In the same region as our school project, we provide financial support to six families so that their children can attend school. We cover the costs of attending school or vocational training, as well as clothing, food, medicine, etc. for the children.
Five of these families have lost their fathers. The men either died in accidents or disappeared many years ago. The mothers have been left alone to try to feed their families by farming a small parcel of land, where they can grow rice, potatoes and vegetables.
When possible, they sell part of their harvest at the market, or try to earn a bit of money doing odd jobs. This income amounts to just a few Swiss francs a month and is needed to buy food and clothing for the family, and to pay for schooling for the children. The cost per child amounts to CHF 30 to 40 a month, which none of these mothers are able to earn. In one of the families, the father was unable to work for a long period of time due to illness. This family also lost its house in the earthquake.
The disaster did not make any of these families’ lives any easier. The small, simply constructed houses were all badly damaged or completely destroyed.
The Tara Namaste Foundation will accompany and support the children in these families until they have completed their studies or vocational training. At the same time, we are also repairing or rebuilding all of these families’ homes. For example, the families of Sita Shrestha and Bimala Shrestha were recently able to move into new homes built to withstand future earthquakes, thanks to assistance provided by you, the Tara Namaste Foundation’s valued supporters.
