“Children in slum areas are not treated equally.”
12 year old Ishya lives in a slum community in an area of Kathmandu prone to flooding. She shares; "When it's rainy season and the water in the river overflows and enters our houses, everyone, including the children, feel really sad. Children in slum areas are not treated equally. Neither by the government, nor by the majority of rich people."
Working alongside her mother collecting and selling scrap on the streets to support her family, getting an education felt like a distant dream for Ishya. Until the Mobile School arrived in her community.
Thanks to the Mobile School - a classroom on wheels, cleverly engineered to be easy to transport into communities, Ishya now has a chance to develop her basic skills like literacy and numeracy. Through the project, she will also receive additional support, like counselling. In time, Ishya hopes to re-enrol into school and work towards fulfilling her dreams. She shares;
“We were very curious about the big wheeled cart. At first we thought we had to pay to use it- but we do not. My favourite thing about coming to the Mobile School is learning and playing with the different panels with my friends. I feel more confident in myself now in doing calculations and reading. I also have hope that SathSath will help me to continue my formal education and make my birth registration.”
Dikesh, (pictured above, right), is a Street Educator for Toybox local partner, SathSath and has been working with the Mobile School. Reflecting on the difference it's been making in communities in Kathmandu he shares;
"The most important thing about the Mobile School is that children can learn many things while they are playing. This is a new concept that can engage children in education. Children who were previously unfamiliar with counting, have now mastered basic arithmetic such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Those unable to understand many English words can now read and write on the panels. And previously shy and anxious children now exude confidence in their expressions. The community has shown a positive response to our efforts. Most of the people in the communities were busy with some street work or other work, which was a challenge for their children to study and complete their homework as they didn't have any help. But since the Mobile School was established in the community, they are happy to see their children enjoying learning rather than playing in dirt. Some of the parents said that their children have learnt English words which helps with their formal education programmes."