Champhe Darji, 11, of Lalu, Khirchauk, Narharinath 8, who used to go to school without wearing a uniform and clutching a book in his hand, has now started going to school wearing a new dress and a bag.

After his father, Kuseh Darji, died of asthma two years ago, his mother Visna remarried. His five siblings were left destitute. Champhe, who lived with his elderly grandfather Man Singh, was not able to attend school regularly as he did not have a pen and paper.

After receiving a bag, school uniform, year-long supplies of pens, dot pens, geometry boxes, pencils, cutters, and lasers last month, he has now started attending Mangalasaini Secondary School in the village regularly. ‘Earlier, he would come to school only 6/7 days a month,’ said principal Pankha Bahadur Bista. ‘After receiving educational materials including dresses, he would come regularly.’

Born in Ramarosan-3 Jhata, Achham, 15-year-old Arjun Dholi (Damai) is a class 9 student at Janaprabhat Secondary School Lalu. He has been living in his maternal uncle's house in Kalikot since the age of 2. When he was 4 months old, his father Bajire Dholi died in India, and his mother Parvati left him at the age of two and got married elsewhere. Arjun, who was living with his elderly grandfather, had difficulty finding a pen and paper. He received educational support from the school in the second week of Mangsir with the help of an organization. 'I didn't have a bag, I would go to school with a book in my hand,' Arjun told Kantipur. 'I am happy now after getting a dress, pen and paper, and a bag.' Arjun, who goes to the village to play the instrument on vacation, has a big dream of studying up to 12th grade and recording songs to become a singer.

Principal Nirmal Kumar Bista said that Arjun's school regularity has also increased after receiving educational support. ‘Underprivileged children who had difficulty in getting pens and paper got help,’ he said, ‘Nowadays they come to school with enthusiasm.’ He said that after the underprivileged and at-risk children received educational support, the regularity of the school has increased compared to before. Stating that Arjun, who came to school for only 13 days from Bhadra to Kartik, has increased to 35 days since Mansiri, Principal Bista claimed that children who were not regular in school due to not getting pens and paper have now started coming regularly. 60 underprivileged children from his school have received educational support.

Sirjana Khatri (name changed) of Hima-5 Tali Kuduki, Jumla is a disabled student who has lost both her parents. Both her parents are gone. Sirjana, who is enrolled in Class 9 at Kalika Secondary School, lives with her uncle as she has no guardians. Her uncle also has 5 children. Her uncle has a hard time meeting everyone's expenses as she has many mouths to feed. She has not been able to attend school regularly as she has to be busy with household chores. She is happy after receiving a bag, dress, and stationery from the school in the last week of Mangsir. Currently, since the school is closed for the winter vacation, Sirjana, who is staying at home, has sewn and kept new clothes. 'I will go to school with a new bag and dress after the school reopens,' she said. 'I am happy after receiving educational support. I have a big dream of becoming a teacher after graduating.' _{Children and parents after the distribution of educational materials at Panchadeval Secondary School in Sannitriveni-6, Kalikot.}

Not only Champhe, Arjun and Sirjana, but also 3,376 children from Kalikot and Jumla, who went to school without school uniforms, carrying books in their hands and shivering in the cold of the month of Pus without school uniforms, have received school uniforms worth Rs. 3,200 each, school uniforms, dot-pen, paper, geometry box, pencil, drawing and science books.

1,830 children from Narharinath, Sannitriveni rural municipalities and Raskot municipalities in Kalikot, and 1,271 from Hima, Sinja and Kanakasundari rural municipalities in Jumla, and 275 children with disabilities from both districts have received educational assistance through the Equal Access to Education Promotion Project run by KIRDAC Nepal with the support of PLAN International.

Diksha Bhat, Project Coordinator of PLAN, said that educational assistance worth Rs. 11.90 crore has been provided to children from grades 6 to 10 who are not attending school regularly due to lack of educational materials, have disabilities and drop out of school. According to her, although other vulnerable children are targeted at the secondary level, in the case of children with disabilities, educational and device assistance has been provided to those studying from grades 1 to 10. She said that the Plan has provided assistance for school continuity as the majority of children in Jumla and Kalikot who do not attend school due to lack of educational materials are seen in the Plan. According to her, educational assistance has been provided to children in grades 6 and above, especially girls, who are at risk of studying in basic and secondary schools in 6 local levels of the two districts.

The Plan has been working in Kalikot and Jumla for a decade in the areas of education, child protection, health and nutrition, climate change, livelihoods, guaranteed child communication, disaster management, etc. through 5 different local partner organizations. Educational assistance has been distributed to children selected by the school within the first week of Mangsir and Poush in coordination with the youth, education and sports branches of the relevant local levels. _{Children of Malika Secondary School Dhapa in Sinja, Jumla returning home after receiving educational assistance.}

Facilitator Birendra Simkhada said that the students were selected based on 21 criteria including parentless, disabled, poor, talented, at risk of child marriage, not being able to attend school regularly, and dropping out of school due to financial hardship. According to him, 536 people, including 95 people with disabilities, from Raskot Municipality in Kalikot, 671 people, including 99 people with disabilities, from Narharinath, and 623 people, including 16 people with disabilities, from Sannitriveni received educational assistance.