The Mountain Trust

Nepal’s education can be improved

•“Radio Guru” will scale up the existing work, distributing wind-up radio receivers to the underserved communities and expanding existing FM school radio coverage to offer quality education for all.

•The Mountain Trust – a UK/Nepalese charity, has worked for 8 years with rural Nepalese communities and has begun broadcasting school programmes alongside other activities.

• Many children work in the mountains crushing stones with no education or health-care and only a subsistence diet.• Long-term improvements require education.

•In many mountainous areas it is impossible to get good teachers and children have to work. Current experience and studies from UNICEF show radio is already an effective solution. Hence the “Radio Guru” Project.

Radio Guru: school on airfor the mountainous regions

Projected targets for Radio Guru:children reached and milestones

•Pilot phase•Increase awareness•Teacher recruitment and curriculum development

•Current work in mountain communities shows positive response•Not enough awareness of the project

2009

•Expansion of curriculum to include primary and adult education

2010 2011 2012 20132008

•Technology investment to increase area of operation•Start expansion of counties reached

Target children reached

1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000400,000150,000

20,000

•Effectiveness review of method and progress•Expansion of hours of operation

DFID in education in Nepal

• Raised primary school enrolment from 82% to 89%

• Build over 400 new classrooms & repair 200• 7000 additional children enroll to school• Provide 250,000 textbooks• Increase the number of children from excluded groups to complete school

Source: DFID Development in Nepal 2009-2012

Although only 42% of those who

enroll actually finish secondary

school

Although difficult to measure

impacts and many needs remain un-

served

We are working towards the same goals

Mountain Trust’s principles

“Radio Guru” project can promote and demonstrate DFID’s impact

Results possible with staggered funding

• Pilot phase• Increase awareness• Teacher recruitment and curriculum development

•Effectiveness review of method and progress•Expansion of hours of operation

•Technology investment to increase area of operation•Start expansion of counties reached•Expansion of curriculum to include primary and adult education

Begin pilot projects in specific areas

£50,000 End pilot projectReach 2010 targets

£100,000

Run project throughout Nepal for 5 years

£350,000

•Reproduction in other remote areas of the world, such as Afghanistan

Summary: Benefits of Radio Guru