BHOJPUR, NEPAL, JULY 23rd, 2025 – The Learning, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (LIKE) Lab at Kathmandu University School of Arts organized a GESI Based Capability Capacity Building for Teachers led by “Promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Schools: Building on What Children Value and Aspire to Do and Be” in Bhojpur. The workshop aimed to orient GESI focal persons on strengthening child-led initiatives through the LIKE Club activity book, record-keeping tools, and evaluation processes.
Program Highlights
The session began with the introduction of the activity book as a practical tool for planning and documenting LIKE Club activities. Details of the record-keeping and evaluation processes designed to monitor participation and ensure effective engagement. An animated video on the LIKE Club and activity book was showcased, illustrating how visual tools can engage students and support facilitators in implementing activities smoothly.
Participants actively deliberated on the challenges and opportunities of implementing the LIKE Club framework:
- Whole-School Participation: Concerns about feasibility during high school sessions led to an agreement that immediate participants would be recorded, while additional audience numbers would be noted in a post-note section of the attendance sheet.
- Record-Keeping Improvements: The attendance sheet will be updated to include week, subject, number of participants, and aggregate attendance instead of individual student names.
- Scheduling Adjustments: Recognizing the busy nature of Fridays, it was decided that one Friday per month would be dedicated to LIKE Club activities.
Reflections and Insights
- The importance of mapping existing school activities to align with LIKE Club initiatives.
- The value of Participatory Action Research (PAR) in fostering collaboration between teachers and the CVEC project team.
- The need to prepare updated animated videos and materials monthly to support the smooth functioning of LIKE Clubs.
GESI focal persons shared their experiences of forming LIKE Clubs, noting both successes and challenges.
Key insights
- Leadership Challenges: Conflicts arose among students eager to join the executive committee, partly due to inactivity in previously formed ward-level child clubs.
- Interest-Based Grouping: One GESI focal successfully grouped LIKE Club members by interest areas, ensuring effective engagement even in the absence of teachers.
Way Forward
The session concluded with a collaborative review of the activity book, record-keeping processes, and other materials provided by the CVEC project team. The approach highlighted the critical role of GESI focal persons, teachers, and LIKE Lab in fostering inclusive, sustainable child-led initiatives in schools.
