Finding local solutions for local challenges in countries like Nepal.
Before the pandemic, seven-year-old Samir was receiving after-school support at a Learning Space run by Viva’s partner network in Nepal.
During those early days, the staff described him as a shy boy with irregular attendance who was at risk of dropping out of school altogether.
When the pandemic hit, everything closed down and Samir’s mother feared that this interruption in her son’s education would exacerbate his existing struggles at school.
Samir’s situation wasn’t unique. As we know, the pandemic caused children everywhere to fall behind with their schooling, and while education is one of the surest paths out of extreme poverty, 400 million children are still fully or partially out of school worldwide.
The benefit of working with local partner networks meant that once things started reopening, Viva was still there for Samir, with a repurposed programme designed to help him catch up.
Over the past year, Samir has benefitted greatly from his local Learning Space and the reports from his teachers are now very different. Samir is a role model for other children, as his self-confidence has sky-rocketed. He is now like an older brother to the other children as he helps the younger ones with their work and his teachers as a ‘class monitor’.
How we connect the dots
Samir’s story is evidence of how much the trajectory of a life can change with a little support. Viva’s initiatives like this have helped over 3,000 children across the world get back into formal education during the past year. And what’s more, in 2022, Learning Spaces will start in 13 more countries.
We are able to connect and resource local people in cities across the world with tried and tested materials thanks to people with a heart for children investing in Viva’s vision.
Local churches and organisations are frequently at the forefront of efforts to protect and provide for vulnerable children. However, their activities are often isolated, limiting both scope and effectiveness. Viva’s model connects these ‘dots’ to take collective, effective action together for the children in their cities.
Our strength comes through recognising that we are more sustainable together, that we carry more influence together, and that we can, ultimately, change more children’s lives together.
Whether it’s Comprehensive Care Centres in Bolivia that are preventing children from leaving home and dropping out of school, or providing life-skills sessions for children in Tanzania, local collaboration is the key to making a difference in children’s lives.
We know that connecting the dots through small, practical steps towards partnerships results in a huge collective impact – Viva’s vision since the beginning.
Your part in Viva’s story
As a member of the Viva community that longs to see children thrive, you’ll celebrate with us that together, over the past 26 years, we have connected millions of children all over the world to a local, supportive network.
We are inviting you to help ensure initiatives like the Learning Spaces and phone mentoring programmes continue to meet the needs of children long into the future. You can donate via our website here.