Gobinda Baduwal, 14, is a sixth grade student from the mountains of Far Western Nepal. At 14, he shoulders much of the responsibility for supporting his handicapped mother and four siblings while attending school as often as he can. Unfortunately, Gobinda’s story is all too common. Two in every five children in Nepal live in absolute poverty and the children of poor, illiterate mothers suffer most. Like Gobinda, many are engaged in work to help their families survive. This presents an obstacle to continuing their education, and speaks to the need for child friendly schools that children want to attend, and where what they learn is relevant and useful in their future lives.
