Right to education in the Far West, Nepal

Community Leadership on Education and Protection (CLEAP)

Project Duration: 2023-2026

Project location: Sudurpaschim Pronvice, Bhageshwor and Nawadurga rural municipalities of Dadeldhura District

Partner organisation: Loo Niva Child Concern Group

The Community Leadership on Education and Protection (CLEAP) project is a cooperation project of Loo Niva Child Concern Group and Interpedia. The NGOs have previously partnered in the Far-West Dadeldhura district through Concern for Education -projects in 2012-2014 and 2015-2017 and Strengthening Education Policies and Ensuring the Right to Education in Nepal (SEEN) 2019-2022.

Far Western Nepal is underdeveloped

The Community Leadership on Education and Protection (CLEAP) project strengthens local child rights protection and education systems and school management, empowering parents and children to claim their right to education and protection in Sudurpaschim (Far West) province of Nepal. The project addresses problem like school dropouts and discrimination in communities, strengthening civil society engagement for promoting accountability and good governance in schools and local governments.

Gender-, caste- and disability-based discrimination are still deeply rooted and widely accepted in Far West Nepal. Dalit communities and children with disabilities are discriminated against in private and public spheres. Vulnerable girls face multiple discriminatory practices including early marriages, high responsibility of household chores, son preference, domestic violence and being considered impure during menstruation.

Considering learning from past projects and feedback from community, officials and government authorities, project aims at strengthening right to education and protection for vulnerable children with three major results:

1) Strengthened and functional child protection systems and education management
2) Children, parents, media, and civil society actors are actively engaged to promote right to education and protection for vulnerable children
3) Improved Right to Education through increased enrollment, reduced drop out, improved learning outcomes and inclusion

The project reaches about 2 000 vulnerable children (girls, Dalits and children with disabilities) and parents, civil society actors and 125 public and elected officials at local and provincial levels. The direct beneficiaries are children, parents and teachers (72) of four wards in Nawadurga and Bhageshwor Rural Municipalities of Dadeldhura District. In addition, stakeholders include public and elected officials (125) responsible for child rights and education at local and provincial level, civil society activists as well as media (40+).

Partner organisation since 2004

The project is jointly implemented by child rights expert organizations Interpedia and Loo Niva Child Concern Group.

Loo Niva Child Concern Group was established in 1994, when a group of school students started to run a library and a child club. Loo Niva was registered in 1997 as a non-governmental organization working for child rights. Loo Niva works with the community at the grassroots level towards preventing exploitation and marginalization of underprivileged children and has been recognized by communities and local authorities as an important actor in promoting education.

Loo Niva’s practices are rights-based and benefit the most vulnerable children such as girls, dalits and children with disabilities or children from extremely poor families. Interpedia has worked with Loo Niva since 2004 in Lalitpur and the Far West. Interpedia has seen Loo Niva’s developing process from a small, community-based organization to a national level advocate NGO which thematic and geographical coverage.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland is financing 85% of the project while Interpedia covers 15%.