A brighter future: the volunteers helping girls stay in school

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Despite Nepal making significant strides in education, there are many children who are still being left behind, unable to get the schooling they deserve.

However, VSO volunteers, also referred to as "Big Sisters," like Nirmala, are helping to ensure children have the best start in life by highlighting the importance of education to parents.

Nirmala's story

Hear from our inspiring volunteer Nirmala, who is working with the Dalit community. The Dalit community in particular, experiences systematic and widespread caste-based discrimination in Nepal. However, thanks to your support, Nirmala is ensuring that Dalit children are not forgotten about.

Watch an inspiring video about Srijana's work

Creating inclusive education spaces in Nepal

The SIKAI project ('sikai' meaning 'learning' in Nepali) aims to help 7,200 students to transition to secondary education through increasing parental support for education and improving learning outcomes in schools.

The SIKAI project

Support us with a donation

VSO/Fabrice Macumbi

£10 a month could help a VSO volunteer to coach a teacher in how to make lessons inclusive so that vulnerable children have the opportunity to learn.

£15 a month could enable volunteers to challenge gender inequality and raise awareness of the dangers of child marriage within their community.

Rohingya children in refugee camp classroom

£25 a month could help provide safe spaces for refugee children to learn, play and reclaim a sense of childhood.

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£25

£25 could supply an education kit containing a school bag, books, pencils, pens and erasers, so children are equipped to learn. 

Dhanmati, volunteer big sister with her little sister

£50 could help match a VSO volunteer with a girl who has been forced out of school to help her gain life-changing skills.

Suraj Shakya

£100 could help provide a wheelchair or prosthesis to a disabled girl so that she can access the classroom and be able to get an education.

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£100

The two volunteers empowering girls and young women in Mozambique

Nelma and Carmirene and are two volunteers working on VSO's EAGLE project in Mozambique. For Nelma and Carmirene, education is not just about school, it is about meeting people where they are and using the right tools to challenging harmful norms. Here are their stories.

In photos: Our Regional Health Promotion Conference 2025

Check out some of our favourite photos from Regional Health Promotion Conference (RHPC25). This event sought to reimagine Universal Health Coverage through the lens of intersectionality.

Using intersectionality to create healthy beginnings and hopeful futures

World Health Day brings global attention to the urgent need to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths. Learn more about how our Regional Health Promotion Conference is tackling these issues head on.