Photo: A girl rescued from extreme poverty is happy to show us her new uniform and backpack. She’s ready for school!
We’re happy to report that children of the Thapathali slum colony in Kathmandu, Nepal, recently received new backpacks, uniforms, and education scholarships, which have enabled them to attend local schools in the city. Focusing our efforts on getting them into school is a key component in breaking the cycle of extreme poverty, and gives them great hope and an opportunity to change their lives. Our education program, now in its second year, is growing and these achievements are a significant step in the process.
The Thapathali slum colony is composed of about 100 families who live in make-shift homes built with nothing more than tree branches, tattered tarps, and vinyl ad banners found in the trash dump beside them. There is no electricity and only a few latrines serve the entire settlement.
However, in the midst of these scenes of squalor, our program is providing the nutritional support these kids need to stay focused as they enter the education opportunities we’re opening for them. Because our budget does not allow a solution for every child of the colony, we have chosen to focus on children below the age of 8 as our starting point. All told, we’ve registered 45 children that fit this profile.
A child of the colony named Rohit is a recent recipient of a scholarship. His father’s leg was broken by a hit-and-run motorcycle accident, and there was no one to earn money for his family while his father rested and healed. His family could not afford school fees, much less supplies. With your support and profits from the farmland, Rohit is now thriving in the experience of a quality education opportunity.
Our farmland, which grows various organic vegetables and raises goats for goat milk and stockbreeding, is taking us closer to our sustainability goals in Nepal. The produce from our farmland provides nutritious food for the slum children. It also supplies our human trafficking rehabilitation home and orphanage with fresh ingredients for their meals. Surplus from the farmland is sold at market to generate much-needed funding for our education programs as well.
Take a Closer Look: view the full size of the story photo, and browse many more