Breaking through poverty by Education

The school support programs of Rainbow Foundation Nepal

Due to the high levels of poverty and the high cost of education in Nepal, the educated population is low. There are two forms of education in Nepal; they are the so called public education and boarding or private schools. These boarding or private schools are expensive and most people cannot afford this level of education. The public education system is not free either and the cost can be prohibitive for poor people. We have a program for families who cannot afford to send their children to school. We call this the School Support Program. Often, it is the single parent families or the very poor families whom qualify for this program. The children we assist in the School Support Program will live at the Rainbow Home.
Education can break the poverty spiral. Our vision is that education can break the poverty cycle. Without education these children will face the same bleak future as their parents. With proper training, education and development, these children have a real chance of a job and hence a better future

The operation of this program

Our method is as follows: After visiting the family personally, we look carefully whether we can support the family through the School Support Project. It may be that other problems are also involved, in which case we search for other solutions (e.g.: a rehab program for alcohol addiction). We also investigate if there are other local organisations with which we can work cooperatively. This could mean that we are only required to pay half of the tuition, or that we get the school uniform free. In consultation with the school principal, we determine what assistance is required. We also make arrangements to pay the costs directly. Our local coordinator, Sushil Poudel, has regular contact with the school board to monitor the children’s attendance, and to ensure that the child has not being kept home to work.

Sponsor the School Support Program

This program costs € 50, per child, per year. This amount is one year’s education for a child: the child receives a school uniform, books, notebooks, pens and schools fees. For € 50 per year, a child gets a chance at a future.