C E L E B R AT I N GYEARSKEEPINGLEARNING
ALIVE
Annual Report2020Some global problems seem insurmountable —hunger, disease, inequality, poverty — but there is
one tool that can help fix them all,EDUCATION.
In school, young people learn the skills that enable them to become changemakers
and solve difficult problems in new ways. These skills help them define their placein the world and seek a fulfilling future. We know that a quality education will
prepare every generation of students to become adults who are equipped to createa safer and more just world.

YEARS ofprogress in education

Published by Room to Read
Communication Department
Patangini Marg-11, Thapathali
Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
info@roomtoread.org
Website: www.roomtoread.org

Photographs: ©Room to Read Nepal

schoollibraryclass

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

COUNTRY DIRECTOR’S MESSAGEOUR REACH

episodes on literacy development and life skills werebroadcast through 24 radio stations, reaching 263,000
households in seven districts.
Most children where Room to Read works are first
generation learners, which means parents have a toughtime helping with learning practice. As children werespending all their time at home, Room to Read recognizes
the key role of parents and caregivers in helping children
continue to learn. A total of 11,958 calls were made toparents in seven districts to ensure learning continued.

Dear Friends,

2020 marks 20 years of Room to Read’s journey and ourcommitment to the belief that World Change Starts
with Educated Children®. An organization which has its
humble beginnings in the Lamjung district of Nepal has
now supported children in 20 countries around the worldin literacy and gender equality. Today, as the world faces
immense global crises such as climate change, genderinequality and the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment
toward literacy and girls’ education has strengthened
more than ever. Even during the most challenging
times, education is one thing that cannot be taken
away—it endures for all who receive it and strengthens
communities by creating a generation of people who areresilient and compassionate.
Learning was disrupted for over 8.6 million schoolgoingchildren in Nepal. For millions of children in vulnerable
communities, school closures meant an end to theireducation and their dreams. Girls are especially at riskof dropping out of school due to the gender norms
and role that they play in communities and homes.
To facilitate learning in this environment, we quickly
pivoted our programs and reached children and families
through the channels that are most accessible to lowincome communities, including telephone, radio, andtext messaging, as well as hard copies of self-learningmaterials. This year, 263,000 children and families
benefited from our distance learning programs across
Nepal.
In April, weeks after the nationwide and local lockdowns
enforced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we
created reading development episodes through local
community radio stations. In 2020, 592 radio-based4

School closures have jeopardized years of progress madein girls’ right to education and gender equality as they
face unprecedented pressure to drop out of school, marryearly and also face possible gender-based violence. We
know that when a girl is equipped with essential life
skills, they have the power to negotiate their key life
decisions—which is much needed during the challenging
times through the pandemic. Our local mentors in thecommunities stayed in close contact with the girls andtheir families to encourage learning at home and we
broadcast 55 life skills episodes through radio stations.
The pandemic brought unprecedented upheaval; but ourthanks must go to our supporters and partners who havebeen with us during these trying times. I would like tothank the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology;
Center of Education and Human Resource Development;
Education Review Office; Curriculum Development
Center; Social Welfare Council; Local Government offices
along with the Education Development and Coordination
Units; Padnako Lagi Kotha board members and partner
NGOs for their partnership and collaboration. My deepest
appreciation to our hardworking and dynamic teambecause of whom we have been able to keep children
learning at home and safe from dropping out of school.
We would like to invite you to review our results from2020 and be assured that our commitment to education isstronger than ever in the coming years.

CUMULATIVE NUMBERS

3.5 Million

9,948,849

24,317

4,535

9,058

4,399

658

3,969

Children Benefitted

Number of teachers trained

Girls benefited throughGirls’ Education Program

Secondary school graduates

Books distributed

Libraries established

Active program
participantsLife-skills sessions
conducted

OUR RESULTS IN 2020

263,0011,958226,845

10,231

150

622

Households reached through24 community radio stations

Total minutes of individual
mentoring sessions to 4,147 girls

Digital books published indigital library, LiteracyCloud.org

Households reached throughwith hard copy materials

Total number of text
message to parents

Total number of radio
episodes aired

Pushkar Shrestha
Country Director
Room to Read Nepal
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ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

20 YEARS OF PROGRESSIN EDUCATION
Room to Read has its humble origins in Nepal where we began bringing donated books torural communities. Today, we are a global organization transforming the lives of millions ofchildren in low-income communities around the world by focusing on literacy and genderequality in education.
Education is a great equalizer: children learn they can make a change in their family, theircommunity and the world. Education persists and addresses many of the world’s greatest
challenges such as disasters, gender inequality and even crises such as the COVID-19
pandemic. As Room to Read celebrates its 20th anniversary, we are committed to literacy
and girls’ education more than ever before.

