By Shraddha Thapaliya
Since April I have been calling schools all throughout Nepal to introduce our Safeguarding and Child Protection Orientation. At first, I thought I was only supposed to explain what the orientation was for and get schools to participate. I had made the assumption that the majority of institutions would be cognizant of the concerns regarding child protection and safeguarding, and that my responsibility would be limited to facilitating participation. But as the weeks grew into months, I realized that this experience was so much more than inviting schools to an orientation. It was a journey of exploration, introspection and realization of advocacy truths.
Every phone call was a different experience. Some school representatives joined the conversation with real interest. “They listened carefully, asked interesting questions and demonstrated a real enthusiasm to learn how safeguarding could improve the safety and well-being of children in their schools.” The discussions were encouraging, suggesting a desire to learn, to enhance current procedures. But many were tougher conversations. Some institutions respectfully declined the invitation owing to busy schedules, conflicting priorities, or limited availability. Others closed the debate before I even got to explain the purpose of me holding the orientation. Outreach can be an emotional strain. Some reactions can feel curt or contemptuous.
I wasn’t surprised by the rejection. I was surprised by the varying levels of awareness of safeguarding and child protection. I thought before I started this study that these notions would be widely understood by schools as they are responsible for the education and well-being of children. Instead I found that many school representatives had never heard the term ‘safeguarding’. Some linked it primarily with school punishment, others thought child protection was just responding after something had happened. The discussions revealed a crucial truth that while schools care profoundly about their kids, many educators have had limited chances to explore safeguarding as a proactive means of building safe and inclusive learning environments.
Every conversation started to look different to me. Instead of seeing my role as only taking schools to orientation, I started looking at every phone contact as a chance to create awareness. I hoped that even if not every school took part, the topic had at least set a seed for future discussion in the school community. The first step toward genuine change is not always instant engagement but the consciousness that a new method exists.
This kind of outreach, like many other kinds, took resilience. There were days when I was rejected over and over and wondered if I was making any impact at all. It was upsetting to get a number of ‘no’ responses back-to-back, particularly when meetings were cut short before I could explain why safeguarding and child safety are important for every school. But over time, I’ve learned not to view these comments as a personal rejection. Each school is different, and must balance its academic aims, its administrative responsibilities, its finite resources and the needs of numerous conflicting groups. Knowing these truths made me more compassionate and patient with each interaction.
I continued making calls, and witnessed my own professional improvement. I also gained more confidence in explaining protection clearly and accessibly, adjusting my communication to diverse audiences and reacting thoughtfully to queries and concerns. I learned the importance of communicating and listening.
The outreach went on, and persistence showed itself. Not every conversation resulted in an immediate sign-up, but each one raised awareness. Some schools wanted to have more information before they decided, some wanted to come to future orientations if they were able. I did some outreach, calling about 130 schools. “About 75 to 80 representatives picked up the phone. Many of these conversations didn’t lead to immediate sign-ups but each one was an opportunity to talk about the child protection and safeguarding thing. The first orientation had 10-11 schools. 16 schools were in the second, and 21 schools in the last. This gradual increase in participation corroborated the fact that it took time for people to learn about the calls and trust each other. I stopped worrying about whether or not a particular phone call resulted in a registration, and started to look at each conversation as part of a bigger effort to get schools to see safeguarding as an important part of creating learning environments that are safe and welcoming for all. Advocacy is more about making changes that last, not doing a quick fix. The experience also made me realize the importance of the education sector in Nepal to have more information about child protection and safety. Safeguarding is a new idea for many schools so it is important to keep advocating for it and helping people to build skills to help them understand it. The outreach also suggested schools could be more involved in the future by getting information ahead of time and hearing real-life instances of how schools keep students safe and by following up with schools that said they were interested but couldn’t participate at the time. Awareness is a process. Each conversation is an opportunity to help people understand schools need to create safe, welcoming and protective learning environments.
Looking back, this path has been both gratifying personally and professionally. It has made me a better communicator, tougher, more patient and better at dealing with people from varied backgrounds. More importantly, this experience helped me realize that lasting change starts with awareness. My understanding of advocacy has elevated from simply providing information or raising the number of participants to opening up conversations, questioning stereotypes and getting people to think about their responsibilities to safeguard all children.
I am hopeful that this outreach would develop and reach more schools and educators and communities around the country as Inclusive Education Nepal continues to undertake its work for safeguarding and child protection. Not every interaction will lead to action immediately, but every chat is a seed. With time, dedication and partnerships, those seeds can blossom into stronger policies, safer schools and a culture where every child can study in a secure, respectful and inclusive setting. This experience has taught me that one conversation at a time can bring change and that even one phone call can be the first step toward building a safer future for children.
*Shraddha Thapaliya works at Inclusive Education Nepal.