UPHILL BOTH WAYS
EDUCATION AND RELIEF
FOUNDATION
An education is one of the greatest gifts you can give to a child, as it will give them a chance to unlock their own potential. When a child realizes that they have a choice in the outcome of their own life, you open their eyes to a world of possibilities.
Our Impact to date
$215,000
Invested in education
7
Villages Supported
5,670+
Students impacted
Supporting Education
UBW is helping children in Nepal access a basic education in a safe and nurturing learning environment. Since our first official project in 2010, we have been working side by side with communities to repair and rebuild deteriorating schools that have been left without support due to a lack of government funding. Our aim is to provide an environment that fosters learning and gives children the power to transform their lives through education.
Deficiencies in both the quality of education and the learning environment lead to higher attrition rates for both students and teachers alike. By working together with schools and their educators, we are trying to break the pattern of quality teachers leaving for higher paid jobs in the city. This is being supported by supplying essential teaching materials to every classroom, filling libraries with books, and helping to find sustainable ways to pay for teachers' wages when government subsidies aren't enough.
History of education in Nepal
Since the 1950's, access to education in Nepal has expanded greatly and has transitioned into a more modern and egalitarian education system. Public education has become compulsory up to grade 8. Net enrolment rates in elementary education have increased from 66.3% in 1999 to 96.3% in 2019 (World Bank). Enrolment rates in secondary education (grades 9-12) continue to grow as well, from 44.9% in 2007 to 61.9% in 2019. The most dramatic improvements, however, have been made in increasing female participation in education. From 1973 to 2016, female entry rates in education improved from being marginal at best to females now enrolling at a slightly higher rate than males (World Bank).
At the same time, the school system remains plagued by high dropout rates, with girls being more likely to leave school earlier than boys. While retention rates have increased strongly over the past few decades, only 73.6% of pupils that enrol in elementary education remained until grade 8 in 2016 (UNESCO). Some children are from poor families who often are forced to quit school because they have to help their families with farming work. Other children leave due to having to walk extremely long distances to attend classes.