1998-2000

Start of Room to Read from
Bahundhada in Lamjung
District
Room to Read’s FounderJohn Wood (then Director of
Business Development for
Microsoft) visited a school on
his trek through Nepal where
he discovered the school
which had only a handfulof books. The journey ofRoom to Read began whenJohn in collaboration withDinesh Shrestha (Co-Founder)
returned to Nepal with 3,000
books. Similarly, we began
School Construction Programin 2000 with the goal of
creating a child-friendly
learning environment.

2

2002

Expanding with Education
for Girls
A scholarship program forchildren was established inwhich they were supportedwith tuition, stationery andmentoring. Beginning in 2003,
this initiative developed into
the Girls’ Education Programin order to assist girls stay inschool longer and realize theirfull potential.

2003

First Children’s Storybook
Published
One of the greatest
challenges in getting children
to adopt the habit of reading
early on is a lack of highquality, age-appropriate
children’s books in their local
language. Room to Read’s
Literacy Program responded
to this need by going intobook publication

2006

2007

Storybook Writers’ Workshop
Room to Read conducted its
first ever writers’ workshop by
partnering with local talentacross Nepal, and providingthem with professional
development workshops on
the art and science of creating
quality children’s books.

2020
Expanded Reading Room
Project in Collaboration with
the Government of Nepal
Three libraries in Bara, Kaski
and Nawarparasi Districts
were constructed, and 111
libraries were established ingovernment schools across
Nepal.

Response to COVID-19
In response to the
COVID-19-related school
closures, we adapted,
innovated and createddistance learning
resources supportingchildren to continuelearning at home.

2008

2009

Supporting Kamalari Girls in
Bardiya
We supported girls who
were freed from being
Kamalari — bonded laborers— facilitating their schoolingand providing them with life
skills. 926 girls were guided by
local mentors in negotiating
major life decisions andcompleting their secondary
education.

2010

Introduced Reading Skills Program
The Reading Skills Program (RS)was developed and executed to
improve the basic reading andwriting skills in early graders toraise them into an independent
reader. It comprised a systematic
curriculum design, creation oflevel-appropriate resources,
professional development forteachers, library management,
and a frequent monitoring andcoaching support system toimprove reading skills and habit.

2017

2015

School Building
Construction
Following theearthquake in 2015,
sixty schools wereconstructed as a
post-disaster response
activity, helping schools
and communities
to build back better
through education,
which started in 2016.

Responding toEarthquake Crisis
After Nepal’s
devastating
earthquakes, we started
planning to rebuild
schools and launched
the “Nepal Earthquake
Fund.” 100,000 copies
of children’s storybooks
and learning packages
were distributed,
aiming to help children
relieve the stress causeby the disaster and its
aftermath.

2014

Started Individual
Mentoring Sessions
Local mentors provided
mentoring sessions
to help girls navigate
the challenges ofadolescence, giving
them the ability
to make informed
decisions.

10 Year Anniversary
We celebrated “Year ofTens,” marking our ten-year
anniversary with the openingof our 10,000th library in
Nepal.

2012

Creating a Learning
Environment
Besides transforming
schools into childfriendly learning
environments wealso built safe andhealthy learningspaces through therepair and renovation
project in government
funded schools in eight
districts.

3

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

CONTINUING LEARNING AT HOME
School closures have been a central part of the government’s response to contain the spread of the COVID-19
virus. Millions of children (globally as well as here in Nepal) were or are still out of school and while distancelearning strategies were and are being implemented, access in Nepal to the most marginalized groups ofchildren remains uncertain. In 2020, Room to Read adapted its program and reached low-income communities
with alternative learning programs using a range of modalities including radio, text messaging, phone andphysical workbooks. In all, 188,000 households were supported to avoid learning loss in children due toextended school closures.
With more than 90% of students out of internet reach, we provide caregivers, students and teachers with easy
learning material. To facilitate the challenges raised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local government has
supported Room to Read to take forward the distance learning program. Room to Read will continue reaching
the most vulnerable communities in Nepal to develop their reading and writing skills, providing a foundation
to create learners for life.

