Ankur Counseling Center helps kids heal

In a country where talking about mental health is taboo, Chhori Maharjan has started a new dialog. As director of NYF’s Ankur Counseling Center (ACC) — the only psychological services clinic for children and adolescents in Nepal — Chhori is proud of the center’s role in changing attitudes towards mental health.

We spoke with Chhori in a recent interview in her office in Kathmandu. She talked about changing the way people think about mental health and about the center’s pioneering work with children and young adults.

Making mental health services normal
“In Nepal, everyone thinks that counseling is only for psychotic people,“ Chhori explained. „We have worked really hard to help people understand that counseling can help everyone. We make counseling easy and accessible for our children and youth. We let them know that it is OK to talk about and share their feelings. This is what we are changing.”

The center has treated more than 4,000 children and young adults since it opened in 2006. Some children have suffered unspeakable trauma, and have found healing through Ankur’s use of innovative sand play therapies and other child-friendly techniques.

“We are a pioneer of children’s counseling because we are using therapies that work for children,” Chhori said. “Children don’t really have words to explain their experiences, thoughts and emotions. We encourage our children to express themselves through play therapy.”

Chhori explained the counseling center’s holistic approach to caring for the children in our programs. In addition to food, shelter and education, many of these children need help rebuilding their lives and are learning to write new stories for themselves.

ACC: A pioneering training center
The Ankur Counseling Center has also become a leader in providing innovative training programs in Nepal for adults who care for or work with children. This is part of ACC’s mission to create a healthy, child-friendly environment in schools, homes, child care institutions and throughout the community.

ACC staff and guest instructors also provide training to increase the knowledge and skill of professionals and paraprofessionals in the field of psychology. Participants come from throughout Nepal to attend ACC trainings, and more than 2,600 people have experienced the trainings so far.

“NYF realized that it is not enough to provide counseling assistance for children. We also need to train the people who work with children,“ Chhori said. „That’s how we can make a substantial difference.”

Learn more:

Read about the Ankur Counseling Center.

Vocational training is working!

Nearly half of all Nepalis are unemployed, even those with college degrees. Yet workers like plumbers and electricians are often recruited from neighboring countries because most young people in Nepal lack training in these and other skilled jobs.

Unfortunately, vocational counseling and training is severely lacking in Nepal, and without this kind of support many young people languish in unemployment and poverty.

But our Vocational Education and Career Counseling Program (VECC) is helping to change that. VECC has trained hundreds of electricians, plumbers, hairdressers, computer technicians, midwives, auto-mechanics and cooks since the program began in 2007 — and more than 80% of our graduates are now employed.

Talent, training and big dreams
Amrita will begin a career as an electrical engineer after she completes her training at Balaju Technical School in Kathmandu. The 15-year-old passed the challenging School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exam, required of all Nepali students to graduate from high school, and won a coveted spot in the vocational program.

Amrita entered her training with an eagerness to learn and a big dream — she wants to solve Nepal’s chronic power shortage by building more hydro-electric power systems.

Full service: counseling, assessment and training
Last year, we provided career counseling services to 1,200 young people and enrolled 475 youth in both short and long-term training programs.

Before starting any course of training, students take a series of interest and aptitude assessments. VECC staff work with each student to help them decide whether to pursue higher education or vocational training for a particular career path. Our staff has conducted extensive research throughout Nepal to identify vocational courses that provide high quality training and have proven success in placing young people in satisfying jobs.

VECC staff then identify the best training program for each student’s chosen field, pays for the cost of training, and helps them to find jobs. In some cases, VECC provides graduates with support for starting a small business of their own.

Growing a farm…and more farmers
Asmita was sent away from her family and spent five years of her childhood working as a Kamlari indentured servant before NYF rescued her in 2004. After high school, we sponsored Asmita in an agricultural training program, and then she started her own farm with a loan from the freed Kamlari business co-op. Now Asmita tills the fields with her family by her side. She’s also trained 40 other former Kamlari in farming to help ensure their independence.

Getting a career, and babies, off to a good start
Renu learned a trade and is studying for a college degree while she works. Smart and hardworking, she received an NYF scholarship and finished high school, passing the SLC exam. Renu then completed the 18-month Auxiliary Nurse Midwife training program.

Now she earns 15,000 rupees ($150) a month (good money in this impoverished country) helping to deliver babies at a small clinic in Western Nepal. But Renu still has larger ambitions, and so she continues in college working towards a bachelor’s degree.

Thanks in large part to the generosity of our NYF supporters, the VECC program is proving to be a highly effective means of putting impoverished youth on a track for life-long success.

Learn more:

Read about our Vocation Education and Career Counseling program.

Mt. Everest expedition for NYF cancelled

NEWS UPDATE – April 26

We were saddened to learn of the avalanche hit 50 Sherpas working on Mt. Everest on April 18, killing thirteen and injuring others. We join people around the world in sharing a sense of loss and in extending our sympathies to the Sherpa community.

