed in his own basement. after rearing them, he opened up a small shop from

where he sells chicken. He has saved enough money to send his two sons to a good school and given them a healthy diet.

the entrepreneurship and vocational training given to landless people through the Kaski livelihood Project in Hansapur VDC, has created sustainable income-generating opportunities for many families. world Vision worked with families from both farming and non-farming households to improve their livelihoods through training in organic farming, animal husbandry and development of small business initiatives.

Since 2002, world Vision has worked in 11 wards of lekhnath Municipality and 29 different wards of 5 VDCs of Kaski District to train 6248 people including 2997 women in livelihoods.

tRanSFoRMation tHRoUgH SPonSoRSHiP “the best thing that has happened in my life because of world Vision is that my father is here with us instead of working abroad,” says Sapana, a former Kaski aDP-sponsored child. Sapana lives with her parents in lekhnath Municipality and was enrolled in sponsorship in 2003.

Sapana was studying in a government school near her house named arunodaya. with the support of world Vision, the school now has a concrete building instead of the old hut. Sapana recalls the time she and her friends started enjoying their new school.

Sapana’s family were poor. though they had some land, it was barren and only produced crops. this was the reason why her father had to go abroad to work. Sapana’s mother Sumitra however, got involved in a local savings and credit mother’s group, through which she got to participate in numerous activities held by the aDP.

Sumitra attended the seasonal and off-season vegetable farming training, after which, and with the support of world Vision, she built three greenhouses. Sumitra also attended the animal husbandry training. She took out a loan from her savings and credit group and bought two goats which reproduced and became 20. Selling most of the goats, she was able to buy two buffaloes. now she is proud to have, buffaloes and 12 goats in her shed. She also took training in preparing organic manure/

permaculture farming, which has helped her increase production on her farm. today she proudly confesses that the money she has earned has helped her with her household expenses, her three daughters’ education, even the weddings of the older two daughters.

Sapana and her family are grateful to world Vision for the opportunities she and other families in her community received and the changes she sees today. they had never grown vegetables in that area and always had to buy them, but now they grow and sell different green vegetables. this has helped her family and her community as a whole, so much so that her father who was working abroad has now returned home where he is helping grow vegetables and rearing livestock.

world Vision has improved children’s well-being through child-focused transformational development, disaster management, and the promotion of justice having sponsored 3241 children in Kaski aDP.

Child sponsorship in world Vision is an effective and fulfilling way to help give a child from a poor community the chance of a brighter future. Sponsors’ contributions fund vital development work in a sponsored child’s community and makes a real contribution to the well-being of children. Sponsors witness these changes through progress reports from the community and personal communication with their sponsored children. world Vision’s project activities in communities benefit not just sponsored children but all children and their families.

Sapana with her mother

Bijay and Bikram in their poultry shed

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I have never been happier in my lifeChandra’s happiness knows no bounds. Plagued by disharmony due to fights for limited access to water, her village is now enjoying much better relationships. Her backaches have disappeared. the simple reason - water is now accessible and available.

“it was my responsibility to bring water from the nearby spring. i had to walk for almost half an hour everyday just to fetch drinking water from a natural spring and an extra hour to wash clothes in the river, and my back would hurt but i had no choice,” recalls Chandra. “often we had fights at the water source as the water available in the spring was limited and we had to wait for it to refill.”

Chandra, a mother of two, lives with her family in Saldada village in lekhnath Municipality. in 2005 world Vision provided financial and technical support for a drinking water project in her village whereby 35 families provided their labour to build a 5,000 litre tank in which to collect water from a nearby forest spring water source and distribute it to the households.

today her face lights up when she talks about how world Vision has helped her village by bringing water to her front yard. “not only me but my family, especially my mother- in-law begins her day blessing world Vision as she washes her face,” says Chandra and continues, “when world Vision brought water to our village, it was the happiest time of my life here after getting married. even now it pains me to think about the days when we had no access to water.”

in order to ensure that the system is well-maintained, a water Users Committee was formed with community representatives who oversee a management and maintenance fund to which every household contributes a minimal amount. with water available at their front yard, childhood illness has been reduced, children no

longer miss school, and with the run-off water families have started to grow vegetables on the plots of land around their houses.

