Media Contact: Karen Garvin, 07971 576917
Pupils across the UK are being invited to take part in Happily Ever Smarter [www.unitedworldschools.org] to help make going to school a reality for thousands of children living in some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities, for the very first time in their lives. Launching today [29 April 2021], from award winning educational charity United World Schools (UWS), the campaign has free educational resources and a full fundraising kit available to all schools.
To inspire students in Class or Assembly, Happily Ever Smarter has produced a short animated film to tell the story of Kanchi*, 10, who lives high in the Himalayan mountains in Nepal, working all day in the fields with her grandmother and dreams of going to school. As the film turns from beautiful animation to stunning live action footage we see Kanchi’s dreams turn into reality, as a school is built in her remote village. Kanchi sets off for her first day of school and a chance to transform her future.
One in six children worldwide do not have the chance to attend school and in the rural region of Sankhuwasabha, Nepal, where Kanchi lives, less than a third of children complete primary education. Schools are often so far away that it’s dangerous for young children to walk there and there isn’t always an understanding of the importance of education. Children are often needed to work in the fields and at home, keeping them trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Headteacher Dhak Bahadur Poudel, at UWS Majjuwa in Sankhuwasabha, Nepal, explains: “Before this school was established, going to school had been quite difficult; there are rivers on two sides, and a high chance of floods and landslides at all times. So often children had to go to the school that’s an hour’s walk away from here. And it meant that younger children couldn’t go to school at all.
“Since working with UWS, we’re now also now including students in other villages like Lakhumalang and Bhaishule. It takes these children around an hour to reach here and during times of storms and heavy rainfall, it gets quite stressful for both students and parents of those students who have to walk to school from a distant village.”
The Happily Ever Smarter schools resources consist of four lessons which can be used together or independently. Each lesson is approximately one-hour long and includes a lesson plan, a photocopiable activity sheet, and a real-life story with images.
Inspired by the lives of children and teachers in Nepal, lessons:
- Introduce Education for All and the theme of Happily Ever Smarter
- Explore barriers to learning, and creative ways to access quality and inclusive education
- Inspire life-long learning, and sustainable linking between local life with the wider world
- Challenge students to celebrate new learning and speak up for education!
Lessons are designed for Key Stage 3, with stretch suggestions and differentiated stories for Key Stages 1, 2, & 4. They support the whole-school curriculum, with specific links to Global Citizenship, Geography, Literacy, and Art & Design.
Covid-19 has exacerbated the education crisis in the remote areas where UWS is working, making it even harder to reach these children. It has been a real challenge for children here in the UK to learn during the pandemic, but for children in extremely remote areas with no technology it’s been almost impossible.
Headteacher of Scarisbrick Hall School and Ambassador for UWS Jeff Shaw said:
“In our Wellbeing PHSE lessons we use resources from United World Schools which open our pupils’ eyes to really understand what the world is like and how not all children have access to education. They support us to help pupils understand the importance of education, global perspectives and empathy. We’re delighted with how our pupils have engaged; they get a real insight into the barriers to education and how thousands of children in remote areas have many challenges just to complete a basic primary education.
“A schools’ role is now more important than it was 12 months ago. In these remote places we know that getting teachers and children back into schools means that tragic consequences can be avoided such as children falling victim to trafficking and child labour. And after the past year here in the UK, I think focusing on the understanding of giving to others builds and restores personal well-being for our pupils as well.
“For Happily Ever Smarter we’re challenging our pupils to run to Cambodia – it’s 4200 miles, so on average each pupil has to run 9 miles. We want them to use this opportunity to get their body moving, do things out in the fresh air and understand the value of what giving a small amount of money can actually do to transform another child’s life.”
Until 29 July for every £1 raised by schools and the general public, the UK government will match donations by giving another £1 to help primary-age children get a life-changing education in Nepal. All public donations will help children from marginalised communities access education through UWS’ programmes across Asia, by building schools, training teachers, empowering communities and strengthening state education in rural areas.
- £80 could provide a year’s education for a child…. and doubled, we could educate two children!
- £150 could provide vital PPE for a remote school for 6 months… and doubled, we could keep children and teachers safe for an entire year.
- £250 could help us fill a school library with books… and doubled, we could fill two libraries!
United World Schools (UWS) aims to raise £2 million with Happily Ever Smarter to build, resource and equip 70 new schools, train 375 local people as community teachers and reach 10,000 more children, like Kanchi, with education.
