The Seti Project was an education and rural development initiative implemented in 5 districts along the Seti River of Nepal in 1981. A major emphasis of the project was on increasing the literacy levels of the women and young girls. The project as a whole focused on creating a new learning environment by upgrading schools and improving participation in education. Traditionally, the people of this rural, agricultural area did not see the need for extensive education. Girls rarely attended school as they were needed at home to work for the family.

The project had a two-pronged initiative to specifically address the gender issues in the villages of Nepal; it included basic education programs for both young girls and adult women. The Cheli Beti (young girl) education and basic skills program was developed. Families were encouraged to allow their young girls to attend the 2-hour class every morning where they were taught reading, writing, and counting through the vehicle of lessons on practical skills for daily life. Health and hygiene were major themes around which lessons were developed and families gradually realized that they benefitted from many of the new ideas brought home by the girls. This triggered a slow increase in enrollment of girls in regular school as well as in the Cheli Beti program.

More of the girls were able to participate in the regular education program, which had also been expanded as part of the Seti Project. A component of the project was extensive teacher training and the establishment of a centralized school as a community resource center/model school for teacher training, adult education, and community development. At the resource center, gardens were cultivated with new vegetable plants and fruit trees, which helped to improve the food consumption patterns and nutrition of the villagers as well as generating extra funds for school and community projects.

The basic education of adult women in the Seti River region was fostered through a related initiative of the project. Adult education classes were held in the evenings with strong learner input as to course themes and materials so that the most pressing needs that the villagers felt should be addressed actually were. The women felt they had learned many ways to directly improve the conditions of their everyday lives. These included basic skills like building latrines and garbage pits to developing a new stove with an enclosed chimney for better smoke ventilation to more complex issues like learning how to mix rehydration solutions for sick children and how to prepare food suitable for children.

The Seti Project of Nepal is included in the International Literacy Explorer because of its varied and comprehensive strategies to boost young girls and women's basic education and literacy levels. These effective strategies, discussed further under Project Activities, can be modified and used in numerous other rural settings.

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