Overview of R-CEFM project

The overall project objective for Breakthrough ACTION’s Nepal Reducing CEFM (Nepal R-CEFM) Project is to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of the GON in Madhesh Province to design, implement, monitor, evaluate, and coordinate effective SBC activities and child protection system strengthening for reducing CEFM through a community-based, multi-sectoral, data-driven lens.

Nepal R-CEFM Project’s three intermediate results (IRs) are:

• IR1: Build the capacity of newly elected ward, municipal, provincial officials, civil servants, and other community actors to advocate, design, and budget for local activities to reduce CEFM.
• IR2: Support the implementation of municipal and provincial-level activities and initiatives to reduce CEFM.
• IR3: Increase learning outcomes for adolescent girls (with the inclusion of boys) through non-formal education.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to close in Nepal on March 19, 2020 and did not open until after nine months of stay-at-home restrictions by the local government. School closures and the resulting loss of educational opportunities particularly make adolescent girls more likely to drop out of school permanently and ultimately resorting to CEFM. Educaton attainment is one of the important factor related to delay in CEFM, and research demonstrates that secondary education (sixth through eighth grades) is protective against child marriages .

Even before the pandemic, Madhesh Province faced education challenges. Compared to other provinces in Nepal, evidence from the 2016 DHS showed that Madhesh Province has the lowest net school attendance ratio  across all provinces. Evidence suggest that girls who are not in school are more at risk of early child marriage than those who are in school.

Selection of municipalities and schools

R-CEFM project was implemented in the nine municipalities (four in Rautahat and five in Mahottari). One school each was selected from each municipality for this assessment. The consultants worked closely with the R-CEFM team to select the schools for the study. The R-CEFM team prepared a list of schools by districts and municipalities where remedial education activities were implemented. Selection of schools were purposive based on the knowledge of activities in each school and availability of school teachers in consultation with the stakeholders from the municipalities.

Partner:Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHCCP), Breakthrough ACTION Nepal, R-CEFM Project, Bardibas, Mahottari

Duration: June 2022 to October 2022