To download educational resources, a fundraising pack and find out more about the 180 Challenge visit www.unitedworldschools.org
Notes to Editors:
- For more information, spokespeople, imagery and data on global education please contact:
Karen Garvin [email protected] 07971 576917
- Downloads available:
- Happily Ever Smarter film
- Kanchi selection of images and first-person story (more stories and images available). Photo credit: Navesh Chitraker. [*Kanchi’s name has been changed to protect her identity]
- UK Aid Match and Happily Ever Smarter logos
- UK Aid Match campaign - From 29 April to 29 July 2021 for every £1 you give to United World Schools the UK government will match your donation by giving another £1. All donations will help children from very remote communities access education across Asia. UK government funding will go to UWS’ programmes in Nepal to help over 8,000 out of school children in some of the most remote areas go to primary school for the very first time. Donations from the British public will be spent across all UWS’ education programmes in Nepal, Cambodia and Myanmar.
- United World Schools (UWS) builds schools in some of the most remote, impoverished villages in the world and champions inclusive, innovative and sustainable education, including remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 2008, UWS has built 250 schools and trained 1,000 local and government teachers and reached 43,000 children in Nepal, Myanmar and Cambodia with a life-changing education. UWS is a 2019 WISE Award Winner for educational innovation, and a 2020 UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize winner for ethnic minority literacy programmes.
- TheHappily Ever Smarter animated film includes a voice-over recorded by actor Amanda Redman [New Tricks, At Home with the Braithwaites and Good Karma Hospital) who is supporting the appeal.
Amanda Redman (New Tricks, At Home with the Braithwaites and Good Karma Hospital) has recorded a voice-over to a short animated film, produced by Partizan Studios. The inspiring story is of just one girl, Kanchi*, 10, who lives in the region of Sankhuwasabha, in Nepal, who works all day in the fields with her grandmother and dreams of going to school. As the film turns from animation to live action footage, we see Kanchi’s dreams turn into reality, as a school is built in her remote village. Kanchi sets off for her first day of school and a chance to transform her future.
One in six children worldwide do not have the chance to attend school and in the remote region of Nepal, where Kanchi lives, less than a third of the population complete primary education. Schools are often so far away that it’s dangerous for young children to walk there and there isn’t always an understanding of the importance of education. Children are often needed to work in the fields and at home, keeping them trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Covid-19 has exacerbated this education crisis making it even harder to reach these children. It has been a real challenge for children here in the UK to learn during the pandemic, but for children in extremely remote areas with no technology it’s been almost impossible. Prior to coronavirus 258 million children were already out of school, but the UN estimates that 24 million children may never return to school after lockdown, falling victim to early marriage or a lifetime of poverty. Vital progress made in access to education worldwide will be pushed back by a decade.
Until 29 July, for every £1 you give UWS the UK government will match your donation by giving another £1 to help primary-age children get a life-changing education in Nepal. All public donations will help children from marginalised communities access education through UWS’ programmes across Asia, by building schools, training teachers, empowering communities and strengthening state education in rural areas.
Amanda Redman said: “I visited Nepal in 2015, just a few months after the earthquake which devastated the country. It broke my heart to see how the kind, hard-working people I met had completely lost everything. We visited a very remote area where a school had been built, but this had been destroyed too and the children were crowded into tents trying to learn.
“In these remote areas, I saw how children so desperately want to get an education that they walk for hours along treacherous mountain paths to get to school, and then back again at the end of each day. I met one young mum, Sunita, whose home had been completely destroyed and they were sheltering in their chicken coup. She told me that all she wanted was for her two daughters to be educated so that they can have a better future.
“It’s absolutely staggering to learn that even in 2021, one in six children worldwide don’t go to school. Visiting rural Nepal really brought home to me how vitally important education is, it really was eye-opening. We think having education is such a basic thing, and something that every child has a right to, but for so many it’s still a luxury.
“I am honoured to be supporting Happily Ever Smarter and delighted to help share the story of Kanchi - one of the many strong and determined children UWS is helping to go to school for the first time. When I was invited to support this campaign I didn’t need to think twice; I’ve seen first-hand what people are up against and so I jumped at the chance to get involved. What United World Schools is achieving by working hand in hand with local communities in some of the most remote parts of the world is magnificent. I hope that together, we can give thousands more children a chance to have a brighter and more secure future.”
Tim Howarth, CEO of United World Schools, said: “In the remote areas where we work there are thousands of children who have no school to attend. For children who miss out on education the future can look extremely bleak. Girls in particular are vulnerable to exploitation through child labour and early marriage.
“We’ve already reached 43,000 children with our life-changing education model, by developing schools, investing in local communities and innovating our programmes. We’re delighted to have UK government support for Happily Ever Smarter, as it’s more important than ever that we step up on education and leave no child behind.”