TOP RESULTS

LITERACY PROGRAM

Raising early readers into lifelong learners

188,000

537

38,757

Total households reachedby radio programs

radio episodes
broadcasted through 28
community radio stations

text messages sent withliteracy development tips

35,514

15,268416

Being able to read and write is essential. Written words are gateways to knowledge andopportunity that are only accessible to those with the ability to decipher them. Yet, theNational Assessment for Reading and Numeracy (NARN) report shows that only 19% of Grade 3
children are able to meet the national benchmark on reading (ERO, 2021).
Our Literacy Program aims to tackle this challenge and help children become independent
readers — not only with reading skills but also with the habit of reading that will serve themthroughout their lives. We pioneered a method of encouraging early learning and development,
now being implemented by five partners in seven districts to help millions of children succeedin school.
Room to Read has been a global leader for decades in building literacy in early grade children.
We lead early grade literacy development programs in government-funded schools throughour library intervention and innovative instruction classes that help children to become
independent readers. In 2020, we adapted our program to reach millions of children throughdistance learning methods, most accessible locally.

4children receiving nondigital materials

phone calls to parents withliteracy development tips
and creating healthy learning
environment.

teachers trained on
distance learning

5

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

Prasamsa, 8 years old: When the schools closed to contain the
spread of the virus, Prasamsa made sure that she was learning
at home and also helped others learn. Prasamsa recorded aread aloud of a children’s storybook every week and broadcast
it through Room to Read’s radio-based program supporting
thousands of children who did not have access to books toread. “I enjoy reading stories—they sometimes makes melaugh, while other times they help me to learn about the world
around me. I started to record stories so that others can haveaccess to these books and enjoy them too.” Prasamsa, at sucha young age understands that literacy has the power to help
communities grow.

5. Public Service Awareness Messages

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) were created
to encourage students to continue learning at homewhile schools are closed. It was aired to help people
cope with the COVID-19 scenario, to stress thenecessity of continuing education, and to promotea good learning environment at home. Thesemessages have been broadcast on community radio
stations in seven districts, reaching 263,000 people.

Watch the video here.

6. Digital Library (Literacy Cloud)
1. Radio Schooling

Identifying the need to address the critical learning
gap in children during the pandemic, Room to Readdeveloped a radio-based learning program aired
through 24 community radio stations. For those
without internet connectivity, radio is still the mostcommonly available and accessed technology toreach the most vulnerable communities in Nepal.
The radio-based learning program broadcast, known
as “Radio School”, was developed in Nepali languagewith contents on early grade learning, literacy
development tips, and storytelling for children. The
program also supplies caregivers with home-basedlearning activities they can practice with their child.
Watch the video here.

2. Development and Distribution ofWorkbooks

Physical workbooks are the only source of learningfor some children during school closure. Room to
Read successfully delivered physical workbooks
to 11,000 children in seven program districts. The
learning resource is designed to help parents andteachers through a simplified teaching model, andwith contents that are the most important to build
children's literacy skills. The workbook was createdwith communities in mind who have limited or noaccess to the internet at home. It provides themwith condensed learning material with curriculumrelated exercises.

6

3. Teachers’ Development and Training
Room to Read provided essential training andinnovative distance learning methods to 416
teachers helping them to continue supportingchildren’s learning. The trained teachers stayin close contact with parents and caregivers
with instructions on positive parenting, reading
development tips and creating a healthy learning
environment.

4. Connecting with Parents throughTelephone

Parents and caregivers need to be supported toprovide children with a safe and encouraging
learning environment, especially during times of
uncertainty. Due to school closures, children are
spending the majority of their time at home and it isimportant that parents are provided with essential
information on positive parenting and supportingchildren to continue learning at home. Room to
Read’s literacy facilitators stay in constant touchwith the parents and caregivers through texts andphone calls, supporting them to engage in literacy
activities with their children. These 10-15 minutesessions provide parents with literacy development
tips, skills on positive parenting and encourages
them to create a healthy learning environment at
home.
A follow-up call is also conducted to ensure thatthe reading activities and study timetable are being
practiced. These sessions provide a safe space for

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parents to share their challenges related to children’s
learning activities and to gather suggestions fromthe facilitators.