Despite Kaski District being dominated by Himalayan peaks covered with ice and snow, access to water is still a major problem especially for those living in the hill areas. For many children, their daily routine involves walking for up to an hour over steep terrain to collect water from a stream or spring, sometimes twice a day. Sometimes it means they miss school. in some cases families will gradually move away as water sources dry up. once-thriving villages begin to die.

aCCeSS to wateR anD Sanitation

Chandra happy to have access to water

a 21-year-old bikash is working as an advisor for a child club he has been involved with for the past ten years. in 2003, he along with a group of friends established Srijanshil Child Club in his village in lekhnath Municipality with the support of world Vision. at that time, he was 11 years old and he was motivated by a staff of world Vision who told him children too can play an important role in making a positive difference in the community.

He recalls, “i remember my first district children’s gathering event, i could barely speak. but with the trainings i received over the years, i started leading my club and became its president.” bikash and his club members also worked to address the problems of his peers in the community, organised fairs, sanitation campaigns and even set up an information centre in one of the schools in the village. this centre served children’s need and functioned like a library. He continues, “we faced many challenges, we had to

convince parents and adults in our village to take part in our awareness raising events. our abilities were often underestimated and many elders shrugged off what we did.”

today the club is a part of network with 37 other clubs through which work is carried out collaboratively. “at present we are working on setting up the first community library in our village and it will serve as a model and be accessible to all besides children.” with the help of the same network, bikash and his friends were also able to collect funds for an ailing friend who had to be operated. He feels a great sense of achievement and is thankful to world Vision for all the mentoring and trainings.

world Vision has supported child clubs like Srijanshil Child Club in Kaski aDP under its national Children’s Congress Project. Many activities are carried out in these clubs with the active participation of children in the community. Child clubs were set up in communities with the objective of promoting child rights awareness; child rights development, advocacy and capacity building for children, so that children will have vision, mission and a plan in their lives. Child clubs organize regular activities as writing enhancement skills, spelling contests, drawing competition, skit shows, preparing wall magazines, street dramas etc. Child clubs also organize street drama and their dramas are based on social issues facing their communities such as discrimination of a girl child, disadvantages of drinking and drug use, importance of education, etc. Child club activities provide a platform for children to have their voices heard in their communities and impact decision makers.

the national Children’s Congress project was implemented in Kaski aDP with a goal to empower children to raise their voice and influence development activities and social policies related to them. More than 2000 girls and boys have directly benefited from this project.

CHilD ClUbS PRoMoteS PaRtiCiPation oF CHilDRen

Bikash, a child club advisor in Kaski

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Clean environment, healthy childrenKusalta lives with her mother and elder sister Safalta in Rupakot. Her house is situated right next to a beautiful lake, the Rupa lake, where she goes swimming and boating. Rupa lake is famous for fishery and white lotus. Kusalta and the villagers of Jamankuna take pride in the lake and the beauty it has given their small village.

Kusalta says, “this place may look and feel beautiful now, but it was not the same before. the surrounding jungle had a very foul smell and people avoided coming to Rupa lake.”

over 20 houses surrounding Jamankuna village did not have toilets. For years, the villagers defecated in the open. the accumulated pollution produced a bad smell in the area, spoiling the beauty of the place. the foul smell had also started to pose a health threat to villagers. in midsummer, the whole place would smell even worse. there came a point where people couldn’t walk around because of the pollution. Villagers had to walk into the forest as the nearby places were all polluted by fecal matter.

Kusalta’s sister Safalta says, “our village is covered by a thick forest. For years, the jungle was my toilet. even though i feared going there, everyone went there and i had no choice but to take my sister there too.”

girls of Kusalta’s age, not only feared using the open toilets, as they were growing, they were also embarrassed to do so. Fear of leeches in the rainy season, having to go alone at night time, embarrassment in the day time were some of the discomforts they felt. Since Kusalta’s house is situated right at the edge of the forest, there were nights when the family had sleepless nights because of the smell. Kusalta and the

other young girls’ fears came to an end when world Vision helped pay for the construction of toilets for every house. now every house has a toilet.

