Psychological Counseling for 20 Nepali Children

Peer counselors are using radio programs, street dramas, discussion groups and home visits to steer girls from the practice of early marriage.

The Early Marriage Prevention Program is targeted at girls freed from the practice of Kamlari, a once common form of childhood slavery abolished in 2013 after NYF carried out a successful campaign to end it. NYF has rescued more than 12,700 girls since it began the effort in 2000.

Poverty forces some families to pressure their daughters into early marriage because they cannot afford to care for them. A lack of opportunity can also lead to marriage before age 18.

NYF is offering opportunity to thousands of these girls through its Empowering Freed Kamlari Program, where they can receive vocational training, counseling, educational support , co-op loans and advocacy training.

The counseling support groups seem to be working. A survey conducted last year by NYF shows that girls in the support groups tend to marry at an older age compared to girls that don’t receive any counseling. According to the survey, 81 percent of the girls in the support groups got married at an appropriate age, while only 19 percent of those outside of the groups did so.

Thank you for helping these girls to build healthy and independent lives.

Namaste!

Links:

• Nepal Youth Foundation

Dozens of children orphaned by the earthquakes last spring are staying at one of NYF’s “transit homes” until they can find homes with relatives or other long term care.

In addition to providing food, shelter and clothing, NYF counselors are working with these children to ease them through the trauma of losing their homes, parents and siblings.

Staff spent a week at the transit home in the Gorkha district and engaged the children in both group and individual counseling sessions. Counselors from NYF’s Ankur Center, one of the only counseling centers for children and youth in Nepal, use play and art to help the children express their feelings.

Counselors also trained the caregivers at the transit homes to effectively care for the children.

Ankur therapists counseled more than 800 children and 150 adults after the earthquakes in an effort to comfort survivors.They also trained 300 people in psychological first aid.

Thank you for your support.

Namaste!

Links:

• Nepal Youth Foundation