This year, Streatham & Clapham Prep School has chosen Phase Worldwide for their international charity.

Practical Help Achieving Self-Empowerment (PHASE) Worldwide was founded in 2005. Since then, they've grown into a charity which has raised millions of pounds. Every year, the work they do changes the lives of over 50,000 people in Nepal.

Rugin is in one of the most remote districts of Nepal, with few roads, under-resourced schools, and few livelihood opportunities. Within Nepal’s patriarchal society, gender inequality and discrimination exist from before birth, but are further amplified in rural settings, where many females eat least and last, many women are illiterate, few have access to land or property and 33% of girls are married before they are 18 rising to 45-50% of girls in this region. Outlawed traditional customs such as ‘Chhaupadi’ still exist, where menstruating girls and women and new mothers are forced to stay outside in ‘period/ exclusion huts’, exposing them to dangerous cold, risks of attacks from people or wildlife.

We are raising money to fund education in these regions, to bring change in perception, understanding and behaviour of girls, boys, teachers and the community towards gender roles, gender equality and inclusivity through a girls empowerment programme. The Girls Empowerment programme supports girls to complete their education, challenge harmful practices like Chhaupadi and build confidence for lifelong empowerment while being able to challenge gendered social attitudes.