INTRODUCTION

Bal Sarathi is nongovernment organization (NGO)registered inaccordance with the Section (4) of the Organization Registration Act2034 BS and affiliated with the Social Welfare Council in accordancewith the Section (13) of the Social Welfare Act 2049 BS of theGovernment of Nepal in 2064 BS (2007AD). The NGO is autonomous and notprofit making non-governmental organization groomed from grass rootlevel and led by young,dynamic and resultoriented developmentprofessionals.

Bal Sarathi works alongwith the poor andmarginalized peopleliving at the bottom ofthe society, sinceestablishment, BalSarathi focuses onlivelihood, educationawareness and empowerment,public health, good governance, and humanitarian service. The targetbeneficiaries are women, indigenous people, children, wage laborer andneedy people. Bal Sarathi directly works with them and strives tostrengthen their capacity to reduce socio-economic, cultural andpolitical vulnerabilities. Bal Sarathi is an NGO, which is not forprofit and community welfare and development related organization,that is committed for the improvement of the status of thedisadvantaged and marginalized children and women and men by creatingawareness, enhancing their skills and knowledge on various pertinentissues and concerns like education, vocational skills, health andpromote gender equality and provide psycho-social support to thevulnerable group of the population.

Since the establishment of the organization, it has been continuouslyinvolving in the process of enhancing communities using local

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resources and global knowledge and practices. Furthermore, it is goingto run formal and informal adult education to make people moreconscious about education and health.

Bal Sarathi has conducted literacy and health classes for the streetand poor children. Over 150 children of 3-14 years of age arereceiving the education andhealth care facility everyday for 6 hours. Beside thismore than 40 students aregetting support for theirformal education in variousschools with thescholarships and logisticssupport from Bal Sarathi.These children are alsotaught to keep themselvesneat, clean, and tidy.Besides this, they are alsotrained and motivated tocultivate good habits andpracticing healthy behavior.Free educational materialsand stationeries includingtransportation facilities aswell as tea and snacks as amidday meal is providing bythe organization.

In brief, Bal Sarathi isconducting various activities and programs on its own resources andexternal supports. The enormous support from the community andbeneficiaries is the motor force of the organization to implementprograms. Bal Sarathi, an NGO has come forward to deal with suchproblems of the disadvantaged children and their parents and providethem support, education, care, love and aims to contribute to realizethe goal with the development and welfare of the children in Nepal

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OBJECTIVES

The overall objective/goal of the project is to provide theeducational opportunities of the vulnerable children and ensure theirall-round development. The main objectives of this project are to:

Provide the homely environment to the destitute and streetchildren, Increase the accessibilities of learning environment,Capacity building of poor and marginalized people,Strengthen partnership with community. Alternative/ inclusive education for poor and disadvantagedgroups.

HISTORY AND ACTIVITIES

Bal Sarathi stands for the“Friends of Children”. It wasestablished in 2005 by MalaKharel with the support of somegenerous members and wellwisher.

The chairman Ms. Mala Kharel wason her morning walk aroundPasupatinath ten year years agowhen she came across a crowd ayoung girl who lived on thestreet had been raped by apriest. According to bystandards, she was lured with apromise of a five rupees note.The story affected Mala deeplyand motivated her to dosomething for the streetchildren of Kathmandu. She3 |Bal Sarathi

started out with four girls, all victims of abuse, and began educationthem, but soon realized the problem was much bigger than she hadimagined. Viewing the situation, Mala could not sleep knowing therewere many others vulnerable children on the streets. So, in 2006 MalaOpened Bal Sarathi Academy, which provides free education to streetchildren who also get one Meal a day, text books, stationeries, anduniforms, all free of cost. Initially, Mala paid for everythingherself, but later got help from an American sponsors for 75 students.The school also gets support from Action Aid to rent its building andhas eight volunteer teachers. When the money ran out, Mala thought shemay have to shut down the school. By the chance meeting with RJ RitaLimbu with image FM at a program changed that. Limbu came up with theidea of the Rs. 1 campaign which asks donors to pledge to give onerupee a day to the school. Limbu began the campaign from her own home,collecting Rs 1 a day from family members. The number of contributorshas now grown to eighty five and the school raises up to Rs. 13000 amonth from this initiative.

