Kidasha aims to increase the aspiration and resilience of the most marginalised, hardest to reach children and young people growing up in urban poverty in Nepal. Working closely with local partners and communities they seek to protect young people from neglect, abuse and exploitation; improve their physical and emotional wellbeing; and enable their participation in learning and livelihood opportunities.

Nepal is one of the least developed countries in Asia and while there have been significant improvements in health and education, child protection remains a serious and overlooked issue with two in every five girls getting married before the age of 18 years and violent discipline affecting 82% of children. On top of this 64% of victims of sexual violence are children. Nepal continues to be a major source and destination for people trafficking and one in three children are engaged in hard labour.

This project will work in partnership with local slum communities to establish five safe spaces (hubs), Child Clubs and Youth Groups where children and adolescents can participate in learning and fun activities and develop an active voice within their communities. The hubs will open after school for 6 days each week and provide places where children can share problems and report abuse. This will contribute to improved school attendance, learning progression, and reduced school dropout for up to 375 children.

The hubs will act as a safety net and identify those most at risk, referring or signposting them or their families to additional support, and therefore preventing family separation and children ending up on the street. By the end of this project a minimum of 65 children in five Child Clubs will have a demonstrably increased understanding of their rights and increased knowledge about where to access support.Each hub will facilitate Parent Support Groups to empower parents to better protect their children Community advocates and management committee members will also be trained in order to ensure the sustainability of the hubs beyond the funding period.