Villagers are happy that they no longer have to walk long distances to relieve themselves. Kusalta and her family are amongst them. Safalta’s mother says, “we had got used to it. but as my daughters were growing up, i had started to feel bad for them. i’ve had my own share of fears, and the worst one was having diarrhoea. it was like a curse for everyone in the village.”

now that every house has a toilet in Jamankuna village, Rupa lake is suffering less from foul smells. Villagers have been able to keep their surroundings clean. Kusalta and Safalta take turns to help their mother clean the toilet. Kusalta not only cleans their toilet but also goes around her village, advising people how to use and keep their toilets clean.

when world Vision began work in villages in Kaski, it was obvious that sanitation was very poor resulting in diarrhoea and illness regularly affecting young children. working initially with mothers and grandmothers, world Vision undertook training to show women how to make their households more hygienic and deal with children with diarrhoea. a “Diarrhoea Monitor” in the village was nominated, and she kept track of those children in the village who had regular diarrhoea, and with better knowledge amongst mothers as to how to manage it, whether the situation was improving. at the same time, world Vision initiated campaigns in villages to raise the issue of hygiene and sanitation in schools. Children were taught poems and catchy songs and dances about good hygiene, posters were put up, and gradually children caught on to the message about washing their hands, combing their hair to keep headlice under control, using toilets rather than defecating in the open, keeping animals away from drinking water pots, and so on. Soon mothers and grandmothers were humming the songs, and gradually, reinforced by better sanitation, the Diahorrea Monitors noticed an improvement in children’s health.

Since 2002, world Vision has worked in 11 wards of lekhnath Municipality and 29 different wards of 5 VDCs in Kaski District to install 43 water schemes, 1308 household toilets, 18 school toilets, 1 public toilet, 201 water collection jars and improve 221 cattle sheds.

Kusalta’s mother cleans thier toilet while Kusalta looks on

From 2005-2010, world Vision launched a new project in the Kaski District to address rapidly rising rates of HiV infection. this project promoted voluntary testing, helped reduce stigma towards people living with HiV and aiDS, and it resulted in remarkably positive behavioural changes among religious and other opinion leaders and within the district more broadly. world Vision concentrated on –awareness raising about HiV and aiDS, prevention, care for those already living with the virus, and providing special support for children affected by HiV and aiDS.

the HiV and aiDS epidemic posed a threat to the population of Kaski, especially the lives of children and young people. High-risk groups included injecting drug users, sex workers and migrant or transport labourers. world Vision worked closely with schoolteachers, school administrations and parents of school children as well as with local authorities. HiV- awareness was also conducted

within these groups, with the use of flyers, media and radio. both in school and out of school, children and youth benefited from HiV- awareness and peer education initiatives, such as quiz contests, public speaking, essay and drawing competitions. world Vision communicated the risk to groups and communities who were most at risk with various discussions/education on HiV and aiDS, needle- sharing, behavioural change, reproductive health, safer sex, and sexually transmitted diseases amongst spouses of migrant workers, carpet factory workers, taxi drivers and rickshaw pullers.

naulo abhas Care Home in begnas taal, which was supported by Kaski aDP for two years, was formally handed over to a local partner ngo, Community Support group. this home provides initial care for people identified as HiV positive, assists them while they establish an antiretroviral (aRV) regime, links them with medical services, and gives home-based care.

KeePing CHilDRen anD FaMilieS SaFe anD HealtHy

Kaski ADP raising awareness on HIV and AIDS

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Mothers happy to see their children safe and healthy“i am happy to see my child getting proper care here,” shares Salina, mother of two-year old Manish who has just started attending the early Childhood Development (eCD) centre in Patneri village in lekhnath Municipality. Manish, along with 15 other children, attends the centre for children aged 2-4. built in 2004 with the support of world Vision, the centre today is run by the local community.

