Educating Girls in Nepal

In Nepal VSO is working to promote access to the education for marginalised girls through the “Sisters for Sisters” programme, funded by DFID. Community volunteers are trained to act as “big sisters” and mentor girls who are at risk of dropping out of school. Volunteer teachers from abroad work alongside Nepalese teachers to improve the quality of teaching, and British and Nepalese youth volunteers are working to raise awareness of the value of education and to challenge some of the traditional attitudes and cultural norms which are preventing girls from attending school, such as child marriage.

The project has led to significant increases in both attendance and achievement for girls, with 98% of the girls from the first phase of the project remaining in school.