Genderfriendly Schools, Solukhumbu District
Due to the earthquake, many Nepalese children not only lost their homes, but also saw their safe learning environment collapse and were left traumatised. Because of the lack of resources, many of the school buildings destroyed at that time could not yet be rebuilt. By rebuilding three schools in the heavily earthquake-affected Solukhumbu District, in eastern Nepal, more than 600 children, 300 of them girls, should have access to education. The focus of the project is to create a girl-friendly learning environment.
Project Background
In April and May 2015, the South Asian landlocked state of Nepal was shaken by severe earthquakes and several strong aftershocks, killing almost 10,000 people. The consequences are also serious for the already weakly developed economy of Nepal. The country is one of the poorest countries in the world, about one third of the population lives below the poverty line and almost half of the children are undernourished. Much of the country’s infrastructure has been damaged and reconstruction is making slow progress. In addition to hundreds of thousands of houses and valuable cultural monuments, the natural disaster destroyed almost 4,000 schools.
Even before the earthquake, around 1.2 million children in Nepal never went to school and about half of them dropped out of school before primary school. This is often because parents cannot afford to send their children to school. Hardly any schools in remote regions, poorly trained teaching staff and a lack of materials aggravate the already precarious situation of the education sector.
The reconstruction of three schools in the Solukhumbu district in eastern Nepal, which was severely affected by the earthquakes, is intended to create local structures to provide access to education for over 600 children, including 300 girls. The project focuses on the creation of a girl-friendly learning environment.
Target Group
Due to the earthquake, many Nepalese children not only lost their homes, but also saw their safe learning environment collapse and were left traumatised. Due to a lack of resources, many of the school buildings destroyed at that time could not yet be rebuilt.
In addition, access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities in the schools poses a major challenge to the communities during the reconstruction process. Many school children, especially girls, suffer from this. They often do not have their own toilets. This also means that many young women do not dare to go to school during their menstruation, which means that they miss several weeks of lessons every year and fall behind their male classmates. An absence rate of 53% and an average annual absence of about six weeks have a direct impact on the learning progress of young women.
Project Goals
The aim of the project is to rebuild three schools in Solukhumbu District – this time earthquake-proof. In addition, local structures will be established to promote a girl-friendly learning environment. Various measures are planned within the project: First, the construction of appropriate sanitary facilities to ensure a hygienic environment. Secondly, the establishment of girls’ representations at the schools to give the girls a voice. Thirdly, the performance of educational work, among the population, the government and also in the families. And finally, fourthly, the targeted training and promotion of female teachers. This will have a lasting effect on the situation of young women in Nepal.
What are you supporting
With your donation you support us in rebuilding and equipping the three schools and thus help to provide a safe and girl-friendly learning environment.
