After being unable to visit Nepal for the last two years due to the pandemic, our Chief Executive, Janice Miller, finally managed to get to Pokhara for a couple of weeks last month. During her trip she not only spent time with the Kidasha team but also met with our local partners and some of the children and families supported by our various projects and initiatives.
Following Janice’s visit, here’s an update on Kidasha’s current progress in Nepal.
Throughout the height of the pandemic, unlike some others, the extraordinary dedication and commitment of the Kidasha team and our local partners ensured continued and increased support to the most vulnerable children and families. Now, whilst reported Covid rates in Nepal are thankfully very low, the wider social and economic impacts of the pandemic are still being felt particularly by the very poorest, with many families struggling to survive in the absence of livelihood opportunities and many children being unable or unwilling to return to school after such a long gap. Hence it is imperative that we maintain the same, if not even greater level of commitment and help the most vulnerable to recover and thrive in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Our teams and volunteers distributed food supplies to vulnerable families in Pokhara and Butwal throughout the pandemic
Kidasha’s ‘Rehabilitation Centre for Street Children’ has been operating at full capacity since the start of the pandemic. It’s currently supporting 25 boys to recover physically and emotionally from their time on the streets, with the mission of reuniting them with their families wherever possible.
The centre remained open 24/7 throughout the pandemic, which is a testament to the dedication of our support staff. Our teams also go above and beyond to continue supporting over 75 children that have passed through the centre and reintegrated with their families. This includes Sanam, a 13 year boy who was recently reunited with his mother after spending 5 years at our centre. Last week, our teams visited them both to make sure that they were doing well, and to give them supplies for the coming months. Sanam seemed incredibly happy and settled back home; a hugely heart-warming result for our team and the best outcome for Sanam and his family.
Janice meeting Sanam (13) and his mother during her trip to Nepal
The demand for our other initiatives has also been huge.
Kidasha’s ‘Life Skills’ initiative is currently available across 30 schools in Nepal. These education sessions focus on giving year 8 students important lessons around health, wellbeing, and sex education; helping them make informed, safe choices as they head into their teenage years.
Children during a ‘Life Skills’ lesson in a government school in Kaski District
Additionally, our ‘Breaking Boundaries’ sporting programme uses cricket coaching to support students’ holistic development. It is currently operating in 15 schools and has been received incredibly well by both boys and girls across the community.
Our ‘Learning for Life’ project is another successful initiative, one which works to empower adolescent girls (many of whom are already mothers) and provide them with the necessary skills to build more positive futures for themselves. This initiative ensures that girls are able to identify and avoid dangerous situations, and make responsible decisions about their future.
A recent ‘Learning for Life’ girls group meeting
Your support is invaluable in making sure our teams can run these vital projects and provide young people with the practical, educational and emotional support they need to thrive.
Thank you,
The Kidasha Team
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