Pipal Tree’s education programme in Madhesh Province, south Nepal, is dedicated to empowering children and communities from the Dalit (formerly ‘untouchable’) castes and other marginalised ethnic groups. At the heart of the initiative is an innovative Community Learning Centre (CLC) model, designed to increase access to mainstream education and reduce early school drop-out rates — a key factor in the high prevalence of child marriage in the region.
CLCs provide a safe, informal introduction to learning for children not yet in school. Once enrolled, they continue to receive extra tuition and homework support — vital assistance that many parents, often illiterate themselves, are unable to provide. The tutors are older students who receive modest stipends from Pipal Tree, which help cover their own college costs.
In the past four years, Pipal Tree has established seven CLCs, and the programme continues to grow. Its impact is evident: parents often remark that their children go to school for the certificates — but to the CLCs to truly learn.