Thankfully, our friend Francesco Rovetta was not in the area of the avalanche and is fine. However, the climbing season on Mt. Everest has been cancelled, so Francesco will not be able to continue on with his expedition to benefit Nepal Youth Foundation.

You can get direct updates at:

https://twitter.com/SummitStories

https://www.facebook.com/SummitStories

We so appreciate Francesco’s efforts on behalf of the children of Nepal, and we’re so grateful that he and his team are safe.

Our original article published on March 30 about Francesco’s expedition follows below.

Mt. Everest expedition to benefit NYF

Francesco Rovetta will climb earth’s highest mountain next month to raise money for our New Life Center in Kathmandu, Nepal. The avid mountain climber took a break from his day job to create Summit Stories, a multi-year project that will take him to the top of seven of the world’s highest peaks to raise funds for some of the world’s neediest children.

“I’ve been passionate about mountains for a long time,” said Francesco, who departs for Nepal in early April. “I’m fortunate enough to do something I love, so why not do it for a good cause?”

At 29,029 feet, Mt. Everest will be the most challenging ascent in Francesco’s Summit Stories quest. Francesco has also challenged himself to raise funds for our New Life Center — a healing place for HIV/AIDS affected children and their mothers.

Hope for kids with HIV/AIDS

The New Life Center takes a holistic approach to the treatment of these fragile children — providing nutritious meals, life-prolonging medical treatment, psychological counseling, and tutoring.

Children and their caregivers stay an average of three months before returning home fully nourished and free of secondary infections. The center served 88 children last year, and 65 of them were discharged upon improvement.

Currently housed in a rented house in Kathmandu, we hope to expand the clinic to serve more impoverished children and their mothers. The funds raised by Francesco’s expedition will help make this dream come true.

Everest climb takes serious preparation
Francesco will travel to Mt. Everest with seven climbers and an array of guides, Sherpas and porters. The climb up the mountain known as Sagarmatha in Nepal („the Head in the Great Blue Sky“) and Chomolungma in Tibet (“Holy Mother”) will take about two months. Francesco will climb to the summit in late May.

An experienced mountaineer, Francesco has trained extensively for the climb. A group of his friends and fans gathered at events in San Francisco and Santa Clara recently to hear him talk about his latest adventure to climb Mt. Everest and to learn about our work. “I am excited, but also a little nervous,” he said. “It’s a big endeavor and dangerous too.”

Many thanks to Francesco and to all the supporters of Summit Stories for caring about the children of Nepal!

Learn more:
Read more about Francesco’s quest at Summit Stories.

Learn about NYF’s New Life Center.

Make a Stand Lemon-aid supports NYF

It started as an eight-year old’s neighborhood lemonade stand for a good cause — to free child slaves. But within a year little Vivienne Harr ignited a movement and inspired a new family business: a public benefit corporation working to end child slavery by putting their Make a Stand Lemon-aid in retail outlets, starting with 150 grocery stores on the West Coast.

And we’re proud and delighted that Nepal Youth Foundation has been selected as one of six organizations being supported by Make a Stand.

A child takes on child slavery
When Vivienne was eight, she came across a haunting image by acclaimed photographer Lisa Kristine. It was a photo of two young boys with heavy stones strapped to their backs. Vivienne’s parents explained that the boys were child slaves, that „slavery didn’t end with Abraham Lincoln“ — and that, tragically, there are about 18 million child slaves worldwide today.

Vivienne’s response was simple, yet powerful. She told her parents, „We need to do something.“

Well, Vivienne likes to think big. She set a goal to raise $100,000 to support organizations fighting child slavery, and committed to set up her lemonade stand for 365 days straight, rain or shine, asking customers to „pay what’s in your heart.“

Within a few months, Vivienne’s „Make a Stand“ campaign was covered by the New York Times, BBC World News, ABC, NBC, CBS, Parenting Magazine, The Huffington Post, FOX, MSNBC, Yahoo News and more than 200 other media outlets across America and around the world.

By day #173 she reached her goal of $100,000. By the end of day #365, Vivienne and her family decided to keep the campaign going by bottling their organic, Fair Trade Certified „lemon-aid“ — and Make a Stand, Inc. was born.

NYF selected as a beneficiary
Make a Stand is donating 5% of their gross sales to six organizations that „do the most documented work in eradicating child slavery.“ The Harrs have also started the nonprofit Make a Stand Foundation to raise additional funds for those six organizations.

We asked Eric Harr, Founder & CEO of Make a Stand, Inc. (and proud dad of Vivienne), why they chose NYF to be part of such a select group. He told us:

„At Make a Stand, we share our 9-year-old founder’s vision of a future where all 18 million enslaved children in the world are free and safe. Vivienne likes to say: ‚Every dollar counts, because you never know which dollar will free a child who will change the world.‘ That sums up why we chose Nepal Youth Foundation as one of our carefully vetted recipient organizations. NYF is an invaluable partner because they’ve developed a successful model for solving child slavery, and because they really know how to make every dollar count.“

And now…the movie!
Soon the story of Vivienne and Make a Stand will be coming to a theater near you in a beautiful, engaging and inspiring new feature documentary called #standwithme. The film educates viewers about child slavery through the work of Lisa Kristine and two organizations with a global reach: Free the Slaves and Fair Trade USA.

