The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland today, 3 October 2005, announced a grant of
£46280 will be provided to a Nepalese street children’s shelter - the lifeline it desperately needs for survival.
Over the past three years, the Quarriers’ assisted Bishram project, which is run by NGO SAATHI in Kathmandu, has been providing critical support and shelter to approximately 400 of the city’s street children. Resources have always been stretched to the limit and given the lack of funding in Nepal, the centre has been faced with closure.
Julie Richardson, service manager at Quarriers said: “We estimate that there are 1500 children living on the streets of Kathmandu, some as young as seven. These children, unarguably among the poorest and most disadvantaged in the world, have been forced on to the streets for a number of reasons including abuse, abandonment, extreme poverty or because they have become orphaned.
She continued: “There is an increasing and constant stream of people moving from the countryside to Kathmandu and the need for the centre has never been greater. To lose such a valuable resource would mean returning the children we support back on to streets where they are faced with a life of crime, disease, prostitution, drug abuse and devastating psychological effects.”
The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland grant will fully fund Bishram for three years supporting up to 400 street children during that time. Remarkably this represents a cost of £110 to support a child for a whole year.
Andrew Muirhead, chief executive of Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland said: “We’ve worked with Quarriers over a number of years and it’s great to be able to develop that relationship for its work in Nepal. Our grant of £46,280, spread over three years, will hopefully make a real difference to the hundreds of street children Quarriers is working to support. The £110 it takes to support a child for a year seems such a small amount yet it will be life changing for each child involved. The mix of immediate care with longer term support means this work will have a really lasting impact on the children who benefit.”
Quarriers has worked in partnership with the Nepali organisation SAATHI since April 2002 to develop services for the most disadvantaged in Nepal. SAATHI staff have full operational control of the Bishram project, and are supported by Quarriers. Children stay with the centre for on average six months, before being re-integrated back into their families if possible, or moved into longer-term residential care.
Bishram provides street children with:
- Food and Shelter – A safe refuge and food is provided for children who have been battered and sexually abused.
- Counselling – Most of the street children have endured violence or assault for a long time and are deeply traumatized. Trained staff help re-build their self-esteem and confidence.
- Education - Children are provided with a basic education and some have found scholarships to attend regular schooling.
- Medicine – Often, the children arrive at the Centre in need of medical attention. SAATHI has set up a referral network with hospitals for this purpose.
- Re-integration – Where possible, the centre aims to reunite children with their families.
Quarriers provides support and care for adults and children with a physical or learning disability, for children and families facing poverty, family breakdown, exclusion and disadvantage and for young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties, or who are homeless. Quarriers also offers support to carers of all ages who need respite, advice or just a friend to listen, it also has the only residential epilepsy assessment centre in Scotland.
Quarriers has grown considerably since it was founded by William Quarrier during the 1870s, expanding to meet the needs of children, adults and families all over Scotland – and beyond. Staff numbers are now in excess of 1600 and the charity has an expected turnover of £35 million for 2005.
This information and further details are available from Jane Smith at The Business:
T: 0131 718 6022
M: 07780 666 136
E: janes@thebusinesspr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
- Photography of the project is available by contacting Jane Smith at The Business
- Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with 49% of the population living in absolute material poverty, barely surviving on less than $1 a day. Social indicators are comparable with the very worst in Africa, and the country has the highest maternal mortality rates in the world (550 per 100,000 live births). Child mortality, denial of education, child labour (2.6 million) and the exploitation and abuse of children are among the results of the extreme material poverty experienced in Nepal.
- Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland began life in 1986 to support local community groups. The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees who meet six times a year to consider applications and grant funds. Their work and passion for the Foundation turn hopes into reality and dreams into experiences. Since 2003 the Foundation has been supporting Scottish based charities which do work overseas, and is now the largest provider of this type of funding. In August 2005 over £660,000 was awarded to 21 organisations for a wide variety of projects in developing countries
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