New Animation Video on Essential Capabilities for Children’s Well-Being

 The research project Promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Schools: Building on What Children Value and Aspire to Do and Be is a collaborative initiative led by Kathmandu University School of Arts in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. It aims to strengthen gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in education by focusing on children’s valued capabilities - known as the qualities and opportunities they believe are essential for achieving a good life. 

Through country-specific diagnostic tools, the project conducts action research and implements capacity-building activities for students, teachers, and key stakeholders. The goal is to create safer, more inclusive, and equitable school environments while generating evidence to inform scalable, child-centered education policy and practice. This joint effort explores how Children’s Valued Educational Capabilities (CVEC) can enhance GESI outcomes across schools in the region. 

As part of the project’s knowledge-sharing efforts, an animated video titled Sheru's Story: 16 Essential Capabilities for Children was launched on YouTube in June 2025. The animation introduces Sheru, a curious and compassionate student, who leads viewers through a vibrant school day. Alongside his friends, Sheru explores the 16 key capabilities (guided by the CVEC) that children themselves identified as essential to their well-being, ranging from being safe and feeling respected, to being heard and having opportunities to play and learn. 

The capabilities are rooted in the Capability Approach and reflect children’s voices in defining what they value in their everyday school lives. This knowledge output highlights how education systems can better support students’ holistic development, beyond academic achievement, by addressing social, emotional, and inclusive learning needs. It serves as both an advocacy and learning tool for educators, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to design child-centered, inclusive education policies and practices. 

Watch Sheru’s journey and explore what matters most to children: 
सेरुको कथा: बालबालिकाका १६ महत्वपूर्ण क्षमता (Sheru's Story: 16 Essential Capabilities for Children)  

Let Sheru’s story inspires you to rethink what makes education truly meaningful.