When asked about her inspiration to become an ECD teacher, Shanti Devi emphasises the importance of laying a strong foundation during a child’s formative years. She believes this period is crucial for a child’s overall development, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional growth. Shanti Devi is driven by the desire to facilitate all-inclusive development through play, instilling good habits, and fostering a love for learning.

On a daily basis, Shanti Devi finds motivation in various aspects of her work. “I am encouraged to work due to the encouragement I receive from the parents and my colleagues; children’s smiles and laughter are also a major motivation,” she says. She approaches her role with a sense of faith and love, striving to be a friend and mentor to her students. She takes pride in the decoration and management of her classroom, creating an environment conducive to learning and exploration.

UWS Nepal has played a huge role in Shanti Devi’s professional development. Unlike previous verbal training, the practical training provided by UWS Nepal has equipped her with valuable skills such as understanding student psychology, incorporating yoga and play-based learning into her lessons, storytelling, and creating educational materials. These training sessions have enhanced her teaching abilities and facilitated personal growth.

“I have witnessed remarkable changes within students and myself too,” she says. By understanding their psychology, she has created a nurturing learning environment where students feel empowered and confident. Shanti’s innovative approach, such as using recycled materials for classroom decorations, has sparked creativity and resourcefulness among her students. Their progress is evident in their improved storytelling abilities, organisational skills, and respectful behaviour towards others.

“I hope for continued professional development opportunities, particularly in the areas of ECD and child psychology”. She also anticipates adding games and storybooks to enrich the learning experience for her students.

Shanti Devi is grateful for the unwavering support she receives from both her family and the school community. With their encouragement and collaboration, she remains committed to nurturing young minds and fostering a love for learning at UWS Kalleri.

He has been working in UWS Nepal as a community teacher for almost four years. He got to meet the representatives of UWS Nepal for the first time when he was reporting an incident in Badagaun while working as a reporter.

“When I met the UWS Nepal representatives, I came to know more about how UWS was working to provide quality education to the poor and marginalized children of the rural communities in Nepal. I have always believed that quality education could transform lives and societies, and finding an organization that had similar beliefs and motives as mine, led me to join UWS Nepal,” he shares.

There are four members in Krishna’s family including him, his father, his wife, and a son. His wife is also a teacher like him and their son studies in grade One of the same school they teach in.

Krishna has a Bachelor’s in English from Tribhuwan University and has a teacher’s license to teach up to the secondary level. He has been utilizing his skills and experience in helping the students unleash their potential by encouraging them to participate in various extracurricular activities.

“The child-friendly teaching methodology implemented by UWS to help students gain knowledge while having fun is an important initiative,” he says. “The risk of dropout of students has significantly decreased in the community, because of the educational interventions introduced by UWS Nepal,” he adds.

Krishna has been playing an important role in encouraging parents to send their children to school. “I aspire to continue working in UWS Nepal to carry on with my journey toward education to ensure that every child in my community get the quality education they deserve.”

He is further active in publishing the activities, impact, and events of UWS Nepal on local media channels. “The various trainings that I have received including lesson planning, classroom decoration, interactive teaching, and positive behavior management have further helped me towards my educational journey,” he says.

Nineteen-year-old Pushpa Jimee has been working as a Community teacher in UWS Kharang for two years. There are six members in her family, including her mother, three sisters, and one younger brother. Her father passed away in an accident four years ago and since her mother is a housewife, being the eldest in the family, she is the breadwinner of the family. Her sisters and brothers are studying and she is responsible for helping her family earn a living.

She is currently doing her Bachelor’s in Sankhuwasabha Multiple Campus, Chainpur. “I wanted to become a soldier and contribute to my country,” she shares. Since becoming a soldier was a long and difficult process, she decided to become a teacher and help the poor and marginalized children in her community get a proper education. “I have always been fascinated by the contribution of teachers towards improving the education system in rural Nepal, which is why I decided to become one in my community,” she says.

Pushpa is one of the most dedicated teachers working in UWS School. She believes that no child in her community should be left behind to receive an education, so she is actively involved in encouraging parents to send their children to school. “There are many parents who need to be made aware of the importance of education and its impact on their children’s lives. I feel it is important to let them know how education can transform their children’s lives and I am working to make sure every child receives the opportunity to read, write, count and dream,” she says.

Not just this, Pushpa is active in motivating the teachers in the school to conduct and plan fun learning activities to make learning a fun and interactive activity. “The different types of training activities related to lesson planning, ECD, interactive teaching, and effective student engagement training have helped me a lot to make learning effective and fun for my students,” she shares. She also dedicates her time and effort to contributing to new ideas to make the school environment better.

She shares that she loves teaching and talking to her students. “When I ask my students about their dreams and what they want to become in the future, most of them tell me they want to become a teacher like me. Knowing that I am their ideal teacher is something that I am most proud of and this is what inspires me to give my best every day,” she says.

Pushpa aspires to establish an orphanage and old age home in the future to support both children and old aged people.