At the heart of every initiative we undertake is a commitment to understanding, learning, and co-creating with the communities we serve. Whether in schools, municipalities, or collaborative spaces, the past two months have offered valuable opportunities to deepen relationships and strengthen our shared vision for meaningful education. This newsletter brings together moments that reflect both progress and purpose, highlighting the people and ideas driving our work forward.
Kheldai Sikdai: Introducing Playful Learning in Madhesh
The Kheldai Sikdai project in Madhesh is set to begin this May. In preparation, our team traveled to Paterwa Sugauli to facilitate a Collaborative Play-Based Learning Session with representatives from the Palika, School Management Committees (SMCs), and school principals.
The session was designed to give local stakeholders an immersive experience in learning through play, helping them understand what the project aims to do and why play-based learning matters. Through hands-on activities exploring the five key characteristics of play: Meaningful, Joyful, Socially Interactive, Actively Engaging, and Iterative, we created a space for shared reflection and dialogue.
Across six schools where the project will be implemented, we observed classrooms and held conversations with educators, leaders, and students. For many, this was the first time their schools would receive teacher development training. The idea that learning can be joyful, interactive, and meaningful through play sparked visible excitement and curiosity among the audience. Their enthusiasm and sense of possibility underscore just how timely and impactful this initiative is.
CSE: Human-Centered Design Workshops
In this video, participants reflect on their experience with HCD: what they learned, how their perspectives shifted, and why starting with people’s needs can lead to more powerful solutions, especially when it comes to addressing challenges in education.
As part of our ongoing engagement under the CSE project with the Learning Collaborative in Madhesh, we facilitated a series of workshops on Human-Centered Design (HCD) for education advocacy, a creative, people-first approach to problem-solving. The sessions encouraged participants to explore challenges in education by beginning with empathy and actively listening to the lived experiences of those most affected.
Through observation exercises, ethnographic interviews, ideation techniques, and prototyping, members of the Learning Collaborative explored how to create meaningful, practical, and locally relevant advocacy solutions for the education sector. The mindset of the workshop centered around curiosity, creativity, optimism, iteration, and the belief that impactful change is only possible if we put humans at the center when designing our advocacy approach.
DoRMS: Making Learning Meaningful Through Play and Practice
The Design of Resource Materials in STEAM (DoRMS) project recently concluded in Dhangadhi, bringing to life classrooms where exploration, creativity, and meaningful engagement thrive. Implemented in five schools with the support of Ncell Foundation and Dhangadhi Metropolitan, the project introduced play-based, hands-on activities that empowered teachers to rethink traditional instruction and helped students connect more deeply with their learning.
Over the course of the program, teachers conducted more than 25 Kheldai Sikdai activities, supported by custom-designed learning kits and four in-person workshops. These experiences transformed classrooms into dynamic spaces where learning felt both joyful and purposeful. The project culminated in a closing event that brought together educators and education officials to celebrate this collective journey. Teachers shared stories of changes in students' confidence, classrooms becoming more inclusive, and learning becoming something students looked forward to each day.
Voices of KS: Sangden’s Learning Journey
Upcoming Events/Projects:
Kheldai Sikdai project in Madhesh in collaboration with Paterwa Sugauli Rural Municipality and Chandrapur Municipality.
CSE Project: Learning collaborative session on Right to Education (RTE) in Madhesh and Karnali clusters.