Literacy Cloud is Room to Read’s digital library withhundreds of free children’s storybooks in the Nepali
language. The Literacy Cloud also hosts audio video
storybooks narrated by Room to Read’s literacy
facilitators which follow child-friendly story-reading
patterns in a lively tone and at a comfortable pace.
The released materials help children continue
to develop the skill and habit of reading, despite
COVID-19 related school closures.

7. New Book Titles Published

Room to Read continues the production of Children’s
Books and has created ten new age-appropriate
children’s storybooks in the Nepali language. These
are carefully designed to develop literacy skills,
as well as to foster excitement in children about
reading. A workshop was conducted to support
writers and illustrators to create child-friendly
stories.
COVID-19 Books: As part of the project ‘Children
during the time of COVID-19,’ two children’s books
in Nepali language — ‘Tiger ko Naya Ghar’ (Tiger’s
New Home) by Tanka Chaulagain and ‘Chalk ra
Patiko Gau Yatra’ (Chalk and Board’s Village Trip) by
Bhabasagar Ghimire — were created. The books
narrate and illustrate how the virus has affected
our communities and discuss the emotions ofpeople in a way that children can comprehend. The
stories touch the nuanced factor of kindness to help
children navigate their way in the current world
through a benevolent lens.
Read Tiger’s New Home here.
Read Chalk and Board’s Vilage Trip here.

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Climate Books: We know that education has thepower to provide solutions to the world’s mostpressing challenges—including climate change.
Non-fiction books can be a window into the world
we live in, and they can benefit young readers to
unlock their curiosity; which could lead to futurelearning and discoveries.
In 2020, Room to Read published a four climate bookcollection, one of which, “The Rhythm of Nature,”
written by Roshan Pokhrel, introduces the reader to
Nepal's natural ecology and biodiversity. Its goal is
to teach children about the value of nature and how
climate change affects biodiversity and communities
in general. It also explains how to deal with climatechange and what individuals can do to promote asustainable environment.
Read The Rhythm of Nature here.

Y
’s
Let

C LIM

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lor
exp

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A
CH

t og

NGE

er
e th

The RHYTHM of

NATUREby Roshan Pokhrel

7

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

KEY IMPACT OF PHONE SUPPORT TO PARENTS

STORY FROM THE FIELD

A survey was conducted to assess the impact of distance learning initiatives conducted during school
closures. It states that 82.1% of parents indicated that their children’s study time improved because of
the phone assistance that provided them with instructions on literacy development and a safe learning
environment. The survey further found 76.90% parents agreed that they encouraged listening to theradio program to continue learning at home.

Workbook as a Lifeline to Continue Learning

Parent’s support to children in education
Consulted teacher forlearning difficulties
Listened to radio program
together
Allocated time for learning
Supported in children’s
learning by adjustinghome environment

Shristi, 7, expresses her love for learning: “I enjoyedlearning and reading stories in the library with myfriends, but now that schools are closed, I have little
to do. I miss my friends and my school,” she says,
adding “My parents cannot read or write and have adifficult time assisting me with my school lessons,”
continues Shristi. Like many children in rural Nepal,
Shristi is staying home, as schools have been closed
to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus. With thelimited support of her family to continue learning,
Shristi initially did not enjoy staying at home.
Meet Laxmi, the mother of a student benefited by
Room to Read’s Literacy Program. A Room to Read’s
literacy facilitator is in contact with Laxmi tosupport her with reading activity tips and creatinga healthy environment for her children to continuelearning at home. “My daughter reads stories aloud
to me. I cannot read and write but it makes me
proud that my daughter can. I might not be able
to teach her, but I can stay beside her when she
studies and support her in that way.”“I wished I could lend a hand with my sister’sstudies. She enjoys learning, but I wasn’t able tosupport her enough due to unavailability of study
materials and lack of skills,” shared Salina, Shristi’s
elder sister. Salina, a sixth grader, had a hard timeassisting her sister in continuing her education
at home. “However, when I received the literacy
development workbook from Room to Read throughthe literacy facilitator, I was able to support Shristi’s
education. It has easy instruction to navigate theassignments and understand the context.”
The majority of children supported by Room to
Read are ‘first-generation’ learners in their family.
To address the education gap faced by children,and to support parents and caregivers to continuelearning and teaching at home, Room to Read
provides self-learning workbooks geared at early8

