what we do
education and training
left: enrolment has doubled in this primary school class due to the work of MRDF partner Kopila in Nepal.
centre: Missan Dhamel and Raskumar Paryar belong to one of Kopila's child clubs which encourage teenagers to continue their education.
right: education centres in Ethiopia provide opportunities for children to return to school
The problem
When families in developing countries are struggling to make ends meet, the cost of school uniforms, books or fees means that many children cannot afford to attend school.
There are other reasons why some children miss out on their schooling: girls often have to stay at home to help fetch water or care for younger siblings, some taking on the role of breadwinner at a very young age and disabled children may also be excluded because schools are unable to cater for their needs.
What are MRDF partners doing?
Some MRDF partners, like Emmanuel Development Association (EDA) in Ethiopia, provide primary-level education. Although the number of children enrolling at primary school is increasing, family and economic pressures mean that many soon drop out. EDA provides free schooling for 500 children, with no costs for uniforms or books. This enables children who have missed out on their education to catch up and eventually rejoin normal classes.
MRDF partner, Kopila in Nepal, organises child clubs in which children can learn together informally to increase enrolment among those who don't go to school. Kopila tries to improve teaching methods, relationships between schools and families and to reduce overall levels of poverty to ensure that more children get the education they need.
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"I wasn't regular at school before being in the child club. Now I have changed and I am proud of this. I feel like it's my role to also help to change other communities for the better, like ours." Raskumar Paryar, aged 16, Chhang District, Nepal |
More about Education (149kb PDF)
More about Kopila (936kb PDF)
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