Every year floods in the Kailali district of the Far Western Development Region claim large numbers of human lives and destroy crops and infrastructures.
In response to this, the Reach Out To Asia foundation through Vodafone Qatar, has funded two projects, the Improving Quality of Education and the Building Disaster Resilience programmes, administered by ActionAid Nepal, and Mercy Corps Nepal.
The projects will be implemented through the Nepal Red Cross Society, Kailai Chapter and the local NGO Forum for Awareness and Youth Activity, Nepal and will cover about 68,000 students and 1500 teachers of 150 public schools in 22 Village Development Committees and 2 Municipalities of the district.
The project aims to make schools disaster resilient in high risk areas and improve quality of education, as well as helping schools to act as a focus for disaster risk reduction in their broader communities.
Objectives have been set that include enhancing awareness and knowledge amongst school management committees, parents, teachers and students of quality education and good school governance.
Disaster risk reduction education for children, parents and teachers will feature highly, with ‘safe school’ standards being incorporated in the curriculum at both district and national levels.
The projects in the Kailali district also aim to improve the quality of education, providing learning materials, safety aids and constructing new classrooms, toilets and water facilities, collaborating with related government and non-government agencies.
While launching the Improving Quality of Education and Building Disaster Resilience programmes, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Mahashram Sharma, stated that the Ministry of Education was committed to promoting a good quality of education by creating safer learning environments in Nepal through partnership with donors, I/NGOs, government bodies and the public.
About 80 persons, representatives from government, donors, UN agencies, I/NGOs, and national networks attended the launch, with groups of small children also performing plays based on disaster preparation during the event.
Presentations were made by ActionAid and Mercy Corps, with Ms. Rania Abou Mosleh of Reach Out To Asia highlighting on the foundation’s initiatives in Asia.
Ms. Ulla Dons, DRR Program Manager of Mercy Corps welcomed the guests and participants, and the launch was closed by Mr Bimal Phunyal, Country Director of ActionAid, who offered thanks to all those involved.