grade children. While children are spending all
their time at home due to extended school closuresamidst the pandemic, Room to Read recognizes theimportance of parents and caregivers in helping
children continue learning. In this context, these
exercise books are designed to help parents andteachers with a simplified teaching model, and with
contents that are the most essential in building
children’s reading skills. “The workbook comeswith instructions that are easy to understand andfollow, hence it is easier for me to guide my sisterto complete her assignments,” Salina explains. “Wealso get regular phone guidance from Room to
Read’s team with home learning advice. This helps
us understand about a safe learning environment
and ways to develop literacy skills.” These initiatives
have aided children in continuing their education
at home while also inspiring parents and caregivers
to provide stimulating and healthy learning
opportunities for their children.
To date 11,000 copies of workbooks have beendelivered in five districts of Nepal. During school
closures, physical workbooks are the only source oflearning that some children can rely on. Room to
Read is supporting some of the most disadvantaged
communities and ensuring that education
continues. With these workbooks we have been
hope to the doors of children desperate to learn andmake a better life for themselves and their families.
9

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

6.1 ENSURING GIRLS ARE SAFE AND LEARNING
In 2020, learning was disrupted for millions of children, particularly in hard to reach communities. In areas
where Room to Read works, girls were particularly at risk of dropping out of school due to the gender rolethat they hold in their families. As families deal with unprecedented financial hardship, many choose to
marry their daughters early or have them drop out of school to help with household work. In this context,
the risk of intra-family disputes and gender-based violence also increases; negatively impacting girls’ selfconfidence, wellbeing, and ability to negotiate key life decisions. Thus, the Girls’ Education Program pivoted
its priorities to keeping girls safe and informed during the pandemic through the most powerful tools
available locally, including radio, telephone and mobile messaging.

TOP RESULTS

GIRLS’ EDUCATION PROGRAM

Keeping girls in school so they can reach their potential

64

152,000

28,132girls’ education andlife skills-related radio
episodes broadcast

households reached via
radio programs with life
skills related episodes

household reached withawareness-generatingtext messages

30,412

4,147

7,603

The Girls’ Education Program intervenes at a time when girls are especially vulnerable to fallingbehind or dropping out of secondary school. With a focus on teaching girls important life
skills and providing mentoring opportunities, we ensure that girls are prepared to overcome
common obstacles and succeed in their education and their lives after graduation.
Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program ensures that girls complete secondary school andhave the skills to negotiate key life decisions. Our program reinforces girls’ commitment totheir own education, works with them to develop essential life-skills and increases support forgirls’ education among their parents, school staff, and communities. Our trained local mentors
work with girls and their families to ensure that they stay in school, participate in activities,
and navigate the challenges of adolescence with the ability to make their own life choices, both
personally and professionally.

sessions of individual
mentoring conducted10

girls received virtual
mentoring

hours of mentoring
conducted by social
mobilizers

11

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

Data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic
will have huge impact on student learning
across the world, but students in lowincome countries and those in Sub-Sahara
Africa will be the most negatively affected.
In these countries, governments havebeen less able to provide remote learning
opportunities and guidance to teachers toaddress student learning needs during thecrisis.

Brooking report, ‘School closure,government responses, and learning
inequality around the world during
COVID-19’, April 14, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of
educational institutions around the world andhas turned many fathers like Fatta Bahadur into
a teacher and a mentor. Fatta Bahadur helps his
daughter in her studies and makes sure that she iscontinuing her learning at home. “Sparing a few
hours of time for my daughter’s education is thebest investment that I can make.”

