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.

But Rakshya’s love for learning shines through. She eagerly attends school and cherishes the time spent studying and playing with her friends. “I love studying and playing with my friends,” she says. Through the Girl’s Club at her school, she has discovered not just education, but her voice.

Dreaming of becoming a teacher to nurture minds like her, Rakshya sees education as the gateway to a better future.  She is inspired by the educators in her school who have been helping her to read, write, count and dream; a dream away from poverty into prosperity.

Rakshya’s story is not just one of struggle and sacrifice, it is a testament to the transformative power of education to uplift and inspire. As she takes her first steps towards her dreams, Rakshya carries with her the strong faith that with courage and determination, she could achieve anything in life.

“As a single mother, life has been very difficult for me. I am thankful for my job and UWS Nepal for providing me with a means to support my family,” she says.

Her dedication and craftsmanship earn commendations from everyone around her. “ I receive so much praise for my work from the community and this motivates me to do better every day, “says Mina. For her, working with UWS isn’t just a job; it’s a contribution to rural Nepalese communities and the dreams of the children who will walk through the doors she helps build.

In the midst of her journey, Mina encounters varied opinions from the community about UWS’ building plans and model. Despite this, her integrity remains unwavering. She presses forward, dedicated to her work and hopeful for positive change.

Her aspirations extend beyond the construction site; they reach into the future she envisions for her children. While they once attended UWS schools for primary education, Mina’s perseverance now affords them secondary education elsewhere. Her determination ensures her children have the opportunities she tirelessly works to provide.

Every hurdle and obstacle she’s faced, Mina has conquered with grace and determination. UWS Nepal recognizes and honours her commitment, dedication, and the invaluable contributions she makes to the organisation’s mission. Her journey with UWS is a testament that one can still be happy and hopeful amidst hardships.

He now lives with his beautiful small family of four; him, his wife, and their two sons. Being a breadwinner of the family, he is now working in his present role as a building officer at UWS Nepal. He found solace and purpose in his work with UWS Nepal, contributing not just to structures but to the dreams of countless children. For Parsuram, building schools isn’t merely a job; it’s a testament to his unwavering spirit. It’s not just about constructing more than walls; it is also about crafting opportunities for a better future.

When asked how he feels about working with UWS Nepal, he says “I am so glad that I got this opportunity 8 years ago. I got to travel, meet new people, take on new projects, and learn many things. This experience has built me personally as well as professionally.” He adds, “People around me are very proud of what we do. The community people adore us and our work a lot. I also like our work plan, mission, and building model.”

Meet Binita (name changed), a 10-year-old student in the third grade at UWS Rambeni in Sankhuwasabha district. Her story is one of courage and determination that will warm your heart. Binita comes from a family of six. She has three older brothers, all studying in the city. However, her life took a different path early on. She lives with her father and grandmother, and her mother’s absence looms over her daily life.

Her mother passed away shortly after Binita was born, leaving her deprived of the warmth and love only a mother can provide. Binita often finds herself missing her mother, wondering about the face she never got to see. Life is not easy for Binita and her family.

Her father works as a daily wage laborer, so she takes on household chores like cooking and cleaning. Every Thursday, she goes to the local market to sell vegetables and tamarind from their home to cover her school expenses. The journey to school takes Binita nearly an hour, but she makes it with unwavering determination. Her favorite subject? Mathematics. She has big dreams, dreams that shine brighter than the challenges she faces.

Binita aspires to become a nurse, to serve and care for the ill and the suffering. Binita’s story is a testament to the strength that can be found in the most unexpected places. In the face of adversity, she persists, her dreams guiding her forward. At the tender age of ten, her spirit shines brightly, brimming with dreams and boundless hope.

The majority of inhabitants in the community she lives in belong to the Rai community, while a few people from mixed communities, including people from Chettri community, also live there. 

Asha’s father is the breadwinner of the family. He is a construction labor, and her mother is a homemaker. Because of the poor financial situation, Asha, along with her siblings, had to quit boarding school as the family couldn’t afford the fees. “Sometimes we didn’t even have the money to buy stationeries for the children, there was no way we could afford the expensive fees of the boarding school,” shares Asha’s mother.

Because her parents wanted their children to continue their studies, they began looking for an alternative to boarding school. “After knowing that the UWS school had been providing quality education similar to that of the boarding school and would provide required facilities to families with poor economic background, we decided to enroll our children in the UWS school,” says her mother.

Asha loves going to school, learning new things, and playing with her friends. According to her parents, It was she who insisted on going to the UWS school. Apart from studying, she likes dancing, writing, and reading. 

Her favorite subject is Nepali because she can understand the language and loves reading stories and essays in the Nepali language. She is also involved in the recently introduced STEAM Club in her school. The club is an initiative to create a learning space that connects ideas with reality and aims to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education among the students. “I am very happy to join the club as I am learning new things together with my friends every day,” she says.

Asha is thankful to UWS Nepal for establishing a good school near her house as she got the opportunity to study. “I think I would be very sad if I didn’t get the chance to go to school and study. Seeing the other children, including my friends, going to school would further make me sad,” she shares. 

Asha loves playing with her siblings while she is at home. She also likes to help her mother around the house. “My mother works a lot at home, so I try to help her as much as I can during my free time,” she says. Sometimes she does the dishes and cleans the house.

Asha is doing well in her studies according to her teachers. Her parents are very proud of her as she is enjoying her school life and doing really well in her studies. In the future, she dreams of becoming a doctor and providing health facilities to poor people in her community.

“Empowering education through playful learning is my core mission. I am reshaping the way we teach with dynamic, engaging and impactful approaches,”  she says.

“I never thought I would become a teacher, but now it has become my passion. The eagerness of my students to learn while I am teaching fuels my soul,” she says.

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.