By: Alina Shrestha, World Vision Nepal

"School for my brother, the cow-shed for me,
Mother and father tell me, why do you discriminate?"

These were lines from a song sung with fervour by a group of girls in a folk song competition organised to raise awareness on the importance of educating girls in Nepal.

Young girls in Nepal often bear the brunt of parents' decisions where education is concerned.

Many drop out of secondary school due to pressures to marry, to help with household chores, to earn income for the family, or other reasons including the traditional belief that educating daughters is a waste of money. Daughters are often viewed as second-class citizens.

Family pressures push girls out of school

Rita (16) is one such  girl who has been stripped of her dream   of education. She was studying in grade nine when her mother fell ill and, unable to work, couldn't afford to send her back to school.

Rita lives with her mother and brother in Sudal Village Development Committee (VDC) in Bhaktapur District,  25 kms east of the capital city of Kathmandu. Her father abandoned them many years ago and, since then, her mother has been working hard to send her two children to school.

Her brother, Rajesh (12) studies in the sixth grade and has been going to the nearest school,  an hour's walk from their home. But now Rita stays at home, as responsible for the household responsibilities as her mother. Cooking, cleaning, and collecting firewood are part of her daily  chores.

After dropping out from school, Rita seldom gets to meet up with friends and yearns to go back to school.

"When I see my friends going to school, I wish to go back to school," says Rita shyly.

When asked about her future after education, she says, "I haven't thought of what to do after studying but my dream is to study hard."

A second chance for Rita

For Rita and many girls like her, this dream could become a reality. World Vision Nepal has recently initiated the 'Bhaktapur Adolescent Girls' Education Project'.

The folk song (dohori git) competition was part of the programme, organised by a local partner to raise awareness among parents on girl child education and discourage discrimination against daughters.

Rita and her mother joined many other girls and women from her village to attend the programme.

Speaking about her decision to send her daughter back to school in the coming academic year after the programme, Rita's mother, Sabitri (41), says, "I took my daughter's education for granted and didn't send her to school when I fell ill, thinking  it as having less importance for girls."

"But now, these songs sung by our sisters have touched my heart and made me realise how we shouldn't discriminate daughters from sons."

Rita's mother has also enrolled herself in the income- generating activities of the same project to both earn money and save for her daughter's school fees for the coming academic year.

She smiles as she says, "I will send my daughter back to school at the start of this academic year in April with my savings."

Sabitri is happy that WVIN has been helping families in the community while supporting the Girls' Education Project. She adds, "I knew for a long time that World Vision was helping in the development of our village but now I am glad to know that the same organization helps single mothers like me too."

Community responds to education message

Not only Rita's mother, but also many other men and women from the neighbouring villages were made aware of the need to educate girls through such programmes.

Emotions and tears welled up in the eyes of spectators as they listened to the songs. In particular, they touched the hearts of many parents with young daughters.

Sangita Bhattarai, Community Development Coordinator for Bhaktapur ADP, is hopeful that more girls will continue to remain in school now that the project has started.

She says, "Bhaktapur Adolescent Girls' Education Project has aimed to keep young girls in school and re-enrol girls in school through a variety of programmes, so that families not only send girls back to school but also find solutions to common problems such as lack of finances."

In 2007, WVIN initiated 'Bhaktapur Adolescent Girls' Education Project' to lower the drop out rate of young girls aged 12-16. The project now operates in 5 VDCs of Bhaktapur District, namely Sudal, Changu Narayan, Katunje,  Nangkhel and Sipadole. The aim of the project is to help young girls who are at risk of dropping out to remain in school till the age of 16.

Currently various programmes such as parent/children counselling; awareness activities such as street drama, and folk singing; teachers' training in child- centred education; income- generating activities for parents; training for girls on child rights and women's rights, and skills development activities are being run to meet the aim of the project.