Learning on-the-go!
How an innovative school bag is helping to keep children learning after the earthquake
Rukum West, Nepal: The night of the earthquake in November 2023 was one that Nirmala Budha Pun Magar and her son Dipesh will never forget.
The family had just finished dinner and gone to bed when the ground beneath them began to tremble violently. “We jolted awake. We didn’t even have time to run — the house just crumbled before we could react. We were buried,” Nirmala recalls, her voice still a bit shaky at the memory.
Amid the chaos, Nirmala managed to scream for help, and after what felt like an eternity, they were pulled from the rubble by their neighbours.
Eight-year-old Dipesh, a bright third grader at Shree Bheri Dobhan Secondary School, suffered a head injury that required stitches. But what broke his heart the most was losing all his schoolbooks and stationery, buried under the debris of their home.
“He was very sad,” Nirmala says. “He kept saying he hoped his could be found. He struggled a lot because of that … he was keen on continuing to learn.”
The earthquake that struck Jajarkot and Rukum West Districts in late 2023 wreaked havoc on the lives of thousands, including students like Dipesh. Schools were destroyed, homes were flattened, and the education of countless children was suddenly at risk. For many, the simple act of attending school became a daunting challenge as they grappled with the trauma and the loss of learning materials.
Mamata Khadka, a teacher at Dipesh’s school, witnessed firsthand the toll this took on her students.
“The children were scared; their faces showed anxiety,” she recalls. “It was only gradually that they started to act normal. Meeting their friends and having a good time at school became a needed distraction from what was happening at home.”
The government, UNICEF, and other key partners worked together to get students back into school learning and feeling safe as soon as possible. To accomplish this, temporary learning spaces, complete with water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, were established in affected schools, and learning materials were distributed to those who had lost everything.
The achievements from this rapid joint effort would not have been possible without the generous support from the Government of Finland, who has been a long-term partner in UNICEF’s mission to ensure that each child in Nepal has access to quality education.
Among the innovative solutions introduced as part of the UNICEF-Finland partnership was the Educase—a versatile school bag that transforms into a portable desk for reading and writing.
These Educase bags are more than just storage; they are a lifeline for students like Dipesh, who no longer have a proper place to study.
Mamata, who has seen the challenges her students face at home, believes these bags will make a significant difference.
“At home, the children don’t have desks or chairs, so it will be very useful,” she explains. “The bags will help their learning because it will be more comfortable to write. I think it will improve their writing as well.”
Nirmala, on her part, is relieved to see her son’s enthusiasm for learning return. Before, Dipesh used to sit on the floor to do his homework, which often caused him discomfort from being bent over for long periods. Now, with the Educase, he can sit upright and even move to a more comfortable spot whenever he needs.
UNICEF Nepal/2024/LPNgakhusi
“It’s very good,” Nirmala remarks, glad to see her son’s spirits lifted.
For Dipesh, the bag represents a fresh start—a chance to reclaim his education and dream once more about the future.
“The bag can be made into a table,” he says. “I’m happy to have received it… Now I’ll study a lot.”
