Plan CEO Simpson Visits Janakpur, Holds Discussions with Chief Minister and Local Representatives
Plan CEO Simpson Visits Janakpur, Holds Discussions with Chief Minister and Local Representatives
Janakpur, December 2 – Debbie Simpson, the Chief Executive Officer of Plan International, visited Janakpur on Monday. Simpson along with delegation of representatives from various countries of Plan International, conducted field visits to locations implementing the Equitable and Inclusive Education Project.
During the visit, Jitnarayan Yadav, Mayor of Ganeshman Charnath Municipality in Dhanusha, praised the project for significantly improving the quality of education in community schools within the municipality. Mayor Yadav said, “The Equitable and Inclusive Education Project has been highly effective for this municipality. The project has played a key role in creating a student-friendly educational environment in schools.”
Mayor Yadav highlighted how many children from underprivileged families, those who had dropped out of school, or had never attended school were reintegrated into the education system through the project’s initiatives. However, he also noted that a lack of physical infrastructure in community schools posed challenges to delivering quality education. He expressed the municipality’s willingness to collaborate with donor agencies to address this issue.
The team conducted an on-site inspection of Shree Secondary School in Ward No. 3 of the municipality. During the visit, they interacted with teachers, students, and members of the school management committee to discuss various topics. Plan International Nepal with support from USAID and local partner Aasaman Nepal, has implemented the Equitable and Inclusive Education Project in several schools across Dhanusha. This project includes initiatives such as remedial classes for students with learning challenges, child- and disability-friendly Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, and student-friendly Early Childhood Development (ECD) classrooms. Additionally, the project has promoted complaint-handling mechanisms, established child rights committees, and strengthened internal governance within schools.
On the same day, Plan International Nepal’s Country Director, Ram Kisan, along with representatives from other countries, visited Dhanusha to observe activities under the education and adolescent empowerment projects. The team also interacted with the Champion of Change (CoC) group, a cohort of change agents driving community awareness. During this interaction, members of the group showcased Mithila paintings they had created to spread awareness on social issues. The youth explained how these artistic efforts contribute to raising community awareness.
The delegation also paid a courtesy visit to Satish Kumar Singh, Chief Minister of Madhesh Province. During the meeting, Chief Minister Singh emphasized that alongside infrastructure development, education, health, and social progress are also top priorities for the provincial government. He expressed a willingness to work with donor organizations to achieve impactful results. He stated during the discussion, “If NGOs design and implement projects aligned with government priorities, significant outcomes are achievable”.
In the meeting, Rani Kumari Tiwari, the province’s Minister of Education and Culture, highlighted the challenges posed by the imbalanced teacher-to-student ratio in schools, which has negatively impacted the education sector. In response, CEO Simpson reaffirmed Plan International’s commitment to supporting government priorities. Simpson said, “We are ready to collaborate to improve the quality of education in Madhesh Province. Strong cooperation among all stakeholders can achieve any result.”
The meeting was attended by CEO Simpson, representatives from USAID, Plan International’s Asia-Pacific Director Bhagyashree Dengle, Nepal’s Country Director Ram Kisan, as well as delegates from China, Japan, Bangladesh, Australia, Uganda, and the Netherlands.