PIN’s Nepal’s education programming began in 2015 in response to the earthquake, ensuring children could return to learning. In 2018-19, the education programming expanded with the aim of improving the life choices and opportunities for out of school girls by providing literacy, numeracy, and life skills, while also mitigating the adverse effects of early marriage and addressing harmful social and gender norms. The project was part of the Girls Education Challenge (GEC) Leave No Girls Behind (LNGB) programme funded by FCDO. The project reached 9,497 out-of-school (OOS) girls, with 8,122 graduating from Community Learning Centers (CLCs) and out of which, 4,986 re-enrolling in formal education. Additionally, 2,347 girls pursued Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). A total of 462 CLCs were established with trained facilitators, and cash grants were provided to 7,220 girls to support their transition plans to school or small businesses.
The project consistently collaborated with local, provincial and federal education clusters to support education during emergencies. In response to floods and cold waves in the working areas, the project implemented timely emergency and winterization support as of which, girls were equipped with winterization materials to cope with climate-related challenges, benefiting 4,905 girls.
Building on the learnings from the Aarambha project, PIN has launched a another project - Accelerating Civil Society’s Role in Securing Education (ACCESS), funded by the European Union. Starting in May 2024, the ACCESS program aims to strengthen civil society’s role in advocating for equitable education with a focus on inclusiveness, equity, and community engagement across 60 local government units in three provinces and enhance the capacity of 120 civil society organizations (CSOs) to support the implementation of Nepal’s School Education Sector Plan (2022–2032).
Following an earthquake in Karnali – Jajarkot districts in 2023/2024, PIN distributed student kits to children to facilitate their reintegration into formal education. Through our 2024 earthquake response, we reached 10,253 children with 54 ECD kits and 150 Schools kits which benefited 54 schools in affected areas.