Education partner Hands in Outreach(HIO) embraces the cultural mosaic of Nepal, where 125 caste/ethnic groups and different religions coexist peacefully. These Nepali children who attend HIO’s Learning Center in Kathmandu are marking Dashain, the most celebrated Hindu festival in Nepal- recognizing a higher benevolent God that oversees all Nepalis, encouraging a more caring society. The children have received a tika blessing on the forehead – a mixture of red powder mixed with water and rice and are holding pots of jamara – young shoots of barley they had grown for the festival. Though the customs of caste distinction are outlawed in Nepal, the practice is still widespread and rife with prejudices and injustice many young girls in the program must overcome. That is just one of many reasons why Gendercide Awareness Project proudly sponsors the work of HIO: Transforming Lives through the Power of Education.