TRANSIT HOME "Hamro Ghar"
When a child is identified as a child laborer by the IMC team inspectors, the child is removed from that factory and sent to "Hamro Ghar" Transit Home. Hamro Ghar is the initial stage of NGF's Centre-Based Rehabilitation Programme where children are provided with a safe and comfortable environment to overcome their challenging experiences, restart their education and rebuild their lives with the support of a specialist team.
Whilst at the Transit Home, the GoodWeave social team accompanied by the psychosocial counsellors conducts assessments to ascertain the family, social and economic environment of each child including the reason behind them to end up as a child laborer and the safety of a child to return to their family. Considering all the factors, the social team decides whether the child could be rehabilitated to the family with or without support from the GoodWeave or if she/he still needs Community-Based Rehabilitation. If the assessment finds that the family environment is unsafe for the child to return, a provision is made for long-term support at the Transit Home with the possibility of external education opportunities on a case-by-case basis. The Social team continues its efforts to support possible family rehabilitation in the future and explore many alternatives to provide family contact to the child whilst keeping in mind the best interests of the child.
At the time of removal, most of the children are often illiterate or school dropouts, have overworked and have been subjected to abuse. Inside the Hamro Ghar, these children receive continued counselling, regular health assessments from doctors and schooling as per their age and education level. The facility provides the children with complete and safe residential facilities and recreational facilities along with an in-house, non-formal education system called an "Accelerated Education Programme" which prepares the children for their eventual transition into the mainstream system. Currently, 28 children (16 boys and 12girls) are living in the transit home.
COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAMME
The Community-Based Rehabilitation programme is the topmost priority of the GoodWeave. The NGF strongly believes that family is the best place for the child to develop. Therefore, the organisation makes all possible efforts to reintegrate the child with their parents or close family members.
After reintegration within their home communities, the NGF Social team continuously monitors these families in order to ensure that children are regularly attending school and not sent back to work, abused or exploited in any way.
A small amount of money (Rs. 18,000/Year) for a midday meal in schools is also provided. The NGF Social team closely monitors the progress of each child's education in order to ensure that the GoodWeave support is really bringing changes in the lives of the beneficiaries.
SCHOOL-BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAMME
The School-Based Rehabilitation Programme is considered the NGF's another option when a child's rehabilitation within the family or community environment becomes impossible with all efforts. This is an entirely residential programme where children are provided with formal education support with full hostel facilities. Children who are selected for this programme could, for example, be orphans, from extremely economically backward families or at some risk in the home environment. Highly gifted and talented children are sometimes also considered on a case-by-case basis after performing extraordinarily well in their non-formal education at the Hamro Ghar.
The NGF has signed an agreement with the Laboratory Higher Secondary School, one of the most elite schools in Nepal, for this programme. Presently, 23 children are studying in this school. The NGF has a set assessment mechanism before enrolling the children in these schools. Children must also take an aptitude test before admission which teachers at the Transit Home prepare for them.
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