Education and Social Support Programme  

In partnership with Sathi Nepal

The aim of this project is to give street, working, and ‘at risk' children their basic right to an education, by supporting them into formal schooling, where they have the opportunity to gain skills which will help them build a brighter future.

Children who would not otherwise be able to go to school, are referred to the programme by the other ‘Consortium' partners.  They are placed in schools near to where they are staying, and are supported with all school-related fees, uniforms, and educational materials.      

The challenges that street, working, and ‘at risk' children face in life, often lead to behavioural problems that make it difficult for them to fit into a school environment.  Our social workers provide support through monthly home and school visits, so they can ensure the child is attending regularly, give counselling and advice to family members and teachers in helping the child, and give extra encouragement to the child.

 

Raju's story

Raju is 12 years old.  His father is a labourer, earning £15 per month to support him and his 5 siblings, and his elder sister also works as a domestic worker.  2 years ago Raju dropped out of school after completing class 2, not because he wanted to stop studying but because of his family's poor financial situation.  He was then put to work - initially as a domestic worker (servant) in exchange for food, and then working on the street as a rag picker.

Sathi Nepal social workers met him during one of their regular field visits, and found out he was very keen to return to school.  After a series of home visits to meet his parents and understand the family situation, they agreed to support him to do this.

He was delighted to be able to enroll in a local government school, through support with educational materials, school uniforms, counseling and home visits from the social workers.  He now goes to school regularly and has also improved his behaviour.  He passed his first term exams with excellent marks and we hope he will continue to do well.

Consortium for working children

This project provides services in partnership with a local consortium of four organisations working for street and working children.  This enables us to provide choices to suit each individual child, from counselling to family reintegration, from non-formal education to vocational training, from medical treatment to a business loan.  Please see our ‘street and working children's page for more details about the consortium's work.