VIN aims to sponsor over 200 children from the most marginalized community, orphanage homes and conflict victims. VIN oversees the full sponsorship (US$230 per year) or partial sponsorship (US$50 per year) of many of the most disadvantaged children, including orphans, conflict victims, and children from extremely poor backgrounds or lower castes. Children most in need of sponsorship are identified in conjunction with Head Teachers; Village Development Committees/Ward Chairpersons and a Community representative. Sponsors can either allow VIN to select a child most urgently in need of sponsorship or choose a child to sponsor from one of the following three groups most in need of sponsorship.
Orphanage Children
VIN currently works with two orphanages in Kathmandu, helping provide destitute children with the care and devotion they need. These orphanages however lack sufficient funding and rely on donations. VIN wants to ensure that all children from the orphanages attend school, and are able to receive a full education, despite their extremely disadvantaged circumstances.
Conflict Victim Children
Although Nepal is now a Republic, the 10-year Maoist insurrection lead to the deaths of over 12,000 people and left thousands more maimed and 100,000 people displaced. The conflict had a hugely detrimental impact on the lives of countless children in Nepal and resulted in the complete disruption of their education. Through its Flexible Schooling Programme, VIN helps these vulnerable children, who have suffered as a result of the conflict, to catch up with the studies they missed and regain access to mainstream education.
Disadvantaged Children from Very Poor Backgrounds
Due to grinding poverty, many families from very poor communities or lower castes simply cannot afford to send their children to school. Girls in particular in Nepal are often deprived of a full education due to gender discrimination.