More than 90% of the world's blind people live in developing countries, of these, more than 600,000 live in Nepal. And, a great number of these are children who, without special help, have very little chance to live full and satisfying lives. Nepal Youth Foundation's Scholarships for Disabled Students help blind, deaf, and physically disabled students get an education, learn to take care of themselves, and become productive members of their society.
In Nepal, disabled children are often treated as cast-offs or considered punishment for "sins" of the family. There are very few government programs specifically designed to provide care for the disabled. Because most Nepali schools lack the facilities for disabled students and transportation is difficult for them, these children often don't get the opportunity to attend school.
NYF provides educational scholarships to blind, deaf, and physically disabled children who could not otherwise go to school. In addition to basic education, housing and transportation to the schools is also provided. These students are also taught special skills for independent living and given access to vocational training.
The disabled children who are awarded these scholarships learn to take care of themselves, and learn to obtain employment. Without this help, most would spend their lives at home all day, dependent on their families.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
