Behind this figure are children discovering their first letters, students rediscovering the joy of learning, and teachers exploring new ways of teaching.
Supporting children in their education means more than learning to read or count. It also means being able to start school in good conditions, discover through play, learn at their own pace and find an environment where they can build confidence. Making this possible sometimes means working directly with children, sometimes with teachers or parents, and sometimes improving the school itself.
In India and Nepal, Karuna-Shechen adapts its approach to local realities: early learning activities and educational materials, support in schools, teacher training, parental involvement, and the construction or improvement of school buildings.
On the ground, these actions take many concrete forms. Here are three stories that show what they can change in children’s everyday lives.
Sibani: Learning through play
At five years old, Sibani loves going to the Anganwadi centre in her village of Manpur, in Jharkhand. There, she draws, plays and learns with other children.
Her mother, Bina, quickly noticed a difference. Before attending the centre, Sibani had difficulty speaking clearly. Within a few months, her language and learning abilities had improved.
“Now I understand how important the Anganwadi is for my daughter’s development and learning. She loves going there every day.”
As children grow, their needs change. In Habibpur, the focus is now on helping Chandani find her place among her classmates.
Chandani : Trouver sa place
Six-year-old Chandani lives with her grandparents in Habibpur, Bihar. Her parents work in another town. As there was no school nearby, her grandmother was looking for a way for her to attend school. A neighbour told her about Babua School.
At first, Chandani was shy and afraid to come. Today, she enjoys being with her classmates, reciting poems, drawing and playing with them. When she finds something difficult, her teacher encourages her to try again.
“I love learning new things, reciting poems, drawing and playing with my friends.”
For Chandani, it all started with the opportunity to attend a school close to home. In Bijayanagar, Nepal, this proximity was at the heart of the project.
A place designed for children
In Bijayanagar, in the plains of Kapilvastu, Nepal, children had to walk more than a kilometre to reach their early childhood centre. For three- and four-year-olds, this daily journey was a real obstacle.
A new centre was therefore built in the heart of the village, on land donated by a local resident. Designed for young children and adapted to the local climate, the building uses rammed earth, which helps maintain a more comfortable temperature indoors, both in summer and winter.
A game, a new school, a teacher who takes the time, a building designed for children: the responses can take many different forms. What matters is that they reflect children’s realities and help create the conditions they need to move forward.