6.1.1 Radio Programs to Keep Girls
Informed on the Most ImportantLife Skills
Our essential life skill sessions through radio provided
girls with skill sets inspiring them to continuelearning at home. A range of learning development
episodes were broadcast in collaboration with thelocal government and community radio stations.
The radio episodes were was curated by our local
mentors with technical assistance from Girls’
Education Program experts with information to
help cope with difficult situations that arose due tothe pandemic. Through educational radio sessions,children from more than 152,000 households withlimited internet access were able to continue theirstudies.
• Alumnae Storytelling
Role models have long been shown to increase girls’
aspirations for their own life. Our Girls' Education
Program alumnae stories were shared throughvarious community radio stations focusing on thevalue of education and how our alumnae turned
their challenges into strengths. It aimed to ensurethat young girls are inspired listening to thesereal life stories and are encouraged to return toschool once it resumes. The first 10 minutes of the
30-minute program is dedicated to the challenges
that our alumnae had to face in the pursuit of their
dreams and how education has acted as a backbone
to their success in life. The remaining 20 minutes
are dedicated to hearing from social mobilizers and12parents, as well as answering direct questions from
our Girls' Education Program participants.
• Stories of Successful Women
Because storytelling is a powerful tool for inspiringand encouraging behavioral change, the program
invited prominent women from different walks oflife to share their own stories of adversity and how
education helped them achieve their full potential.
The guests come from many fields, making it
relatable and relevant to a wide range of people.
• Life-Skills Program
Our radio series “Shiksha Didi Sita Life-Skills” is an
edutainment based educational radio programthat teaches essential life-skills. It aims to build thecapacity of girls that will help them to negotiate key
life decisions, communicate with confidence, andpersevere through obstacles. These skills are more
important than ever during extended school closureswhen girls risk dropping out of school.
The main character “Shiksha didi” (which literallytranslates to “education sister”) represents oursocial mobilizers who support girls to learn about
the importance of education and life-skills needed
to make informed decisions and be confident. The
learning content is presented in the form of a radio
drama where our main character helps to solve
unique challenges that girls’ face in their adolescentlife. The idea is to make the subject matter relevant
and interesting at the same time. It also has asection where the audience can send in theirlearnings and thoughts.
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ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

6.1.2 Remote Individual Mentoring
through Phone (RIM)

6.1.4 Identifying and Supporting
Girls Most at Risk

Throughout the pandemic, girls are less likely thanboys to participate in remote lessons and return toschools when they reopen. Our social mobilizers
provided individual mentorship over the phone to
4,147 GEPPs (Girls’ Education Program Participants).
Through a 15-minute mentoring session we provided
girls with emotional support during the crisis andencouragement to continue their academic study
at home. These gatherings also provide a safe spacefor girls to discuss any issues they may be having,as well as to connect with parents to assist them increating a positive learning environment at home.

Local mentors under the Girls’ Education Program
ensure that they are meeting frequently with theparticipants who are identified as “at risk”. This risk isdetermined using Room to Read’s Risk and Response
Tool, a powerful early warning system that helps ourstaff identify and immediately act on risk factorsthat are strongly associated with dropouts. We
updated this tool to reflect the risk factors that areassociated with this educational crisis and identify
girls who need more intensive support leading up to
schools’ reopening.

6.1.3 Support Girls with Relief
Materials

6.1.5 Engaging Parents to Support a
Healthy Learning Environment for
Young Girls

Room to Read, with support from the Lions Club andin partnership with local government, distributed
relief packages in Banke, Bardiya and Tanahun tochildren at risk of dropping out of school. These
relief packages make sure that the burden of foodand financial difficulty is alleviated from the family
so that girls can concentrate on their studies andcontinue learning at home.

To set up a clear and consistent communication
mechanism with parents, thus encouraging themto get involved and support the learning of girls athome, a minimum of one SMS was sent out. Thesemessages contained essential information on the
COVID-19 situation, tips on a healthy home learning
environment, and on coping with stress, along withinformation against child marriage and genderbased violence.

Like many children in rural Nepal, Sapana faced adaily struggle to receive an education. Today she
is a nurse helping to save lives in her community
during the pandemic. “My parents insisted that I
leave my job as a nurse because they were afraidof the pandemic. After a long discussion withthem I was able to finally calm them down. I love
my work, and this is why I studied so hard: sothat I can be of help to others.”– Sapana, Girls’ Education Program Alumina“It could be monotonous studying from home
without my friends around but, thanks to the radio
program, I am able to learn in an enjoyable manner.
I like listening to life skills-related dramas, and I’ve
recently learnt a lot about anger management andleadership skills.”- Pramila, Girls’ Education Program

6.2 KEY FINDINGS
Participants enrolled in the Girls’ Education Program
receive remote mentoring from social mobilizers
who help them deal with the difficulties arisingduring the COVID-19 pandemic. The local mentors
assist in addressing everyday issues by providingthem a safe space to share these problems andprovide consultation to make informed decisions.
Out of 353 girls surveyed, 92% stated that the remotementoring was able to solve their problem.

