Welcome To My Yard is an innovative not-for-profit social enterprise working with Nepali young people on the street to provide holistic community based support, education, training, and income generation programmes. We hope that through our dedication and creative approaches to involve and inspire and enable young people we will have a positive social impact in the community.

The street children and young people of Kathmandu Nepal

The street community is made up of children and young people that are either street-living,street-families or may have basic accommodation but are forced onto the streets to provide for themselves (street-working). They age from 2-25 both girls and boys. No one knows the exact number of street children in Kathmandu Valley but estimates state over 1,000 with 500 new children and young people added to the streets every year. The reasons for street children are multiple and complex but include experiencing abuse and violence at home, witness to alcohol misuse, difficulties with step-parents or extreme poverty in rural areas forcing children to come to the city to seek work and then falling into a dangerous street life. Whilst on the streets they are at high risk of inhumane treatment, constant abuse and all types of exploitation from their peers, adults, employers and people in authority. Up to 75% of street boys are subject to continued sexual abuse and exploitation by other youths, adults and foreigners. Glue sniffing is relatively new in Nepal but is increasing at an alarming rate amongst this street community becoming a peer group activity. Street children as young as 5 are known to be sniffing dendrite which is a legal substance used as a carpet and shoe glue and its availability is difficult to control. The effects are instant: suppressing hunger and giving an anaesthetic effect. Deep breathing of the Dendrite or using a lot over a short period of time may result in losing touch with their surroundings, violent behaviour and loss of self -control unconsciousness or even death. In short, these incredibly vulnerable children and young people need support...

But that’s not all we know about this community.....

All the facts above are a terrifying reality for the street community that we work with, but we also know that out of the most difficult situations come many strengths and a great deal of resilience. Someone’s trauma is not the sum of who they are. These children, young people and young families also have many incredible resources, talents and abilities individually and as a community....in other words, they are amazing!!!! We want to partner with the children and young people to build on these strengths. This means partnering with them to help realise their potential , achieve their goals in life, through emotional support and equipping them with the tools they need to positively support themselves and their family.

What do we need?

We need a project centre in the heart of this street community. This will become a safe contact point in which children and young people can come, receive support and get into our programme which helps them with work experience, vocational training and education opportunities. The project space will run the innovative bite size education and education workshops, kids clubs and young people’s groups and provide a place for our key workers to provide individual emotional support.

The Art Space

As part of our strengths based work, we want to dedicate an entire wall of our building just for them. Children & Young people will have the opportunity to use this space to express themselves in any way they like; murals, photographs, paintings and more! We will then exhibit their work for 2-3 months and invite the local community to come and see what they have created. Then, we will white wash and start all over again!

What will your donation cover?

Your funds will pay for the rent of a project space and bills for one year and purchase art materials. If we manage to raise over the amount, we will put it towards other much needed items for the project such as equipment and basic salaries for the team as currently we are all working as volunteers. 

Want to find our more?

You can see what we have been up to with the young people so far like our indoor rock climbing programme, street children photography book and see how we have funded young people already into education or vocational training.

Check out our website www.welcometomyyard.com, go to our Facebook Page ‘Welcome to My Yard’ or drop us an email at contact@welcometomyyard.com and we would be happy to answer any questions you have about what we are doing.