Award-winning charity UWS aims to raise £2 million with Happily Ever Smarter to build, resource and equip 70 new schools, train 375 local people as community teachers and reach 10,000 more children, like Kanchi, with education.
Donate to help children live #HappilyEverSmarter before 29th July 2021 and the UK government will double your donations. £10 could provide education for a month for one child... and doubled, we could educate two children! To find out more and donate visit www.unitedworldschools.org
Notes to Editors:
- For more information, spokespeople, imagery and data on global education please contact:
Karen Garvin [email protected] 07971 576917
- Downloads available:
- Still image of Amanda Redman
- Happily Ever Smarter film to host on your platform [from 29 April]
- Kanchi selection of images and first-person story Photo credit: Navesh Chitraker. *Kanchi’s name has been changed to protect her identity. [More stories and images available].
- UK Aid Match and Happily Ever Smarter logos
- UK Aid Match campaign - From 29 April to 29 July 2021 for every £1 you give to United World Schools the UK government will match your donation by giving another £1. All donations will help children from very remote communities access education across Asia. UK government funding will go to UWS’ programmes in Nepal to help over 8,000 out of school children in some of the most remote areas go to primary school for the very first time. Donations from the British public will be spent across all UWS’ education programmes in Nepal, Cambodia and Myanmar.
- United World Schools (UWS) builds schools in some of the most remote, impoverished villages in the world and champions inclusive, innovative and sustainable education, including remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 2008, UWS has built 250 schools and trained 1,000 local and government teachers and reached 43,000 children in Nepal, Myanmar and Cambodia with a life-changing education. UWS is a 2019 WISE Award Winner for educational innovation, and a 2020 UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize winner for ethnic minority literacy programmes.
Between 29 April and 29 July, the UK government matched all UK donations made up to £2 million to help transform children’s lives through education in Nepal and across Asia.
Watch Kanchi’s story to find out how education can help children live Happily Ever Smarter.
What does it mean to double my donation?
For every £1 that was given to United World Schools between 29 April and 29 July, the UK government matched this by giving £1.
Match funding from the UK government will be used to help over 8,505 out of school children in some of the most remote and marginalised areas in Nepal to go to primary school for the first time.
All donations will help marginalised children in remote communities to access life-changing education across Asia, so that they can live Happily Ever Smarter.
How will my donations make a difference?
Globally, one in every six children are out of school. Across Asia, a staggering 18.7 million children of primary school age do not have the opportunity to attend school. In the regions of Nepal where we work, it is estimated that more than 67,530 children of primary-school-age are currently not in school, and less than a third of the population completes primary education in these regions.
Covid-19 has exacerbated this education crisis making it even harder to reach these children. Children from remote, ethnic minority communities are disproportionately affected - especially girls, many of whom have never had the chance to go to school. The girls who do attend school are at higher risk of dropping out by the time they reach their teens, due to the risk of child marriage and social stigma surrounding menstruation.
Schools are often so far away that it’s dangerous for primary-school-age children to walk there, and there isn’t always an understanding of the importance of education in their communities. In poorer communities, children often work in the home or the fields to help make ends meet, which can keep them trapped in a preventable cycle of poverty and illiteracy.
Children have the power to change the world; you can help them reach their full potential.
Through education, you can help children live Happily Ever Smarter. Together we can make going to school a reality for thousands of primary-school-age children, for the very first time in their lives.
We’re working to transform children’s futures and entire communities across Asia through our life-changing education model. Through building schools and investing in local communities, we will help thousands of primary-school-age children into education.
We train local teachers, empower students and parents, provide health and sanitation support and partner with regional and national governments. We provide ongoing support until every school is self-sustaining and we are confident in the local authority’s ability to maintain it - meaning that each school will continue to provide a life-changing education for generations to come.
“It will be really nice if my granddaughter continues to go to school and becomes independent. Maybe there is someone with a big heart that will support her."
- Kanchi’s grandmother, Dhana Laxmi Rai.
Education helps children like Kanchi (pictured above) live #HappilyEverSmarter; unlocking their future potential, breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering entire communities.
In developing countries, every additional year of education can increase a person’s future income by an average of 10%, leading to brighter futures for their family and community. For children from some of the poorest and most remote areas across Asia, every additional month and year of quality education makes an enormous difference.
