The unemployment rate in Nepal is huge, finding employment, even for qualified candidates, is a huge challenge facing Nepal's youths. Umbrella wants to equip our children with the skills and knowledge to give them a head start in the search for their career.

The Umbrella Next Steps Youth & Education Programme (NSYEP) was set up in 2011 to deal with the increasingly large number of our youths who had reached their late teens and finished their secondary level education and over 50 Umbrella youths have entered the programme so far.

Umbrella felt that in order for these youths to continue to grow and mature, we should support them to further their education and move out of our shared children’s homes and into their own flats where they could learn to learn, live, cook and budget for themselves. Umbrella is with them every step of the way by supporting the youths through further education support and living allowances.

Umbrella provides this support for two years to enable them to gain a greater sense of responsibility and an opportunity to make a life for themselves. Our committed Youth and Education team provides career counseling and visits them regularly to monitor their progress and discuss any issues with them. Our hope is to aid their reintegration back into Nepal society and help them develop skills that can aid their own families and home communities.

To help them overcome this transition period, and to grow and become independent adults, Umbrella’s NSYEP has a three pillar strategy to provide our youths with:

1. Formal education: The Umbrella youths will enhance their qualifications through formal education (e.g. Diploma) or vocational training (technical or skills training);

2. Practical education: The Umbrella youths will engage in a worthwhile volunteer experience (e.g. volunteering teaching) and they will be encouraged and supported in obtaining part time jobs to introduce them to the workplace;

3. Social education: A core aim of the NSYEP is to educate your youths in the life skills necessary for independent living. Our education team will provide guidance and monitoring to them to manage the transition from our children’s homes to a situation where they learn to live, cook and budget for themselves.

The NSYEP has provided a huge success so far, with Umbrella’s ‘young adults’ moving out of the Umbrella homes, and finding their own place, often with their Umbrella friends. They have commenced college courses and training that they have shown an interest and aptitude for and they are thriving under the supervision of our education team.

The youths continue to visit us here in Umbrella very regularly to say Hello, update us on their progress and to chat with their friends!

We have high hopes for our youths and the aim of the Next Steps Youth & Education Programme is to ensure that they have happy lives and the promise of a bright future.