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Projects
Projects
All our projects are focused on reducing poverty through facilitating training, development and income generating activities in partnership with local communities, in order to bring about self-sufficiency and long term sustainability. Our work focuses on the following 6 groups:
- Sunrise Orphanage children, youth, carers
- Underprivileged/ disadvantaged teens
- Girls at risk of various forms of exploitation
- Disabled teens
- Families from slum areas
- Street youth, school drop outs
For more information on SCAI, please download information booklet by clicking here
Sunrise Orphanage
Our activities fall into six key areas;
Health & Welfare
Education
Development
Sustainability
Environmental Responsibility
International Volunteer Program
Health and Welfare
Sunrise Orphanage currently provides a home for 77 orphaned and abandoned children. We are currently renting two properties in Kathmandu, Daisy and Marigold. The physical and mental health is a basic human right which sadly too many children in Nepal are without. Many of the children at Sunrise were malnourished and suffering from undiagnosed illnesses when they arrived, but have all received medical examinations and follow-up treatment, enabling them to live happy, healthy lives.
Physical Health
- Well balanced diet, consisting of produce from the 5 key food groups; 4 meals per day, including tiffin at school.
- Access to clean drinking water through a filter system in each house to minimize stomach infections and bacteria.
- Regular medical check-ups and all necessary treatment, including those for stomach bacterial infections, jaundice, warts, worms, scabies and tuberculosis. The children have recently completed a series of Hepatitis B immunizations, TB tests and will be receiving HIV checks when deemed appropriate.
- Regular dental checks; all children recently underwent check-ups and all necessary treatment for current problems has been implemented. The children brush their teeth enthusiastically twice a day, minimising any future problems.
- Eye and ear tests have also been completed, with 2 children receiving new prescription glasses and 1 child a hearing aid in past 2mths.
- The disabled children have also been treated and we will continue to provide this on an ongoing basis as necessary; including physiotherapy and new prosthetics when required.
Psychological Health
- Psychological evaluation and counselling, to ensure the children are able to overcome any personal issues as early as possible. We believe this is extremely important for their personal development and long term mental stability.
Education
- We are currently providing an education for all Sunrise children at the local school, Sarswati Secondary School in Jorpati.
- The children range from Nursery up to Class 7, so extra-curricular activities will be provided according to their age and class.
“Books for a Brighter Future” Reading Program
- Further to the standard school education, the SCAI committee has just implemented a Reading Program, whereby each child from Class 2 upwards receives regular one-on-one reading time with a native English speaker. We have already seen a dramatic improvement in the children’s reading ability; confidence, pronunciation and comprehension, which are all vitally important for their future.
- Stage 2 of this Reading Program is developing partnerships with schools in Australia, setting up pen pal systems and having text books, story books and other creative materials sent from Australia, increasing the children’s exposure to the international community and to high quality English materials.
Extra Curricular Activities
- Singing, dancing, music, art/crafts, basketball and table tennis lessons have been implemented recently at Sunrise, to assist the children in developing greater confidence, discipline, and encourage them to start thinking about their future, what they enjoy and where their talents lie, so they can begin to formulate their own personal goals and career path.
- An Australian charity “Musicians Making a Difference” in partnership with SCAI and Sunrise Orphanage, plan to raise funds to provide each child with a musical instrument and regular music lessons.
Development
- Whilst providing basic care, such as food, education, medical care and clothing, as outlined in the Short Term Objectives above, SCAI are committed to developing the skills of the staff and children of Sunrise Orphanage to enable them to become employable and self-sufficient in the long term.
Proposed programs over the next 3 years include:
Basic life skills training
For staff and children over 12 years (or Class 4 and above);
- Housekeeping (cooking, cleaning, basic maintenance)
- Health (treatment and prevention; general, dental and re-productive health)
- Nutrition
- First Aid
- Child behaviour management
There are currently 14 children that fall into this group in Year 1 (2007), with a further 12-23 children for years 2 & 3 (2008 & 2009).
Skill Development and Vocational Training
For children over 12 years (or Class 4 and above);
- Art, painting, traditional Nepali thanka
- Sewing, tailoring
- Computing
- Carpentry, furniture making, carving
- Music, singing, dancing
There are 14 children that fall into this group in Year 1 (2007), with a further 12-23 children for years 2 & 3 (2008 & 2009).
Work Experience
For children over 14 years (or Class 5 and above); We are aiming to providing adolescents with practical work experience in sectors within the local community that will provide potential employment opportunities for the children in the future;
- Nursing, other medical
- Tourism
- Hotel Management, Hospitality
- Small Business Management, Accounting
- Teaching
- Legal professions
- The Arts
There are 5 children that fall into this group in Year 1 (2007), with a further 9-15 children for years 2 & 3 (2008 & 2009).
Mentor Program
For children over 14 years;
Providing each adolescent a personal mentor from a relevant field in the local community, to act as role models and provide them guidance and support in their chosen path.
Study Program
For adolescents at the completion of Class 10 (or 10+2);
Providing opportunities and financial assistance for further tertiary or technical education within Nepal or abroad. None of our children will reach this stage within the next 3 years, so this will form phase 2 of the SCAI Project Plan.
SCAI are committed to supporting the children of Sunrise Orphanage on a long term basis. Providing our criteria are met and the children continue to prove they are dedicated to creating a successful future for themselves, we plan to support the children through school, college, vocational or technical training and job placement, as would a regular family. We do expect however that where possible the adolescents will get part time jobs in order to contribute back to Sunrise and prove they can be responsible working adults. Support at this level will be assessed on an individual basis.
Sustainability
Sunrise Children’s Village
In line with our philosophy of promoting self-sufficiency and sustainability in the long term, we are working towards buying land and building a permanent home for the children, in the name of “Sunrise Children’s Village”. We are looking for a property that is;
- Situated on the suburban edges of Kathmandu to minimise the children’s exposure to pollution, traffic and other personal dangers like drugs.
- Has adequate clean water supply
- Approximately 10-12 ropanis in size, large enough to build four family units, each of which can comfortably house around twenty-five children, as well as a recreational and development centre and space to play In close proximity to schools, medical facilities and transport
Unless in the case of extreme emergency, we do not plan to house any more than 80 children at Sunrise Orphanage until we have bought land and built a permanent home to accommodate them.
SCAI in planning for “Sunrise Children’s Village”, have already commenced a fundraising appeal in Australia, and maintain a savings bank account with funds expressly for this purpose.
Agricultural Project
As well as Sunrise Children’s Village, we plan to take advantage of some government land being offered to grow crops and graze animals, which Sunrise can both consume themselves as well as sell surplus for profit. A feasibility study clearly outlining the return on investment (ROI) is being completed in conjunction with the local VDC and local community members.
Sunrise School
To generate sufficient income to render Sunrise Orphanage fully self-sufficient in the long term we are looking into various opportunities such as a building Sunrise school, which would provide a good quality education for both the Sunrise children as well as children from the wider community.
Environmental Responsibility
As well as personal development training, we have a strong commitment to improving the environment in which the children live, both for the current generation but also building awareness of the impact on future generations, such as;
- Environmentally friendly rubbish and sewerage disposal
- Encouragement of practicable recycling methods such as compost heaps
- Tree planting project within local community (in collaboration with the local VDC and EPA) This will be expanded upon when we get to the stage of building Sunrise Children’s Village.
International Volunteer Program
Through SCAI’s own volunteer program, SCAI sends volunteers from Australia to Sunrise Orphanage. This will further broaden the knowledge and skills of the children and help introduce them to the broader international community.
Further project information will be updated shortly.
