Child-led photography exhibition opens, highlighting children’s voices

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Jan 23: UNICEF and the Government of Finland today opened Jhalko: Glimpses of West Rukum, a child-led photography exhibition that amplifies children’s voices on the critical role education plays in protecting children’s rights, wellbeing and futures after a crisis.

The exhibition is part of the long-standing partnership between the Government of Nepal, UNICEF and the Government of Finland to strengthen Nepal’s education system and ensure learning continuity for children affected by emergencies, according to a press release issued by the UNICEF on Friday.

“When crises strike and schools are damaged or destroyed, education becomes a life-saving intervention – offering children safety, structure, psychosocial support and a sense of normalcy,” said Petri Puhakka, Finnish Ambassador to Nepal. “Nepal has shown strong commitment to ensuring children continue learning despite challenges posed by earthquakes, floods and other natural hazards. The Government of Finland is proud to work alongside the Government of Nepal and partners to strengthen safe, inclusive learning spaces that protect children, reduce distress and support recovery, helping them reconnect with teachers and peers and build skills for the future.”

Recognizing children as active participants in their own recovery, UNICEF and the Government of Finland supported a three-day photography workshop in November 2025 for children studying at Shree Bheri Dobhan Secondary School in West Rukum District, Karnali Province. The school was one of the 746 schools damaged or destroyed during the 2023 earthquake, which had its epicenter in Jajarkot District.

In response to the earthquake and other emergencies, UNICEF supported a total of 383 short-term learning centres to ensure immediate learning continuity. Building on this emergency response, the UNICEF–Finland partnership supports medium- to longer-term education in emergencies through the construction of transitional learning centres. To date, 56 semi-permanent centres—equipped with gender-segregated basic WASH facilities—have been built in 50 schools, including Shree Bheri Dobhan, enabling children to return to learning while permanent school facilities are rebuilt. Beyond learning, these centres also promote children’s psychosocial wellbeing and resilience after crisis. A further 90 semi-permanent transitional learning centres are currently under construction with UNICEF’s technical and financial support.

During the photography workshop at the Shree Bheri Dobhan transitional learning centre, children were encouraged to document their everyday lives from their own perspectives. The resulting photographs capture their walk to school, their learning environment and moments that matter most to them. Together, they reflect how children experience emergencies and bounce back to recovery, reminding us that children’s voices are essential to understanding the true impact of crises on education and our support back to normalcy.

Jhalko, meaning “glimpse” in Nepali, brings these photographs together as a powerful expression of children’s voices, creativity, resilience and agency. The exhibition highlights why listening to children and creating opportunities for them to express themselves is central to effective education in emergencies programming.

“In the aftermath of emergencies, education gives children more than lessons — it gives them stability, protection and a pathway to heal and hope,” said Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative to Nepal. “By placing children at the centre and listening to how they experience recovery, initiatives like Jhalko remind us why learning continuity is critical to building resilience and ensuring that every child can continue to learn, even after crisis.”

Open to the public from 24 to 25 January 2026 in Patan Durbar Square, in observance of the International Day of Education, Jhalko: Glimpses of Life in West Rukum calls for continued investment in education in emergencies—so that every child, even in the face of crisis, can keep learning, stay protected and build a better future, read the press release.