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Please support children of bonded labourers in their bid to break free from slavery.

My mother and father work as labourers in a field harvesting rice, so I have to look after my little brother. I also have to fetch water and firewood and sometimes I work on the field to harvest rice. I would rather be attending school, but I can't as I have to look after my brother whilst my parents are at work.

These words came a year ago from 12-year-old Saruda Nepali (pictured above with her little brother) from Hakuli village in western Nepal. Her parents are in slavery working for next to nothing on their landlord’s land.

To help children like Saruda we have teamed up with our Nepali partners to start a project to break the cycle of discrimination and poverty by improving access to education and consequently livelihood opportunities.

We have already opened 20 schools in ten districts of Nepal whereover 400 children were given basic education so now they can enrol to state schools. For children over 14 years, we will provide evening vocational training courses that will enable them to gain some practical skills to find jobs and not be dependent on their landlords. We have already recruited nearly 100 children for courses this year.

However, just providing classes is often not enough as their families can rarely afford books, stationery, uniforms and all that every school child needs. That is why we help them get scholarships where possible and support families financially if required.
 
This project looks very promising and is receiving a lot of enthusiastic support from the communities affected by bonded labour. This is only the start though and the needs are growing, which is why your support is necessary.

On one level we found that the most trivial things such as the lack of a school uniform or not being able to afford a daily meal at school can be big factors for children to drop out of schools or attend less regularly and with lesser enthusiasm. We need to make sure these needs are met.

On another level we’re working to raise awareness among the local authorities and communities in bonded labour areas to make sure they respect the rights of children affected by bonded labour and combat discrimination against them. We also try to make sure parents are fully aware of the impact of not sending children to schools and of the benefits for their children and their families if they do so.

That’s why we’re turning to you for help today.

Please support the children of bonded labourers in Nepal in their bid to change their lives and break free from slavery. There is still much to be done for these children to emancipate themselves and you can be part of it. The smallest donation can make a big difference.

Saruda is lucky. Only a year ago she couldn’t even dream about going to school, and the future looked bleak without any chance to make a decent living. Now she has the chance to get an education and change her life.

£5 could provide a school meal for a child for a week.

£20 could provide stationery for one child for the whole school year.

£200 could provide a vocational training such as sewing or bricklaying for a child for one year.

Please click here to donate.*

Thank you for your support


Aidan McQuade
Director

Please click here to learn more about the project

* Your donation will be used for the project described or where the need is greatest