Livelihoods

Children should never have to work to support their families.

The families we work with rely on seasonal employment in brick factories that provides an unstable income and is often not enough to meet even their basic needs. When there isn’t enough money to survive, children are often expected to contribute.

That’s why supporting families is a vital part of our End to Child Labour Programme. By helping parents develop new skills, access employment and build sustainable businesses, we’re creating long-term alternatives to child labour and giving children the freedom to stay in school.

Creating employment is about more than providing an income—it’s about restoring confidence, building skills and creating opportunities for the future.

In 2025, we launched tailoring training and established professional workshops in Janakpur and Rautahat. A year later, we expanded the programme by introducing a flip-flop manufacturing workshop, creating sustainable employment opportunities for 100 women across Madhesh Pradesh.

Today, the women produce high-quality school uniforms, karate uniforms, dresses and other garments. Many were unable to read or write, so their journey started with literacy and numeracy training before progressing to professional tailoring, taking customer measurements and managing orders.

As the businesses continue to grow, our aim is to secure larger commercial contracts in Nepal and internationally, allowing the women to increase their incomes and build long-term financial security for their families.

Our Plastic Recycling Centre opened in 2025 and provides both training and employment opportunities for parents whose children are part of our End to Child Labour programme.

The centre currently processes plastic waste into recycled plastic chips, which we then supply to manufacturers across Nepal. As the project develops, we plan to expand production to manufacture finished products on-site, creating additional skilled jobs and increasing earning potential for participating families.

By combining environmental sustainability with employment, the Recycling Centre creates benefits that extend beyond individual families and into the wider community.

No two communities are the same.

The opportunities available to families depend on their skills, experience, culture, land availability, suitability, and market demand. Rather than applying a single solution everywhere, we work alongside each community to identify the most suitable livelihood opportunities.

Current and future initiatives include mushroom cultivation, agriculture, bamboo furniture, jewellery making and other locally led businesses that can provide sustainable, long-term income.

Every livelihood journey begins with learning.

Before starting employment or launching a business, parents take part in our literacy, numeracy and financial literacy training. For the majority, this is the first opportunity they have had to develop these essential skills.

As families begin running businesses or working within our social enterprises, we provide practical mentoring and ongoing support—from business planning and logistics to problem-solving and identifying new opportunities for growth. As confidence and experience grow, families gradually become independent, with our team remaining available whenever advice or support is needed.

When families have secure incomes, children can stay where they belong, in school.

Every new skill learned, every job created, and every successful business helps break the cycle of poverty and child labour, creating opportunities not only for today’s children, but for future generations.