Establishment of Sewing and Textile Department at Olgapuri Vocational School, Lalitpur. Initially, Kamalari women from western Nepal who have been freed from child slavery can take part in the new training course, and later disadvantaged women from the surrounding area as well.
The project partner in Nepal is the Nepal Youth Foundation, which has been established for over 30 years and is primarily committed to the education, upbringing and protection of needy children and young people. Worth mentioning is her great commitment to the liberation of Kamalaris, young girls who at the age of 6 were sold to rich families in the country and kept as slaves to work in the house, take care of the children, and in the kitchen under inhumane conditions. The organization has managed to free thousands of slave girls. Since then they have been living with their families in southwestern Nepal. Thanks to the Nepal Youth Foundation, most of them went to elementary school, but many were unable to attend secondary school because they started school late, and others dropped out of school. It is precisely these girls who want to go to vocational school in order to regain their dignity and earn their own living.
The Olgapuri vocational school in Lalitpur has been offering training in several trades in the dual system with state-recognized qualifications for three years. She also has a farm and offers training courses in agriculture. In the meantime, the construction of the dormitory for the students has also been completed.
Here, the girls also learn skills to strengthen their self-esteem, receive psychological help and basic knowledge of entrepreneurial skills, which should give them self-confidence for future job interviews and employment relationships.
After the education, some girls will go back to their village to find work in nearby and larger towns. Many of them will go to Kathmandu or other major cities where there is a garment industry.
To avoid any future exploitation or abuse, the Nepal Youth Foundation monitors the workplace and housing and works to ensure that the girls are employed in larger groups and live together. This should counteract the old feeling of being abandoned and alone and strengthen the feeling of togetherness.
The Schöck-Familien-Stiftung supports this project together with the Südtiroler Ärzten für die Welt.
Project sponsor: Südtiroler Ärzte für die Welt
Project partner: Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF)
Funding year: since 2021
Project No.: 122-21 A