In November 2024,

I embarked on a humanitarian journey to Eastern Nepal, together with four European volunteers. Arriving in Kathmandu, I was greeted with a radiant smile and draped in a garland of orange marigolds—an embrace that felt as warm and welcoming as a summer day in sunny Portugal. The excitement was palpable as we began our five-month mission in a region that would soon become both a challenge and a home.

Over the past two months, I’ve walked an average of 6 km a day, visited 11 schools, met with over 20 teachers, and engaged with more than 200 children. As a team, we’ve delivered 8 sessions in schools, provided child protection training to teachers, and been warmly welcomed into families homes for tea and meals. Along the way, I’ve experience breathtaking mountain views, vibrant sunsets, and moonlit nights that feel unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. Each step of the journey has been not just about work, but about immersing myself in the beauty and warmth of Nisankhe, in Okhaldhunga, and its people.

In the mornings, as I gaze out over the mountains and embrace the slower pace of life, I find myself gaining new insights that shape the path ahead. Spending time in schools and connecting with the communities has deepened my commitment to protecting children and their rights, reminding me each day of why I am here.

CONTEXT

As one of the least developed countries in the world, Nepal’s education sector has seen slow progress since the 2015 earthquake which left more than one million children out of school. The Central and Eastern regions of the country were particularly hard-hit, with Okhaldhunga district emerging as one of the most severely affected areas. As of 2016, 3043 children (10.1%) aged 5 to 12 in Okhaldhunga were out of school (UNICEF, 2016), reflecting the widespread disruption to education in the region.

Inequalities over gender and caste/ethnicity persist affecting particularly girls from rural and marginalized areas. Access to education is still a

challenge in the country, componded by issues such as poverty, child marriage, child labour, trafficking and migration. Despite recent progress made by the Nepali government in education through coordinated efforts with international, national, and local stakeholders, more needs to be done to ensure that Nepal’s children and youth have equitable access to, meaningful participation in, and the opportunity to learn within a quality education system.

Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN), my host organization, has been a leading grassroots organization working in this region since its founding in 2005. As part of its mission, my goal is to help establish and support schools in managing child clubs that promote and protect children’s rights.

CHILD CLUBS

Since the 1990s, the government has established child clubs to uphold the rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These clubs are run by children themselves, with an executive committee and general members. Their aim is to empower children through personal development and raise awareness of children’s rights.

During our school visits, we not only launched child clubs but also gathered valuable insights through school surveys to guide their reorganization. In schools where younger children struggled to grasp the concept, we

introduced fun simulations to help them engage. In schools with active clubs, the children took charge, leading activities like dancing, singing, quiz competitions, recreational games, and sports like volleyball.

Our work with schools has shown that child clubs can be a powerful tool for advocating children’s safety and well-being, especially in rural areas. They motivate children to attend school, participate in activities, and learn through fun. However, more research is needed to understand this democratic experience, which also introduces children to social responsibility.

A key focus of my work is exploring how child clubs can be inclusive—engaging children from 4th to 12th grade—while remaining effective in both management and impact. This includes fostering participation across age groups and ensuring the clubs empower all children.

References:

• National Institute for Research and Training (NIRT). (2016). „Nepal Education Sector Analysis“. Available at: https://www.globalpartnership.org/node/document/download?file=sites/default/files/2019-05-nepal-education-sector-analysis.pdf
• Rajbhandary, Jasmine & Hart, Roger & Khatiwada, Chandrika. (1999). „The Children’s Clubs of Nepal: A Democratic Experiment“. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242687443_The_Children’s_Clubs_of_Nepal_A_Democratic_Experiment
• UNICEF. (2016). „Global Initiative on Out-of- School Children“. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/nepal/sites/unicef.org.nepal/files/2018-07/All%20children%20in%20school-report%202016.pdf

writeen by Ana Rafaela