Dreaming Big: Dawa’s journey back to learning
Across Nepal, Community Learning Centers (CLCs) are helping out-of-school children and adolescents get back on track with education and to stay safe.
Kathmandu, Nepal: 11-year-old Dawa reached up to grab a thick binder from a shelf at a Community Learning Center (CLC) Swayambhu in Kathmandu ward no.15. With a heavy thud, he set it down, flipping it open to reveal months of hard-earned achievements. His eyes lit up as he proudly shared how every subject was filled with dozens of completed pages—a testament to his deep commitment to learning. Just yesterday, he said he wanted to be a police officer when he grows up.
Today, he exclaimed “when I grow up, I want to be a Gurkha!”—his voice filled with excitement as he spoke of Nepal's legendary warriors, renowned for their unmatched bravery and fearlessness.
Seeing Dawa's bright smile and eagerness to learn, you would never guess that later that day, instead of going home to the comfort of a warm bed and meal, he would be searching the streets for a dry spot to sleep, hoping to find shelter from the rain. As a child from an unstable household, Dawa was forced out of his home after family tensions escalated into domestic violence.
Dawa faced days when his stomach was empty, but his notebooks were full.
Even as a young adolescent, he understood that returning to school could change the course of his life—and he was determined to do whatever it took to get back on track with his learning.
For him, the chance to dedicate himself to his studies means having a brighter future.
Every child deserves a safe place to learn and a secure home to grow up in.
When the severity of Dawa's situation was uncovered, CLC program partners reached out to Nepal’s Child Helpline for support. Thanks to their swift intervention, local authorities and a counselor stepped in to help Dawa's family.His parents, understanding the need for change, agreed to receive weekly counseling to learn how to better care for their son and maintain a health home environment.
Now, Dawa is relieved to be back home with his family, who are now committed to creating a more secure and stable environment for him. CLC facilitators closely monitor his learning progress and family life, staying ready to step in to help if needed.
Soon, Dawa will finally be ready to return to formal schooling, and the CLC team will be right by his side, guiding him through the transition and ensuring he stays on the path to achieving his dreams.
For children like Dawa, CLC centers are more than just a place to learn—they are a sanctuary of safety and security, where creativity, excitement, and joy can flourish.
CLC facilitators and programme partners play an essential role in overseeing the holistic well-being of the learners, giving them encouragement and guidance. Without flexible learning environments like in a CLC, children and adolescents like Dawa might never have the opportunity to learn or receive the support they need to return to formal education and grow in a safe and nurturing environment.
Thanks to UNICEF's support to strengthen government CLCs and its partnership with Finland, the Let Us Learn Initiative and UNICEF’s National Committee for Germany, the lives of thousands of learners have been transformed, giving them the life changing chance to pursue brighter futures
In Nepal, keeping children and adolescents in education and learning is a significant challenge with 26% of adolescents being out-of-school. Many barriers such as cultural norms, poverty, child marriage, family obligations, and engagement in livelihood activities to support poor households, prevent children and adolescents from staying in school.
Without flexible learning environments, many adolescents may never get the chance to learn. To help these children and adolescents learn, UNICEF is supporting the government strengthen and scale up CLCs – government accredited non-formal learning centers which utilize flexible learning approaches
