Australian NGO: TEAR Australia
Local Partner: United Mission to Nepal
Project Title: Community organisations cluster program
2011-12 funding: $310,557
Many NGOs funded through the ANCP contribute to improving the quality of and access to education, the Australian aid program’s flagship sector. Access to education is particularly important for children with a disability, to enable them to access opportunities to gain independence and be included in their communities.
In 2011, ANCP supported TEAR Australia to work with United Mission to Nepal (UMN) and a local partner, the Disabled Rehabilitation and Rural Development Organisation, to support blind children access education in Mugu district, Nepal.
Prior to the project’s commencement, blind students at Balmandir Primary School in Chaina village lived in one small room, which served as their kitchen, sleeping room and study room. Many of these students suffered from poor health and malnutrition because of their poor living conditions. The project raised awareness of the situation for blind students with the district government and coordinated a number of projects to improve infrastructure for all children, including those with a disability or other disadvantage, to access education. Projects included construction of a residential block of two hostel rooms for the blind students in Chaina village, new classroom blocks for the Dalit Namuna Primary School in Lapu village, and construction of a girls’ hostel in Mangri village, which will enable local girls to access to high school.
Funding for the construction projects was provided by project partners, including the Nepali Government through District Education Offices, the national Nepal NGO Neighbor Nepal and Village Development Committees.