## **Annual Report 2022**
## **Developing Holistic Approaches to State Education: Nepal**
Charity Number: 1103859 Registered Office: 10 Park Lane, Milford on Sea Lymington Hampshire SO41 0PT Telephone: 01590 644961 Email: info@freedomtolearn.org.uk Website: www.freedomtolearn.org.uk Trustees: Dr Mark Owen; Mr Jamie Creswell; Mr Paul Kinnon, Mr Adam Bentham
As with so many other organisations in recent years, our team both in the UK and especially in Nepal have honed new skills and improved flexibility of project-work whatever external hurdles placed in the way. And there have been a number during this reported year 1st July 2021 to June 2022. The continuing impact of COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions have put huge economic pressure on the local authorities and the school budgets, not to mention the financial distress that some of our families are now facing. Added to this air pollution from forest fires caused further lockdowns as well as various illness to many in the communities. There was flooding to local crops, and school grounds. So, it was unavoidable that there were disruptions to regular programming.
However - in huge gratitude to the support of the Unioniste Buddhista Italiana and the Erach and Roshin Sadsri Foundation, as well as our enormously generous regular donors, the impact of our work has been able to continue across all the 34 government schools in Panauti. This report highlights a number of the key outputs, outcomes and impact of the project-work, as well as the regulated financial reporting and chair’s report.
In 2022 we continued to diversify our activities, and adjust to the circumstances with the clear aim of ensuring _every single child_ in the municipality was still able to to go to school and participate in a quality education. We hope you enjoy the report.
Teacher Training on Resource Development
Pre School Learning
Girls Performing to Local Leaders
After School Tuition Support
## Teacher Training:
## Topics Included:
## We facilitated:
- 72 training workshops
- With 527 teachers
- 287 female/240 male
- across 33 schools
- Including over 32 one to one support sessions
- Creative Learning Techniques
- Stimulating Classroom Environments
- Stimulating Classroom Environments
- Classroom Management
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Discrimination in the Classroom
- Community Outreach
“The training was fun, colourful, useful - and we made good friends to share our work with and exchange ideas” Sabita, Local Teacher.
- Teachers applying new knowledge and skills in their classrooms.
- Children demonstrating higher engagement and enjoyment of learning
Which ensured outcomes such as:
- Improved communications between neighbouring schools sharing knowledge and skills
- More creative learning processes such as:
- Environmental walks
- Leaf Rubbings
- Classrooms agreements
- more physical movement and activity
- jobs charts
- weather charts
- Me and My Family explorations
- Topic Based Learning
- Participating Teachers expressing more confidence in their ability and in that of their students.
- Over 78% parents parental engagement
## Act on Education - Creative Advocacy and Action :
- We facilitated 98 workshops
- Across 6 schools with 138 children aged between 13-16
- Held 6 large scale youth led advocacy events - over 1,100 people attending including local politicians, teachers, parents, priests, school leadership and the media.
- Young people raised issues they face including:
- Domestic abuse
- child labour
- gender inequality
- uncertainty and anxiety around COVID-19
- Young people expressing and demonstrating increased confidence in their own abilities, their status and in powerful stakeholders listening to them.
- Effective communication established between all community groups
-
- The impact All Stakeholders working _together_ developing a variety of solutions to the difficulties presented such as:
- of the • Inadequate toilet facilities blocking girls from attending project has school with a pledge from the local authorities to find a budget to improve facilities in late 2022.
- included: • Domestic violence and alcohol misuse has been addressed
- Domestic violence and alcohol misuse has been addressed with support worker visiting homes and schools, and a headteacher providing funds to enable an awareness and outreach project for families at risk.
- Issues of corporal punishment have been addressed with policy development and any school staff in Panauti who is found enacting violence as a form of discipline will now face immediate dismissal.
“It feels so good for adults to listen to us. The workshops have been fun and the event was scary. Everyone joined in though!… I feel we can make some changes now” Girl from Kushadevi School age 14
## Education Policy Consultancy
- After 6 months data gathering the Research Book was published
- It involved: 4782 children
- and 34 schools
- and 455 teachers
- Data Analysis informs the Education Office of every aspect of their schools across Panauti in:
- Teacher Attendance, Students attendance, Policy, Governance, Qualifications, Caste, resources, facilities, academic levels, wellbeing levels, community situation, and much more….
“This publication is the first of it’s kind and is being used in the forthcoming Education Policy Formation” SK Thapa, FtL Project Manager
“This is where FtL’s legacy really lies. Our team have gathered vital and previously unknown data to inform the way Panauti Municipality runs over 30 schools, resulting in changes, not only based in fact, but also with the input and involvement of everyone it affects” Joey Owen, FtL’s Programme’s Director.
FINANCE:
## **Financial Review and Reserves Policy**
Freedom to Learn currently has no outstanding debts or capital.
We keep enough reserves to enable us to ensure that we meet our existing obligations to pay the staff who run our existing programmes for a minimum of 3 months, including the most essential materials.
Most of our income and expenditure is through project funding, and is therefore preallocated to specific costs. We are very careful as trustees not to commit to future expenditure that we cannot afford, and for the coming financial year we foresee no problems.
