Seven- years-old, Smriti Aryal is from Makwanpur District. She is now living with her maternal Grandparents in Bidur-06, Nuwakot. Grade one student of Shree Chwadi Secondary School, Smriti family depends on traditional agricultural farming. Due to her family poor economic condition her mother left her under the care of her grandparents.
Smriti grandparents are very old and uneducated. They live separately from their children and occasionally get support from their son Bhoj Bahadur Adhikari. “We are happy to send our granddaughter to the school but it is very difficult for us to support her with educational materials. Sometime our son Bhoj help us with money for her study but that is not enough.” Says Smriti Grandfather.
Smriti Uncle Bhoj is one of the committee member of New Vision Child Learning Center (CLC) run by CarNetNepal in partnership with New Vision Church in Bidur, Nuwakot. He convince his parents to send Smriti to the CLC, as it is supporting poor and vulnerable children for their education. “I told my parents to send my niece to CLC. I convinced them, after sending her in CLC, she will get educational material support, free tuition and one time meal in the evening. This will help to lessen their worries for her study and help my niece to be regular in school.” Says Adhikari.
Now Smriti is a student of New Vision CLC. She comes to the CLC regularly. “In the initial time of her CLC, she used to stay quiet and show less interest in her studies. She used to sleep during the class and did not finish her homework. Her school teacher used to complain her grandparents for her lazy behavior. But slowly Smriti started to play with other fellow CLC students and started the habit to study with them. Under the care and guidance of the CLC teacher she is doing really well in her study” Says Ram Singh Tamang, New Vision CLC- Chairperson.
In partnership with local churches CarNetNepal is running four CLC’s in Nuwakot. Total 85 children are enrolled in these CLCs. Through CLC’s, CarNetNepal is providing educational materials, free tuitions and one time meal to the children from poor economic background and marginalized communities, to protect their right to education and discouraging school dropout rate.