Our Work in Nepal

In Nepal, The Library Project provides free Reading Rooms, Reading Corners, Book Donations, and Literacy Programs to rural schools and community centers. These programs expand access to books and welcoming reading spaces while helping children strengthen the literacy skills they need to learn and succeed in school.

Our Reading Rooms create dedicated spaces where children can explore age-appropriate books and develop regular reading habits. Reading Corners bring books directly into classrooms and other learning spaces, while Book Donations help schools and community centers strengthen existing collections. Our Literacy Programs provide additional opportunities for children to practice reading, improve comprehension, and build confidence as readers.

The Library Project also provides Capacity Building for local literacy nonprofit organizations in Nepal. This support is free of charge and may include one-on-one mentoring, planning tools, fundraising guidance, program development support, and access to practical resources. By strengthening local organizations, we help build long-term, community-led literacy impact.

Literacy in Nepal

Nepal has made important progress in expanding access to education, but many children are still not developing strong foundational reading skills. The 2024–25 Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, conducted by Nepal’s National Statistics Office with UNICEF, found that only 37.1 percent of children ages 7 to 14 demonstrated foundational reading skills in Nepali. Among children attending Grades 2 and 3, only 20.7 percent demonstrated these foundational reading skills. The assessment measures skills expected at the Grade 2 level, including reading a short text and answering comprehension questions.

Educational opportunities and learning outcomes also vary significantly across Nepal. UNICEF identifies geographical remoteness, socioeconomic circumstances, gender, and ethnic differences among the continuing challenges affecting equitable access to quality education. The latest national literacy assessment also shows large differences by household wealth: foundational reading skills were demonstrated by 34.1 percent of children in the poorest households compared with 55.4 percent in the richest households.

Access to books and supplementary learning materials remains another challenge. According to the Government of Nepal’s 2023/24 Flash I Report, just 36.9 percent of the country’s 15,802 community schools serving Grades 1–5 reported having a book corner. Only 56.2 percent reported having children’s learning materials and 33.2 percent reported having reference materials. These gaps can limit children’s opportunities to read beyond their textbooks and develop regular reading habits.

Reading is the foundation for learning across all subjects. In Nepal, expanding access to books and reading spaces, strengthening children’s foundational literacy skills, and supporting locally led literacy organizations can help more children become confident readers. The Library Project’s work responds to these needs through Reading Rooms, Reading Corners, Book Donations, Literacy Programs, and Capacity Building.