In just 12 years, United World Schools has transformed hundreds of communities and thousands of children’s lives. We’ve reached 43,000 children in Nepal, Myanmar and Cambodia with a life-changing education – and with your support, we can help even more children live Happily Ever Smarter
“Our UWS journey provides a daily reminder of the desperate circumstances facing so many children around the world. It also provides a reminder that change is possible. United World Schools has transformed many, many lives in some of the world’s poorest, most remote communities"
- Tim Howarth
“From our humble beginnings, we recently began work on our 250th school project. En route, we have reached over 43,000 children who otherwise would never see the inside of a classroom, with even more students joining our schools each month. UWS has already achieved more than what anyone could have reasonably expected. It has been a privilege to lead UWS on an extraordinary journey – and work with some brilliant people each, and every day”.
UWS will shortly be commencing an external recruitment process for a new CEO. Tim will remain as Chief Executive until at least the Autumn of 2021, supporting the onboarding of his successor later in the year, with a commitment to ensuring a gradual and stable leadership transition, and ensuring UWS’ momentum is sustained and grows further in 2022.
Tim added “I am proud to be leaving United World Schools on a high. 2021 is the right time for me, both personally and professionally, to step back. I am honoured to work with a strong leadership team and committed Board – and I am confident we will continue to grow ambitiously for many years to come. I am enormously grateful to everyone who has supported me and UWS on this extraordinary adventure – thank you to our supporters for your ongoing support for our work. Our success is only possible thanks to your generosity, kindness, and commitment to the United World Schools mission”.
The Black Lives Matter movement catalysed really important conversations at UWS – issues which require much more than a knee jerk reaction or token response.
We took time to assess our own behaviours and ask ourselves uncomfortable questions. What is clear is we can, and must, do more. We are far from perfect – we have much to learn, much to do.
And we are learning; we are committed and we will deliver.
OUR PLANS ARE OUTLINED BELOW:
We want diverse teams and employees that, no matter their personal circumstances or characteristics:
- Promote positivity
- Have a breadth of experiences and backgrounds
- Instil a can-do attitude in everyone
We recognise that we are falling short of this currently and that we can, and must, do more to meet this vision.
TO ADDRESS THIS, WE HAVE TAKEN THESE IMMEDIATE STEPS:
- Engaged key stakeholders to understand UWS' approach to Diversity and Inclusion.
- Developed a Diversity and Inclusion policy at organisation and programme level.
- Created a Joint Consultation Committee to lead the development and delivery of the organisation’s Diversity and Inclusion agenda going forward.
- Worked on diversifying the Board through Trustee recruitment.
- Reviewed and improved our recruitment processes to do more to eliminate unconscious bias.
- Reviewed how we communicate and the language we use in communication
This is only the beginning of our journey. We will continue to learn with, and from others. We are warmly welcome feedback and comments so that we can progress and learn further.
By doing so, we will commit to further changes in our organisation and shall be open and transparent with our findings as we work together to tackle injustice, racism and equity.
We will publish our commitments and changes to reinforce our accountability and transparency.
We also know we cannot address systemic racism and inequity alone. We have fantastic talent in our sector who can drive real change. We respectfully challenge partners and funders to join us and make a commitment to lasting change.
I look forward to updating you on our progress in January 2021.
Tim Howarth | Chief Executive
"We always expect the PIEoneer of the Year to be making a difference across the education sector. United World Schools are a great example of raising the bar on innovation within education, in their ambitious mission to teach the unreached."
- The PIE News
Here at United World Schools, we were honoured to be Finalists for the ‘PIEoneer of the Year’ award amongst seven other inspiring leaders in education, including UNESCO and FutureLearn. With such esteemed organisations in our category, we were even more honoured and overjoyed when UWS was announced as the winner!
We’d like to dedicate this prestigious award to our teams across Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal, who’ve worked tirelessly for over a decade to provide a transformative education to over 35,000 children from marginalised communities.
We’re immensely proud and grateful to our amazing network of supporters, as well as the PIE (Professionals in International Education) jury for recognising our life-changing work!
The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize was launched in 1989 and rewards the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) displaying merit and achieving particularly effective results in contributing to the fight for literacy. It gives special consideration to the creation, development and dissemination of mother-tongue language education programmes in developing countries. We are the first UK-based organisation to win the award. The prize consists of a sum of US$20,000, a silver medal and a certificate.
The prize comes at a crucial time as education providers worldwide grapple with how to continue schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have been providing low-tech distance education to children in Myanmar while schools have been closed. We are now continuing local-level support to ensure the safe reopening of schools.
