Learning Champion, 2022-2026_ KD, KT, BMZ
Learning Champions Despite Pandemic: Strong Girls II (2022-2026)
1.0 Background:
Strong Girls Project (Sept. 2018 – Apr. 2022) focused on improving the quality of education in the targeted areas among Dalit and marginalized girls and to make them capable at least to complete the basic level of education. The Project was jointly implemented by Green Tara Nepal, Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) and Rural Education and Environment Development Centre Nepal (REED). Financial and technical support in this project was provided by Karuna Deutschland, Karuna Trust and The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Learning Champions Despite Pandemic: Strong Girls II (2022-2026)
Learning Champions Despite Pandemic: Strong Girls II (2022-2026) builds on the experiences of the "Strong Girls". The current project is implemented by three consortium partners, namely, Association for Dalit Women Advancement of Nepal (ADWAN), GTN and REED. REED leads the project as a consortium partner in Nepal. The Project is implemented in Kanchan Rural Municipality (RM) in Rupandehi and Rambha RM in Palpa district. This project maintains the best practices in terms of effectiveness, relevance and sustainability and combine them with an innovative approach to address the following major barriers:
- Gender bias against girls' education, exacerbated by caste-based discrimination.
- Economic hardship, which means that families often cannot afford to educate girls.
- Poor teaching, teacher absenteeism, irrelevant curricula and inadequate WASH facilities mean that girls have negative experiences of school.
- Dropping out of school early increases the risk of early marriage, which in turn can push girls out of school.
- The risk of violence against girls attending or on their way to school is considered high, and parents may remove girls from school to protect them.
2.0 Targeted area and beneficiaries:
The project covers a total of 55 schools from Rupandehi and Palpa and its catchment areas. The expected beneficiaries are 1,400 girls (8-14 years) Dalit and marginalized girls, about 8000 students and 448 teachers. About 150 girls are expected to re-enroll at the schools. The economic condition of around 500 parents from 30 Dalit and marginalized groups will improve through the occupational and skill-based trainings.
3.0 Impact matrix (significance and effectiveness)
| Overall objective | Indicators | ||
| Output value | Target value (target) | ||
| (quantitative and qualitative) | (quantitative and qualitative) | ||
| Ensure that all children, regardless of caste or gender, have access to quality education | |||
| Project goal | Indicators | ||
| Output value | Target value (target) | ||
| (quantitative and qualitative) | (quantitative and qualitative) | ||
| At least 8,047 children and youth from Dalit and marginalised communities, among others, from 2 target districts in Palpa and Rupandehi are enjoying continuous and quality education and the economic situation of the most disadvantaged families is improving. | 1. The average learning achievement of schools up to grade 8 is 29.04% in Kanchan and 35.24% in Rambha. | 1. the average learning achievement of schools up to Grade 8 is increased by 5% per year in both RMs. | |
| 2. only 25% of Dalit and marginalised girls achieve the class target in grades 3, 5 and 8 in English, Science and Mathematics. | 2. 60% of Dalit and marginalised girls will achieve the class. | ||
| 3. 100 % of the target women are employed in the household, in agriculture and occasionally as day labourers and have no or hardly any income. | 3. at least 300 women from Dalit and marginalised families will increase their income by NPR 3,000 - 5,000 (22-37€) per month through their own economic activity.. | ||
| 4. child marriages still exists. 14% of families, a family member under the age of 20 has married in the last 3 years. | 4. the number of early marriages decreases by 5%. | ||
| 5. there are no social structures for the promotion of girls | 5. seven Dignity Centres and 7 Learning Hubs are run by the communities and provide social and educational support to girls. | ||
| Sub-targets | Indicators | ||
| Output value | Target value (target) | ||
| (quantitative and qualitative) | (quantitative and qualitative) | ||
| 1. The disadvantaged groups enjoy a better equipped and functioning school system that ensures children's participation and the quality of teaching. | 1.1 The school attendance rate of girls from Dalit, marginalised groups and girls with disabilities is lower than others. | 1.1 The percentage of school attendance of girls from Dalit, marginalised and girls with disabilities is increased by 4% annually. | |
| 1.2 Only 55% of schools have very limited teaching and learning materials in the classrooms and use these materials in lessons. | 1.2 All 55 schools have sufficient teaching and learning materials in the classrooms and use these materials appropriately in the classrooms. | ||
| 1.3 The 448 teachers use very limited teaching strategies/methods in class. (rather lecture method) (100%). | |||
| 1.4 None of the schools have gender- and disability-friendly WASH facilities. | 1.3 75% of teachers are trained and competent in using different child-centred teaching | ||
| 1.4 At least 50% of all schools have gender- and disability-sensitive WASH facilities. | |||
