While nursery schools in the Gorkha region have reopened after a 10-day vacation, we are continuing to work with our partner UN Nepal to help some of the families who send their children to the 48 schools we support.
In December, we organized medical visits to classrooms to check, among other things, pupils' eyesight and hearing. We also referred parents to their local public health center to have their children examined and treated free of charge.
Parent-teacher meetings were also an opportunity to talk to families and identify problems encountered by some of them. We referred 14 families in December, mainly to obtain birth certificates for their children. While most parents are aware of the need for a birth certificate, many are unaware of the consequences of not registering their children. Without a birth certificate, you can't take an exam, for example! To date, 4 families have solved this problem.
In Nepal, only a man can obtain this birth certificate, and it is preferable to be married. The situation is therefore very complicated when the father has left or the parents are separated...
Parenting support sessions are due to start in March, and will provide an opportunity to go into greater depth with parents on the needs and rights of young children.