the eCD centre takes care of children’s nutrition and health by providing a healthy meal once a day. the children are fed rice pudding and lito at the centre. lito is a nutritious dish made by mixing and grinding grains into flour and fortifying it with ghee, honey and eggs. the children are also taught games, rhymes and songs with messages on health and hygiene. anju Pariyar, eCD facilitator, who has been taking care of children in the centre for the past nine years says, “before we ran this centre, children often stayed home or went to the fields with their parents, who are mostly marginal farmers. the centre has also improved the health of children. Many children who come from poor families and are malnourished become healthier here.” the centre is now registered in the District education office (Deo) and is being supported by the local mother’s group, which takes care of the maintenance and cleanliness of the centre. a management committee meets every month and contributes a minimum of 50 rs. which is kept as a fund to sustain the centre. training has been provided to the management committee, teaching materials

have been provided by the municipality. Patneri eCD centre has been recognised by the Deo as a model eCD centre in Kaski. with their children attending the eCD centre, mothers can now work in the fields knowing their children are safe, and they can see that their children are developing both physically and socially.

young children in poor areas of Kaski have little access to child development activities to help their physical and social growth. Cultural, gender, and social biases have meant that many issues of child development and maternal health care have not been addressed. Most mothers work in the fields and therefore have little time to attend to their children. they leave young children with older siblings or alone at home in home-made swinging bamboo cribs. Most women do not understand that young children have any special developmental needs, and most regard the role of the father in a child’s upbringing as minimal. the government has set up early Childhood Development centres in many places in nepal, but they are not accessible to everyone.

to address the developmental needs of young children in the area Kaski aDP works in, in 2004 it started to work with the parents of young children, to improve parents and caregivers’ understanding through training sessions on child growth and development, nutrition, immunization, safety and protection, and maternal health care. the training emphasised how young children learn through playing – an unusual concept for parents who are used to focussing on the cycles of planting and harvesting as their main priorities.

world Vision has helped communities build 10 early Childhood Development centres. the centres were built with local labour. world Vision paid for 2 early childhood workers to be employed in each centre. the benefits have become evident in the years the centres have operated – they have helped malnourished children and their families to find home-based solutions to improve their health. Children who have attended the centres go on to perform better at school than those who have not – they are more curious about their environment and more resilient. today these centres are registered at the District education office and village-based management committees run the centres and raise funds to support their operations.

PRoMoting eaRly-CHilDHooD DeVeloPMent anD CHilD-FRienDly eDUCation

Manish with his mother in the ECD centre

Our school is child friendly Sagar, 15 studies in Kalika lower Secondary School in Majuwa village, lekhnath Municipality. He loves school and says, “besides studying i enjoy meeting up with friends and teachers in my school.” at Kalika lower Secondary, classes are run in a child-friendly manner and children have a place to read in class with book corners.

though Shree Kalika lower Secondary School was established in1991 it was very difficult to run the school due to poor infrastructure and lack of trained teachers. Manju Poudel, who’s been Principal for the past 22 years says, “we just had three classrooms and children used to bring sacks from home to sit on and we didn’t have enough resources to teach. in 2007, world Vision helped us add three more classrooms, a water tank, school compound fence, and provided teaching materials and child-friendly training for our teachers. in collaboration with the District education office (Deo), world Vision also supported the training of the School Management Committee and Parent-teachers’ association to ensure the active involvement of parents and school. as a result, parents have also contributed to the progress of the school, donating equipment.”

besides world Vision, the school also received support from government line agencies, lekhnath Municipality, youth clubs, VSo, and local ngos.

Currently the school has four concrete buildings with 15 classrooms, furniture and separate toilet for girls and boys. there is access to safe drinking water and the school is safely secured with walls. with a well-equipped science laboratory and library, the school has a child-friendly learning and teaching environment. there are ten well-trained teachers and students from marginal families are given scholarships. the school has no dropouts and the pass rate is 100 percent. Manju has also been recognised by the Deo for her consistent efforts to improve the quality of her teaching in her school. She says, “i am happy as my desire was to teach children in an improved environment and this has been achieved.”

in Kaski, issues such as poverty, shortage of schools and teachers in isolated areas, high dropout rates in primary school, low enrolment in secondary school and poor facilities have hindered children receiving education.

Since 2002, world Vision has supported 33 schools with the construction of 16 school buildings, 17 libraries, 12 science laboratories and 1 resource centre in Kaski aDP. world Vision’s work in the education sector was to increase poor and disadvantaged children’s access to quality education. world Vision also encouraged parents to value education for their children. through community discussions and parents’ groups, world Vision helped parents see the benefits of their children, especially girls, finishing school.

Manju with her students in Kalika Lower Secondary School

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