Promoting Wellbeing & Safeguarding in Remote Nepal

Our recent engagement in West Rukum has centered on building strong school communities by prioritizing well-being and child safeguarding. One of the memorable activities was the Parent Seminar held in all ten INTENT partner schools from March 3 to 11, 2025. We initially hoped to reach 250 parents, but to our amazement, 459 attended! These two-hour sessions introduced parenting styles, child rights and policies in Nepal, and different forms of abuse. For many, it was eye-opening. Nirmala KC, a parent from Shree Saraswati Secondary School, said, “Before this seminar, I thought abuse only meant hitting. Today I learned it can happen without physical contact. I now realize how vulnerable our children are and feel a responsibility to raise more awareness in my community. I am so glad I didn’t miss this session.”

We also invested in school leadership. On March 2, we brought together 10 head teachers for a day of training on well-being, managing stress, self-care, and creating emotionally safe school environments. It was striking to see how openly they shared personal reflections, stepping outside the usual cultural expectation of stoicism. Krishna Bahadur Oli from Himalaya Secondary School noted, “In my 32 years in education, this was the first time I truly grasped the importance of self-care and listening with intention.”

From March 3–11, we also organized meetings with Parents Teacher Association, School Management Committee, and local government representatives in all ten schools, drawing 120 participants. These gatherings gave us the chance to review 2024’s progress and walk through our goals and budget for 2025. The participants valued the openness. One remarked, “We appreciate the KISC EQUIP effort to keep us well-informed.”

Finally, we have had a change in our team. Our English language teacher trainer moved on, and a new colleague has joined. I am closely supporting her onboarding to ensure a smooth transition and strong continuity in our training efforts.

Thank you for walking with us on this journey!

The past few months have been meaningful, with much of my time spent on training on teachers’ and students’ well-being and follow-ups. It has been encouraging to see parents and school leaders genuinely eager to grow and make positive changes. Alongside my work with EQUIP, I also led career counseling sessions for two groups of college students supported by the Daya Foundation, which provides scholarships and life skills training to students from low-income backgrounds. I ran five sessions: Know Yourself (using the MBTI test), Growth Mindset, Small Changes, Big Difference, 21st Century Skills, and Job, Career, and Calling. Walking with these young people as they explored their strengths and future goals was truly worthwhile.

I am also thankful to have completed my MPhil degree in English Language Education. My dissertation, titled The Preparedness of Primary-Level Teachers in Public Schools for English Medium Instruction, explored how ready teachers are to adopt English Medium Instruction in public schools.

 Prayer requests:

Parents: Pray that the 459 parents apply what they learned about balanced parenting and child protection.

Head Teachers: Pray for the 10 head teachers to lead well-being efforts in their schools with courage and consistency.

Community Leaders: Pray that PTA, SMC, and local leaders grow in understanding true quality education beyond physical resources.

Support & Provision: Pray for wisdom and resources to support   lasting change in parenting and school culture.

Daya Students: Pray for clarity, purpose, and open doors for the college students I’ve been mentoring.

New Teacher Trainer: Pray for our new English teacher trainer to settle in well and for wisdom as we support her.

Personal: Please pray for my continual professional development in the fields of leadership and project management.

Thank you so much for your continued partnership in this essential work. Your prayers are truly the backbone of our efforts to bring lasting change and create safer, more nurturing environments for children in Nepal, as well as empowering young adults for their future. It is a privilege to serve alongside you in God's mission.

In His service,

Krishna Bahadur Bohora