Classrooms in the Clouds (CitCNepal) is a registered charity (1170522) and exists to support education in Nepal. It achieves this by building schools, supporting the employment and professional development of teachers and providing resources to promote the education of children. CitCNepal works in partnership with local communities and operates in a culturally empathetic way as a means of creating sustainable solutions. The charity was registered in 2007 and has built classrooms in remote, mountainous regions of Nepal, sponsored teachers in village schools and employed a Nepal-based Education Development Manager. They have also successfully arranged international teacher exchanges between Nepali teachers with counterparts in the UK. CitCNepal is a voluntary-run organisation with its Trustees all taking an active part in the running of the charity. This means that the vast majority of charity income is spent in Nepal where it is needed the most.
The Soroptimist International Club in Chester worked with CitCNepal for 2 years, helping them successfully bid for a programme of work to:
- Provide professional training for CitC supported (female) teachers
- Funding for 2 female peripatetic teachers, to support gender equality in schools and train on menstrual health hygiene
- Provide resources to schools, including materials to make reusable menstrual kits
Locally, SI Chester brought together CitCNepal and a local school The Bishops’ Blue Coat Church of England High School, Chester. Bishops and CitCNepal worked together on a joint science education initiative on personal hygiene & hand-washing.
Inspiring the next generation of girls in an unequal society, which is still largely patriarchal, is a priority for CitCNepal and SI Chester and therefore the inclusion of female teachers will be a key aspect.