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

a. Bal Sarathi has been providing nutritious meal a day to allstudents in minimum level (More than 150 students, age from 3 to14) of Bal Sarathi Academy.

b. Bal Sarathi has been providing Books, Stationaries, and uniformto all students.

c. Bal Sarathi has been providing Medicinal Care to all.d. Bal Sarathi has been providing Hygenic care and sport traininge. It has been organizing recreational activities like picnic,

excursion, games, cultural program, talent showing and experiencesharing programs.

f. It has been conducting psychological counseling to the childrenas well as parents and concerned stakeholders.

g. It has been conducting the various kinds of fund raising programswith national icons and others like cultural program, celebratingInternational Children Day, shoe polishing event, street dramaetc.

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WHY BAL SARATHI?

Nepal is home to 29 million people, with children younger than 15years old making up morethan 40% of thepopulation. It includesethnic and caste groupswith distinct cultures andlanguages, giving thissmall land locked countrya cultural and linguisticdiversity that isremarkably complex. Thechildren of Nepal aredeprived in many ways. Thesocio-economic scenario ofthe rural Nepal anddisadvantaged people ismore severe andeducational situation iseven worse. Existing datashows that theaccessibility and qualityof education is the thrustof people and are widelydeprived. Beyond socio-economic and educationalopportunities they have low participation in political activities,social mobilization and community works.

There are about 40,000 street children in Nepal, forced to survive interrible conditions. These children do not have adequate food orclothing, and they are forced to suffer all sorts of weatherconditions and the elements without a roof over their head. The plightof children in modern-day Nepal is extremely alarming. Many childrenfind themselves living on the streets, with no parents to guide themor provide for them.

The majority of these children end up getting involved with drugabusing and criminal activities or they suffer the unimaginable fatebecoming child slaves and child soldiers. A great many die from

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starvation or suffer abuse frompolice when they are caughttrying to steal food to survive.What is worse, these children areprime targets for people lookingto exploit them as indenturedservants or child soldiers. It isnot uncommon for children to beforced into the worst forms ofservitude and labor. Thetreatment of these helplesschildren is absolutelydeplorable. Their lives areruined by those looking toexploit and take advantage ofthem.

On this ground this project isfocused to bring the equalaccess, enhanced quality of life of the poor and disadvantagedchildren, adults and women. The main objective of this projectproposal is to address the problems of the disadvantaged children andtheir parents and provide support, education, care and love and aimsto contribute to realize the goal with the development and welfare ofthe children in Nepal.

Children’s Motivation for Education: a Selection Method

Bal Sarathi Academy is not only the education providing institution,its support the holistic development of the children especially whoare helpless, beggars’ family, street children. The street childrenand beggar children are lured for the food in day time and teach themin the name of nutritious lunch. After that, children will be habitualfor school and will counsel them of the importance of education andinnerself development.

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PRESENT NEED

Bal Sarathi Academy isconducting with the minimumfacility and support. Theschool has been conductingwith limited class rooms,furniture, facilities andteachers. So, its need iswiden to improve theeducational standards withmodern tools and technology.There are only 5 small anddark rooms for Nursery tograde 5.One and two, and three and four classes are conducting in asame class room due to the lack of class room for each. Furniture isnot sufficient to all and student numbers are increasing.

a. Bal Sarathi needs at least 13 specious rooms with specious playground; 8 class rooms for Nursery to grade 5, one class room forteachers, one for kitchen and dining and one for computer &science lab, one for store, and one room for Administrativepurpose

b. Child friendly furniture at least 20 students in each class roomc. White boards for all class roomsd. Education support stationarye. Books, Uniform and other educational materialsf. Subject relevant Human Resources and infrastructureg. Computer & science lab materials h. A day meal for the children.

FUTURE PLAN

Bal Sarathi has formulated the systematic plan for the upliftment of children education and support for their livelihood. The following purposed plan has been formulated:

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a. Own Bal Sarathi Buiding for the Academy with sufficient rooms andplay ground.

b. Establishment of Bal Sarathi Hostel for the studentsc. Upgrading School up to secondary level d. Provide the education through modern tools and technologye. Produce the capable students f. Introducing of the Bal Sarathi in National and International

arena

“Your penny support will change the life of the Children”

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