Hope despite hardship

While in Nepal, we had the opportunity to present to and interact with the Former Prime Minister, Former Minister of Education, and a current Member of Parliament of Nepal. One inquiry they made was regarding our perception of the status of child education in Nepal (following the earthquake). This was no simple question to answer, in part because we have not had the chance to analyze the data we collected. However, my intuition is that there will be no simple answer.

On one hand, the situation seems to be dismal. The amount of damage caused by the earthquake to schools is incredible, leaving many children with makeshift temporary classrooms of varying conditions:

This school uses temporary straw classrooms situated on the basketball court because many of their brick buildings were destroyed:

This school now primarily consists of tin temporary shelters, and is perched literally on the side of a mountain, vulnerable to all of nature's elements including heat, cold, storms, or {heaven forbid} another earthquake:

Damage to schools is only one factor that could impact education attainments in Nepal. Other concerns that the kids voiced included fear of going to school, discomfort in temporary classrooms, and the need to work at home. On top of everything, a difficult journey of 1+ hour walk each way that many children have to face is a likely deterrent.

Despite this, and perhaps counter to our original expectations, the message we were able to convey to our audience was one of hope, not desperation.

WHY?

Our initial perception (pre-data analysis) is that school attendance is high. Classrooms are filled with kids, playgrounds are crowded, high-schoolers are studying for their exams, and teachers are enthusiastic.

Not only this, but, despite their circumstances (loss of family, lack of home to return to...), kids seem to be happy- every school we went to we were greeted by resounding cries of "NAMASTE," laughter, and pleas to join in their fun and games.

Nepal is a small country that has suffered more than their share of struggles in the past few decades. However, if the spirit of their children are any indication, there is hope in this time of hardship.