The earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, 2015 has unfortunately caused significant loss of life and much devastation in and around the capital Kathmandu. As a long-standing supporter of children's education in the country, Dubai Cares has received encouraging news that its supported programs located in the far-western region have not been affected so far. We stand in support of our implementing partner, buildOn, whose local staff and volunteers are also safe and well. We remain vigilant as the situation stabilizes and continue to hope for encouraging news as the country and its people recover from this tragedy.
Dubai Cares has been active in Nepal since 2009. In partnership with buildOn, Dubai Cares has launched a school construction, teacher training and adult literacy program in Nepal, directly benefitting 2100 primary school age children in 14 schools. It also includes a Monitoring and Evaluation component as well as an Adult Literacy component, benefiting 840 illiterate women from indigenous rural communities. The program also benefits 4,200 adults, teachers, and officials. As part of the Dubai Cares Million Book Challenge 2008, the UAE-based philanthropic organization has also supported the establishment of 220 libraries and the publishing of 5 local language titles/books in Nepal, of which 336,000 copies have been printed and distributed.
In 2014 and as part of Volunteer Globally, one of the main pillars of Dubai Cares' community engagement activities, a group of 16 volunteers from the UAE initiated a week-long mission to construct a primary school in the village of Barkamuda in Nepal. In line with Dubai Cares mandate to eradicate poverty through education in developing countries, the school is set to directly benefit 150 children and indirectly benefit 1,000 officials and teachers in the village.