The Trustees have signed off this yearʼs Financial Statement. It is has been independently checked in line with regulations for charities with an income of over £20,000 ready for filing with The Charity Commission by 30th April 2022
## **Governance, Organisational Structure and Trustees**
Freedom to Learn is run in accordance with our Memorandum of Articles and Association and, as a small organisation, all our trustees play a very active and vital role in the running of the charity.
Dr Mark Cristian Owen, Director of the Winchester Centre of Reconciliation and Peace, continues to be Chair of Trustees. We are grateful to draw on the systems and finance expertise of Paul Kinnon as Treasurer. Our secretary Jamie Cresswell is experienced int eh fields of development and peace building. Adam Bentham joined the board bringing his wealth of experience in Fundraising and Communications.
Trustees are elected by existing trustees on the basis of a majority vote. The new Trustees are elected by a majority, and rotation of positions is done in line with our Articles. New trustees are given training and information on their legal obligations as a charity trustee, and are strongly encouraged to attend external training where possible. Our day to day operations are run by our UK based Programme Director. We also currently employ a Nepal based Project Manager. All staff are selfemployed and invoice us on a monthly basis dependent on project funding.
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Freedom to Learn
I report on the accounts of the tharity. Freedom to Le*n, the year ended 30th June 2022, as
set OLrt in this report.
Respective Responsibilities of the Trustees arbd Examiner
The charitls Trustogs afy resF)onsible for the preparation of acc(xJnts. They consider that an audit
is not required for this year (under Section 43 P) of the CharItS Act 1993) and that instead an
indèpendent examination is n*Jed.
It is my responsibilty to-
Examine the accounts {under Section 4313} la) of the 1993 Act;
To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions gwen by the Charity
Commissioners lunder Section 43 ffl Ib} of the 1993 Act); and
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examine Report
My examination was carriaj out in accordance viith the General Directions grven by the Charity
Commissions. An examination includes a review of the accountirYJ records k&pt by Freedom to
Learn and a compaison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes a
consideration of any unusual items or disclosuros in the a¢counts, and seeking explanations from
you as Trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide ail the
evidence that would be required in an aLMJrt. and consequently, I do not express an audit opinion
on the view given by the accounts.
Indepondont ExamIne$ Statement
In connection with my examination, matter has come to my attention:
Whh gives me reasonab cause to believe that in any matla1 respect th8 following
requirements have not been met..
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 41 of the 1993 Act,.
to prepare accounts which accord wrth the accounting records and comply with the
accounting rnquirements of the 1993 Act.
To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to reach a PPer
understanding of the a¢counts.
Signature
Name
Zita Czi!ra-Haqh
Profession
compa.ny. Director
Address
70 Osb)mg Road. New Milton. BH25 6AB
Date
12th December 2022
## Freedom to Learn, Chairs report.
Continued lockdowns in Nepal in January of this reporting year were still having enormous impacts on our beneficiaries and our staff. Many were testing positive for COVID-19 and recovery took many weeks.
In addition, the flooding, the air pollution lockdowns and the curfew rules has showed just how flexible we still need to be, working in a country such as Nepal. The landscape and the weather obviously have a huge effect on the subsistence farming on which families and communities are heavily reliant. If crops are failing, it is likely that children will need to work more in the family and so are unable to attend school. Therefore, supporting children to stay in school and participate in quality education is so vital, not only for their current wellbeing but for the future of their communities and in order to diversify sustainable income.
It is impressive therefore that our wonderful team on the ground, working diligently throughout, have produced such impressive outcomes for the children they work with. As you will have read in this report, FtL can ensure that the available funds go a long way and are spent wisely and impactfully.
For example the development of more engaging and enjoyable classrooms and learning activities across 34 schools, extracurricular activities of sport, dance, drama and spoken English, are all enabling confident and active children who will become fully involved in their local communities. Also, any government funds which become available are being spent more effectively on extra teachers, and teacher training, where needed.
What has always impressed me about the methods we have established within each school community is that the work ensures _everybody_ has the opportunity to be involved in the improvements of the schools and communities as a whole, and many different individuals are taking this opportunity. This has led to excellent community engagement, with parents and other locals eager to talk and fully participate in the changes being made.
This is a huge and important development which has taken place over the past 10 years or so. In 2011, during FtL’s first project, the impact of the civil war, and subsequent political divide was so severe that teachers on the same teaching team, would not even enter the staff room together because of their political differences. Communication about work and students was almost non-existent. This is no longer the case. We now can see excellent working practices and outcomes.
Those of you who are FtL supporters, either through volunteering or generous donations, have played a huge part in changing the lives of thousands of children in Panauti, which in turn has had enormous positive effects on family life and community life. Children who are now adults have gone on to gain well paid work, speak good English, and become excellent community members. The place of women in the communities is also developing positively with successful
mothers now able to gain work if they so choose. These are big changes, and the impact of these and many other developments should not be underestimated. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support and hope that you will continue to support the work of FtL in these obviously difficult times. Small amounts of money can go a long way in Nepal, and we will always take care to make sure that all donations are put to the best possible use.
Thank you so much,
Jamie Cresswell on behalf of our previous Chair, Mark Owen.