When the Classroom Was Out of Reach, Learning Still Continued
During the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities to meet girls face-to-face in schools became limited. But the need for practical knowledge about safety, violence, rights, and where to seek help did not disappear.
Pratthanadee Foundation therefore developed a Self-Learning Kit for Girls — a resource designed so girls could continue learning independently, even when in-person workshops were not possible.
In February 2022, with support from Let’s Share Happiness Charity x Kelly Smith, we distributed 688 self-learning kits to Grade 9 girls across four schools in Ubon Ratchathani and Si Sa Ket.
📝 Learning at Their Own Pace
The kits combined age-appropriate information with short situations, question-and-answer activities, practical exercises, and reflection prompts.
Girls explored topics including personal safety, violence and rights, safer responses to difficult situations, help-seeking channels, and digital safety.
The format gave them something they could keep, revisit when needed, and share with friends or family.
For 97% of questionnaire respondents, this was their first experience with this type of self-learning resource. The need for practical information was also clear: 67% could not identify an organisation that could help women experiencing violence.
One girl reflected:
Before, I did not know what to do in this kind of situation.— Feedback from participantAfter studying the materials, I can stay mindful and remember the ways to keep myself safe.
Another shared:
I was excited to learn independently.— Feedback from participantAfter studying all the materials, I felt that I knew much more than before.
📖 A Different Way to Keep Learning Possible
A self-learning kit cannot fully replace the discussion, interaction, and practice that come with an in-person workshop.
But during a time when meeting girls in the classroom was difficult, it gave us another way to keep important knowledge within their reach.
Among respondents who completed the project ratings, 91% rated the kit as useful for daily life, while 95% felt able to share what they had learned with others.
For us, that was the value of the project: not simply distributing materials, but finding a practical way to continue reaching girls when our usual approach was no longer possible.
We are grateful to Let’s Share Happiness Charity x Kelly Smith for helping 688 girls continue accessing knowledge that could help them recognise risks, protect themselves, and know where to turn for support.
