Educating Childrens in Nepal Project

An Overview

For many, Nepal is a land of dreams, temples, Himalayan expedition of ancient cities and picturesque villages, the birthplace of Buddha, and home to the Yeti. However, this land of cultural diversity and rich tradition is also one of the poorest countries in the world and for much of its population daily life is anything but a dream. More than half of its population live below the poverty line. Everyday is a painful reminder of impoverished life and arduous struggle.

Despite Government’s priority in recent years for education, the national literacy rate of 40% continues to be very low compared to other countries. The figures are even lower in the remote areas and especially among the disadvantaged communities. Although the Government has pledged to make education free for all, it remains a luxury for many poor families. To make a living, families are compelled to put children at work at the expense of their education. Without any education, having only acquired the skills for menial jobs, these children will never be able to break the cycle of poverty.

Thanks to I/NGOs and the donor community for giving such children the light of education through various programs. However, there are hundreds and thousands of other children who deserve better, especially the children of backward communities, underprivileged castes, and orphans.

Target Group

ECN will be working for the education of children from disadvantaged and underprivileged minorities in Far Western Development Region of Nepal. It covers one fifth area of the country with Two Zones (Mahakali and Seti) and Nine Districts (Accham, Baitadi, Bajang, Bajura, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Doti, Kailali, and Kanchanpur).

It is the least developed region of the country with nominal facilities of roads, electricity, telephone, hospitals, schools, universities and the like. Livelihood of majority of the inhabitants is subsistent farming. They have limited income, education, and employment opportunities.

Implementing Agency

ECN is an autonomous subsidiary program of Children's Home (CH). CH is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) registered with His Majesty's Government of Nepal and affiliated with the Social Welfare Council (SWC) as a non-profit, social service organization.

CH was established in 1989 with a mission to provide education, health care, food, and a residential facility to the orphans, abandoned, underprivileged and needy children of Nepal. More than that, it is a family. It receives no financial support from the Government and is not affiliated with any political organizations. It relies solely on private donations and occasional assistance from the I/NGOs for operation and development.

Initially, CH had 18 boys and girls in Kathmandu. It has gradually expanded its program to care for more. Now it has two facilities:

• CH in Kathmandu has 46 girls (age 0-19)
• Amor Children's Home (ACH) in Mahendranagar has 64 boys (age 4-18)

Mission

ECN has the mission to be the catalyst for change and development in the Far Western Development Region of Nepal by educating the children, the future of our nation.

Objectives

The main objectives of ECN are to:

• Provide scholarships for education to more than 500 very poor children
• Impart quality education of International Standard from Nursery to High School at Florida International Boarding School (FIBS).

Scholarships

ECN will provide the following scholarship schemes for children from disadvantaged communities in need of financial support to attend FIBS:

• Full Scholarship (FS)
  
  FS will be provided to Nine most intelligent children from each of the Districts of the Program Area annually. An examination will be held at respective District Head Quarters for selection. Result of the examination will be published in the national newspapers. FS will cover all the expenses for tuition, accommodation, food, uniforms, and educational materials.
  
  
• Merit Scholarship (MS)
  
  MS will be provided on a competitive basis to the needy children residing locally in Mahendranagar. The recipients of FS will be monitored at homes for financial status and educational environment created by their families.

Note: Applications for scholarships, selection examination dates, test locations, and other relevant information can be obtained from FIBS. A Scholarship Review Committee, (SRC) will process all the applications for scholarships.

How can you help to educate the Children of Nepal?

ECN will send you photograph of a child, a brief history, and the annual academic progress report. The sponsor can also directly correspond with the child.

Donate to the General Fund (GF)

The GF will be used for improving the quality of education and to further develop FIBS.

We wish to develop and expand our programs to benefit the needy children all over Nepal. We all from CH and ECN hope that you will be a generous contributor for us to achieve these goals. We thank you for your cooperation and support.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Uttar Tamata
President/Executive Director
CH / ECN
Children's Home
Khokana-5, Sano Khokana, Lalitpur
Phone: 00977 - 1- 5592784
Fax: 00977- 1- 5533939
Email: uttartamata@yahoo.com