Matthew Lodge, UK Ambassador to UNESCO, said “On behalf of the UK Delegation to UNESCO, I would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to United World Schools on winning the prestigious UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize. This is a fitting recognition for their community project in a remote part of Myanmar. United World Schools have been undertaking this project in close cooperation with the local government, in order to provide the tools so that local children are able to receive their basic education in their native language. This project opens up new opportunities for children, and is an excellent example of how dedication, partnership and commitment can help in the battle against illiteracy and in the protection of indigenous languages, traditions and culture.”
James Bridge, Secretary-General of the UK National Commission for UNESCO said, "United World Schools winning the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize is an exceptional achievement. It is a tribute to UWS and their partners in Myanmar and especially the teachers, indigenous community and the school children themselves. The work will lead to improved educational outcomes for the children across the board and opportunities for them and their community."
Dr Kay Khaing Win, United World Schools Myanmar Country Director, said: “We are honoured UNESCO have recognised our work in Myanmar and the tremendous impact of our locally-recruited teachers. Thanks to them, thousands of children who speak minority languages are able to access a quality education. We hope this prize will make them feel even more proud of the amazing work they are doing and motivate them to continue delivering mother-tongue based education.”
The money raised will directly support children living in poverty to continue accessing education during the Covid-19 pandemic while their schools remain closed. As more than 80% of the 1.2 billion children currently out of the classroom live in developing countries, we are ensuring that these children can access a quality education from home. With internet and smartphone access a rare luxury, we have developed innovative education programmes including delivering lessons via radio to over 10,000 children in Nepal.
Event organiser Ruby Richards said:
“It was an incredible day and we’re so grateful to everyone who took part."
- Ruby Richards
“Our work isn’t possible without our fantastic community of supporters. All participants finished the course despite the rain, demonstrating their dedication to improving access to education.”
United World Schools CEO, Tim Howarth, said:
“With many fundraising events put on hold due to coronavirus, it’s been exciting to hold our Sussex cycle challenge for friends and long term supporters of United World Schools - who remained socially distanced at all times!"
- Tim Howarth
“All the funds raised will go towards supporting over 35,000 children in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal to continue their education during this period of temporary school closures.
We are deeply concerned that children living in extreme poverty are going to b affected by lack of access to education during these very difficult times. Unlike more affluent children around the globe, our students can’t rely on technology to learn from home. By taking part in this event, the participants are helping us to provide the resources these children need to continue their education and ultimately break out of poverty.”
UWS has worked in partnership with a number of COBIS schools for many years. UWS is delighted to currently partner with the British School of Paris, British School in Tokyo, British School of Bahrain, Dubai College, GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, GEMS Wellington International School, and Dubai English Speaking School & College. These brilliant schools have helped us raise vital funds, given their time and raised awareness, to provide life-changing education in Cambodia, Nepal and Myanmar. These impactful partnerships have established and maintained schools in some of the most remote regions of Asia, providing education to over 1,000 children. We are so pleased to have established a partnership with COBIS, and the 450 schools and organisations who make up their global membership.
This partnership is truly global in its scope. High-quality COBIS schools, which educate over 165,000 students and employ more than 16,000 teachers, can be found in 76 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. Together, we will share the transformational power of education with every member of the COBIS community. Not only this, but our partnership will stretch across COBIS’ influential networks within global education, helping us to reach new audiences, and raise vital funds and awareness for our work. Throughout the journey of our partnership, UWS will support the COBIS school network with educational resources for global learning in the classroom, giving young learners the opportunity to think critically about important issues in the world.
We look forward to working with COBIS and sharing the impact of our partnership in the coming months!
Every Tropic purchase, no matter how big or small, funds education for children living in some of the world’s poorest, most remote communities. For every collective £50 spent on Tropic products, the brand will donate a whole school day in either Cambodia, Nepal or Myanmar. These donations will specifically fund everything students need to learn, including:
- Safe school buildings, with plenty of room for every child who wants to attend
- Teachers who have been trained to deliver a high-quality education
- Classroom essentials, such as desks, chairs and whiteboards
- School libraries bursting with books, to encourage a love of literacy
- Clean water, bathrooms and health lessons to ensure our students are fit and healthy to learn
By supporting children to enrol and stay in school, Tropic are contributing to the sustainability of our work and empowering our students to succeed. Tropic’s goal is to provide over a million days of education by the end of 2020 – the equivalent to educating 5,000 children for a year! They have already funded over 400,000 days of education, transforming the lives of hundreds of children.
"I was fortunate enough to have access to a good education in the UK, which has shaped my life in many ways."
- Susie Ma, Tropic founder and CEO
“Around the world, 62 million children don’t have access to an education, so partnering with United World Schools was the perfect fit. Now every time our customers treat themselves to our products, they know they’re supporting children all over the world and helping to shape their futures too.”