| 2. Dalit families are committed to their daughters' schooling and are able to improve their household income and keep their daughters in school through their own economic activities. | 2.1 About 50 % women are enrolled in women's groups (mothers' groups, savings groups), predominantly these are inactive and not aimed at generating income. | 2.1 30 new women's groups will be mobilised or reactivated in which mothers from Dalit and marginalised communities will also improve their income. The 30 groups will have a savings and credit component. | |
| 2.2 100% of new women's groups are registered with the local government and 40% of them receive grants from the local government to develop their entrepreneurship. | |||
| 2.2 The groups are not registered with the local government. They cannot receive support from the government to develop their entrepreneurship. | 2.3 Of the 600 women in these SHGs, a total of 450 women from Dalit and marginalised groups are participating in skill development activities and at least 300 are developing livelihoods that provide them with a minimum standard of living. | ||
| 2.4 The 450 women have developed business plans in their 30 SHGs, are officially registered and get access to credit from local banks or cooperatives as SHGs. | |||
| 2.3 Women hardly develop their own entrepreneurship due to lack of knowledge, advice and low investment capacity. | 2.5 Women involved in income-generating activities also use their income to support their daughters' education. | ||
| 2.4 Lack of knowledge in preparing business plans and great difficulty in obtaining loans from local banks and cooperatives. | |||
| 2.5 Less money is spent on girls' education than on boys' education. | |||
| 3. Local actors (teachers, parents, school committees, school administrations, village communities, etc.) support access to quality education and the right to live free from violence and discrimination for all girls. | 3.1 The RMs do not have a guideline for inclusive education, only a general education plan that was prepared at local level. RMs are aware of need for action as they lag behind other RMs. | 3.1 The RMs authorities will have developed and adopted the Inclusive Education Policy with the support of the project after 2 years and implemented it after 4 years. | |
| 3.2 The RMs do not have an objectified set of SMART indicators for school assessment, | 3.2 RMs implement a school assessment system with SMART indicators in all schools. | ||
| 3.3 Schools do not have a mechanism to address violence against women. 10% of girls per year experience violence. | 3.3 All school (from grade 6) have a mechanism in place to address school violence. At the end of the project period, the experience of violence has decreased by 5%. | ||
| 3.4 A total of 58% of families kept their daughters busy with household chores instead of schoolwork; boys generally do not participate in household chores. | 3.4 The proportion of families who prioritise their daughters' schoolwork over household activities increases by 10% per year. | ||
| 3.5 Girls' school attendance is around 80%. | 3.5 Girls' attendance at school increases by 3% per year. | ||
| 4. 7 well-equipped DC Learning Centres and 7 Learning Hubs support around 1,450 particularly disadvantaged girls and young people (of whom 150 are school dropouts) so that they participate confidently, regularly and actively in school life. | 4.1 The dropout rate among girls is high. The feasibility study found 44 female dropouts in the environment of 10 schools. | 4.1 150 girls who have dropped out of school are re-entering education through catch-up classes in learning centres (Dignity Centres and Learning Hubs) and continuing their education up to grade 10 and beyond. | |
| 4.2 An early warning system in 55 schools, identifies girls at risk in time and supports them. | |||
| 4.2 There is no preventive mechanism to identify girls at risk before they leave school. | 4.3. 34% of girls who dropped out of school improved their career trajectories through life skills and skills training in the 7 DCs and opportunities for internships. | ||
| 4.4 At least 50% of girls in children's clubs and 20% of leadership positions in children's clubs are held by girls from Dalit and marginalised communities. | |||
| 4.3 There are no provisions for empowering adolescent girls in communities, e.g. no support for adolescent girls to further their careers. | |||
| 4.4 Only a very small number of Dalit and marginalised girls are represented in the children's clubs. |
4.0 Contact of Local Implementing Partners
| Consortium Lead | Consortium partner | |
| Rural Education and Environment Development Centre Nepal (REED) | Association for Dalit Women Advancement of Nepal (ADWAN) | Green Tara Nepal (GTN) |
| Bhim Bogati, Founder and Executive Director | Kamal Babu Pariyar, Executive Director | Ram Chandra Silwal, Country Director |
| Phone:(977) 1 5260108 | Phone: 97714417165 / 4436905, Email: info@adwan.org.np, adwannepal@gmail.com | Phone: 977(1)4532698, email: rsilwal@greentara.org.np |
| Email: info@reednepal.org | Web: www.greentara.org.np | |
| Web: Www.Reednepal.Org |
Funding and Technical Assistance: Amoghamati, Susanne Traud-Dubois, Project Manager; Karuna Deutschland; Email: amoghamati@karuna.org; Phone Number:02077003434, E-mail: info@karuna.org