Written By: Rachana Shrestha and Ganga Pyakurel / Save the Children

Gulson, the mother of 7-year-old Sahid, tears up as she watches her son gently turn the pages of his new books. “I never thought that I would see my son study or even think of educating him,” Gulson shares. Sahid lives with multiple disabilities; he can’t speak, hear, or walk. “But our dream of seeing our son study has been fulfilled because of the ‘School at Home Initiative.’ The school has come home.” The School at Home initiative is Save the Children’s flagship program designed to ensure that children like Sahid are not deprived of education because of their disabilities. “A teacher assigned from the local school comes to teach Sahid. It’s like being in a classroom, where the teacher teaches a student. The only difference is the classroom is at home.”

Under the ‘School at Home’ initiative, Sahid is provided with a home tutor and a sign-language facilitator who support both Sahid and his tutor to communicate effectively. “Learning with the support of a teacher and sign language facilitator has also helped Sahid communicate with me and other family members effectively. It has given him new confidence.”

Gulson further explains the change in attitude in her son after being enrolled in the School at Home initiative. “Sahid loves his classes with his tutor. I never knew he loved getting ready so much. He oils his hair, wears a clean set of clothes, and gets ready for his classes. Seeing him hold the pencil makes me immensely happy.”

Save the Children, through its sponsorship program, also supported the establishment of a disability-friendly learning space. “The learning space has a child-friendly chair, books, and play materials. But Sahid’s learning is not just limited to books; it focuses on life skills as well,” Gulson shares. Along with studies and games, the teacher also assists Sahid in conducting mild exercises and understanding the importance of personal hygiene, like brushing and handwashing.

“We are grateful to Save the Children because not only did it help us educate our child, but it also supported us in getting a disability card, which made Sahid eligible to receive the social protection grant,” shares, Gulson shares with a big smile, and concludes, “my son will be educated, and he will have a future.”

Shrestha is the Communications and Media Coordinator and Pyakurel is the Information and Communications Coordinator at Save the Children.