The project is targeted towards ethnically diverse regions across Nepal, with a focus on empowering Tibetan, Maithili, and Newari communities through native language education and vocational training. Need assessment, community workshops, and field testing are to be conducted in Newari communities within Kathmandu Valley, Maithili communities in Madhesh province, and Tibetan high mountain areas like Mustang and Dolpo in Gandaki and Karnali provinces. The project aims to conduct assessments to evaluate existing learning resources, identify gaps, and explore opportunities, along with preparatory work such as sourcing local stories, identifying learning needs, and developing training programs for teachers and parents in these regions. The project activities extend to fieldwork in Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDs), schools, and communities in these regions. The process for selecting schools involves needs assessments and stakeholder analysis, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews, in collaboration with local partners and government officials to ensure alignment with education improvement strategies.

Partner Local Governments:

• Lo Ghekar Rural Municipality, Mustang
• Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality, Dolpa
• Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Lalitpur
• Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City, Janakpur
• Dhangadhimai Municipality, Dhangadi, Siraha

In Nepal, the educational sector faces significant challenges due to a lack of learning materials in local dialects and the ineffective engagement of early learners in early childhood development centers (ECD). With over 120 dialects and ethnic groups, Nepal is culturally and linguistically diverse, yet few resources are available in languages other than Nepali. Additionally, there is a lack of free and quality educational resources for formal and informal skill-based training, particularly in rural areas where students may not have access to vocational educational opportunities, computers, or the internet. The education system tends to be rigid, promoting rote learning and limiting opportunities for critical thinking and experiential learning, especially in rural areas. To address these issues, the project aims to address these challenges by enhancing the collection of learning contents in local dialects in Hamro Ramailo katha (HRK). By translating existing stories and incorporating new stories and interactive contents, the project seeks to engage early learners in their native language, enhancing their overall learning experience. Furthermore, the project aims to provide free and quality educational resources for both formal and informal skill-based training, particularly targeting rural areas where access to vocational opportunities and technology is limited. By developing courses that complement academic and vocational learning, the project aims to empower learners of all ages, including out-of-school youths and adult learners, to acquire essential skills for future careers and lifelong learning.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)

The proposed project contributes to the achievement of SDG 4 which is to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." To be specific, the activities and outcomes of the project aligns with the following SDGs of quality education:

• SDG Target 4.1: Free primary and secondary education
• SDG Target 4.2: Equal access to quality pre-primary education
• SDG Target 4.3: Affordable technical, vocational, and higher education
• SDG Target 4.7: Education for sustainable development and global citizenship

School Education Sector Plan (2022/23 - 2031/32)

The project's approach to addressing the educational challenges aligns with the following key strategic objectives outlined in the School Education Sector Plan (2022/23-2031/32):

• To ensure equitable access to and participation in a full school education cycle for all children, including those from social and economically disadvantaged groups and children with disabilities.
• To enhance the quality and relevance of overall school education by ensuring school readiness, foundational learning and quality learning achievements for each child.
• To strengthen alternative pathways of education and their linkage to formal education or accreditation of skills, ensuring all adolescents leave the system with life skills and able to pursue further education and lifelong learning.
• To ensure effectiveness of education service delivery by promoting good governance across the system, strengthening inter-governmental coordination and collaboration, and developing institutional capacities of all institutions and individuals involved in the delivery of school education.

• 2024: Project preparation and approval
• 2024: Assess learning needs and source course ideas from partner communities through youth and student collaboration with schools
• 2024 - 2025: Upgrade the application to make it suitable for youths, add personalization and other features for learning and tracking progress
• 2024 - 2025: Develop 10 new vocational and formal/informal training courses and integrate into the application
• 2025 - 2026: Source local indigenous stories from the three partner language communities and make them available in all languages
• 2025 - 2026: Translate and adapt existing animated stories and interactive digital activities to Newari, Maithili, Tibetan, and English languages
• 2026: Adapt stories from "Hamro Ramilo Kathaharu" to make them available in print-ready formats
• 2027 - 2028: Conduct training workshops for parents and teachers on how to use the app effectively and organize awareness workshops on holistic early childhood development
• 2025 - 2028: Conduct training workshops for teachers to integrate vocational skills into the normal curriculum using the application
• 2028: Reporting, Project Closure

• A total of 60 interactive animated stories (and print-ready story books) and supporting gamified activities in Nepali, English, Tibetan, Newari, and Maithili which include 10 new stories sourced locally from the participating language communities will be accessible to learners.
• Additionally, learners will also be able to access a total of 16 courses which include 10 new vocational courses aimed at providing formal and informal skill-based training.

• The project aims to enhance education accessibility by offering content in various local languages of Nepal, breaking down linguistic barriers and ensuring effective learning, particularly for linguistic minorities.
• The project targets marginalized and rural communities, engaging out-of-school youth and adults to provide relevant skills and knowledge, ensuring inclusivity in education.
• The learning materials produced by the project prioritize inclusion by featuring diverse characters and perspectives, including positive representation of women, people with disabilities, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
• Fieldwork activities in the project aim to promote gender equality, social inclusion, and human rights, respecting diverse cultural practices and traditions while empowering the voices of women, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
• By making the educational resources available in both online and offline modes, the project also aimes to remove geographical barriers to education, enabling access for learners in remote areas in addition to those in urban settings.

• To ensure that the results of the project are sustained beyond the project's lifespan, the project aims to leverage partnerships with local governments, schools, and communities.
• The project aims to provide training to teachers and parents to effectively use the learning contents, ensuring appropriate utilization and maximizing benefits which will foster a sense of ownership crucial for sustaining app usage beyond the project's duration.
• The project also aims to collaborate with local partners to co-design learning materials, enhancing ownership and cultural relevance for usage and updates beyond the project's duration.
• The project will transfer local content assets to local governments, ensuring accessibility through government websites and community mechanisms, in addition to online access via OLE Nepal's online portal and offline access via OLE Nepal's offline servers.

ONGD-FNEL