8%

59%

33%
Susma, Girls’ Education Program’s Social
Mobilizer conducting an individual mentoring
session from home.

Unsolved

Completely
SolvedPartially
SolvedWatch the video here.

14

15

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

CALENDAR OF THE YEAR 2020
FEBRUARY

Writers’ Workshop
A professional development workshop wasorganized for 20 authors and illustratorson the art and science of creating quality
children’s books. From these partnerships, adiverse range of storybooks were designed toengage early readers and instill the habit ofreading in children.

AUGUST

Best Reader in Nepal
Sugisma Kadel, one of the students benefitingfrom Room to Read’s Literacy Program wasawarded the title of “Best Reader in Nepal
2021” by the Ministry of Education, Science,and Information Technology on the 16th
Library Day. Sugisma was awarded for her
reading skills, such as individual reading andreading aloud.
Read More.

16

OCTOBERDECEMBER

JULY

Integrated Curriculum Workshop in Nuwakot
and Syangja
A five-day teacher training workshop washeld in Nuwakot, Tanahun, Palpa, Syangja andSalyan to assist the government implement
the integrated curriculum system. In
partnership with the local government, over
300 teachers were introduced to the new
curriculum and teaching guidelines provided
by the Ministry of Education, Science andTechnology (MoEST).

International Girl Child Day
To amplify the need of girls’ education, a “Girls’
Education Matters” campaign was organized
for three consecutive weeks. Adolescent girls
from Nuwakot, Banke, Bardiya and Tanahun
expressed, through various artistic forms, theirright to education and the need for genderequality.

Children’s Storybook Panel Discussion
In partnership with the Nepalese Societyof Children’s Literature (NESCHIL) a panel
discussion was held on the importanceof storybooks for the overall developmentof children. It provided a platform forpolicymakers and experts to share thechildren’s literature scene in Nepal andwork together to strengthen the literatureenvironment.

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

Marking 20 Years of Room to Read
Room to Read(RtR) celebrates our 20th
anniversary from our establishment in
Bahundanda village of Lamjung District toreaching 20 million children worldwide. Room
to Read, together with the Social Welfare
Council (SWC), Ministry of Education, Scienceand Technology (MoEST), Center for Educationand Human Resource Development (CEHRD),
Curriculum Development Center (CDC), andpartner NGOs, commemorated the day througha virtual medium, by expressing our hopes andplans for quality education in Nepal. (From left
to right): (Founders) John Wood, Erin Ganju
and Dinesh Shrestha also spoke about the RtR’s
history and future plans.

Virtual Slam Poetry
In collaboration with poets and artists
from Word Warriors, a series of slam poetry
was produced on #GirlsEducationMattersaddressing the stigma and challenges
threatening girls’ right to education. The
poems were shared with families andcommunities in Room to Read’s program
districts to emphasize the importance of girls’
education.

SEPTEMBER

International Literacy Day
A literacy campaign, #ReadTogether, waslaunched with the aim to encourage parents
and elders to read together with theirchildren at home. The idea was introducedin communities across seven districts in
Nepal where families pledge reading time forchildren at home.

17ROOM TO READ | ANNUAL REPORT 2020

FINANCIALS

We care about transparency.

www.literacycloud.org

Room to Read is known to be one of the most effective and fiscally responsible organizations in global
education. Our commitment is to full transparency, combined with consistent monitoring of our impact,
to achieving measurable results. For the children we serve, our program is changing their lives so they can
reshape their own future, and that of their communities and nations.

DEPARTMENT

EXPENSES IN NPRGirls’ Education Program

63,071,540

31.01%

Literacy Program

69,589,173

34.21%

Local Language Publishing

5,639,475

2.77%

Program Support

19,064,381

9.37%

Administration

46,054,467

22.64%

Total

203,419,036

100%

Explore the library.
Search for books by theme,
readin level, and popularity% OF TOTAL EXPENSES

Expenses in NPR.

22.64%

31.01%

Administration
Girls Education Program
Literacy Program

9.37%

Local Language Publishing
Program Support

2.77%

34.21%- PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS -18

WORLD CHANGE
STARTS WITHEDUCATED CHILDREN®

Room to Read Nepal
Patangini Marg-11, Thapathali
Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
01-4266948 / 4102058
roomtoread.org/RoomtoReadNepal/roomtoreadnepal