And right in the middle of #standwithme is a segment showing a meeting between Vivienne and her family and our very own Olga Murray, NYF’s Founder and Honorary President. It’s heartwarming to see 9-year old Vivienne and 88-year old Olga talk about their shared passion for ending child slavery.

#standwithme opens in February 2014 with a 30-city tour of North America, and it’s certain to earn broader distribution and reach a worldwide audience.

Thank you!
We are so grateful to Vivienne and her parents, Alexandra and Eric, and to everyone at Make a Stand for their commitment to ending child slavery and their support of our work here at Nepal Youth Foundation.

Learn more about Nepal Youth Foundation
We’ve rescued over 12,000 girls from indentured servitude and ended the system of Kamlari in Nepal. Now we’re working to empower the newly freed young women through vocational training, leadership development and economic opportunities.

Watch the CNN Freedom Project video about NYF’s work to free girls from slavery.

Read the Time Magazine article about NYF’s work to rescue the last Kamlari slaves.

NYF news: Victory! Kamlari Child Slavery System Ends

Film about NYF: The Daughter’s Voice

Filmmakers Roy Cox and Robin Mortarotti are getting ready to shoot The Daughter’s Voice, a film that will document NYF’s work to eradicate the Kamlari system of child slavery in Nepal.

The veteran moviemakers traveled to Nepal this spring and witnessed a historic transformation happening in these remote villages. Girls who were once household slaves are now running businesses, earning college degrees, farming land and supporting their families.

“We believe NYF’s incredible achievement is a model for success that should be shared with the world,” said Roy Cox, who filmed Olga’s Promise with Robin Mortarotti in 2011. The pair donated their time and the production costs to make this beautiful 18-minute film highlighting NYF’s work.

Pre-production for The Daughter’s Voice began in February during a 15-day scouting trip. The pair interviewed freed slave girls and their families, toured co-ops and vocational schools, and met with former slaves who are now running their own businesses.

They plan to return to Nepal soon to record the success stories of former Kamlari and to film unfolding events such as efforts to demand more government support for education and to witness the rescues of the remaining girls held by prominent families in Kathmandu.

Roy and Robin are collaborating with the non-profit Filmmakers Collaborative Inc. to produce the film.

Learn more about this new project at www.thedaughtersvoice.com

New NYF program gives kids good start

Young, impoverished Nepali children are getting a head start on their schooling through a new Early Childhood Development (ECD) program started by Nepal Youth Foundation.

This year, we are developing eight ECD centers: three in Kathmandu, and five scattered throughout rural villages outside Kathmandu. Each class has about 20 students.

In a corner classroom in a village school in the eastern district of Kavre, 20 children squirm and giggle as a teacher reads them a story in their native Tamang. A low murmur of conversation among the mothers sitting outside the open door drifts into the classroom. Puzzles, blocks, clocks and books are stacked in a corner of the brick-floored classroom.

“This is a first for all of these children,” said Binu Thapa, manager of NYF’s new program for children ages 3-5 from poor families. “It will make a big difference later in their lives.”

While public primary school is now widely available to all children in Nepal, preschool is a rarity, especially among the country’s impoverished children. Yet preschool is an essential step in making sure children are ready to learn in primary school.

Building a national model
„We started the ECD centers to give children a solid foundation to succeed, and we also want the government to succeed in maintaining the program“ said Som Paneru, president of NYF. “While the government understands the need for early childhood education and has opened a lot of centers across the country, the programs are not fully developed. They are understaffed and underfunded with poorly trained teachers. The centers do not have enough books or supplies and the facilities are inadequate.”

NYF’s goal is to help Nepal’s Department of Education to improve the quality of preschool programs by training teachers, providing teaching materials and improving facilities to develop a model that will be replicable across the country.

Nutrition and learning go hand-in-hand
Many children and their mothers travel long distances up steep, narrow paths to attend the class held at the local village school. The nutritious meal served daily is a big draw.

“It’s hard for families to feed their children,” Binu explained. “Children need a balanced diet, exercise, and educational stimulation to enjoy their childhoods properly.”

Nearly half of all Nepali children are malnourished. That’s why the ECD staff work with NYF’s Nutrition Program staff to weigh all the ECD students and assess their health. ECD and Nutrition Program staff then conduct follow up visits with families of children at risk of malnutrition. If children are found to be severely malnourished, they are sent to one of NYF’s Nutritional Rehabilitation Homes for treatment. All ECD children receive healthy meals at the centers, while their mothers are taught nutrition basics and meal planning using locally sourced foods.

“Our goal is to prepare these children for a successful entry to first grade,” Som said. „And getting children the nutrition they need is absolutely essential to make it work.“