Nepal, Oct. 16 -- From a very young age, every child in Nepal hears the word 'police' often in a way meant to scare them. Parents threaten, "If you don't eat your food, the police will come," or "Be good or the police will catch you!" This creates a fearful image that the police only come when someone does something wrong. Children also grow up hearing stories of 'police and chor' (cops and robbers), which makes them think that the job of the police is only to catch criminals.

However, as children grow, their understanding begins to change. They start to see the police in a new light-not as someone to fear but as someone to trust.

One powerful example was during the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, even children who stayed home could se...