Nepal

ICRI has been working in Nepal since 2001, when we were invited to assist local and international NGOs with the development of a coordinated plan for housing and care of children with incarcerated parents. In 2003, we opened a full-time office in Kathmandu, and hired our Country Director Dhirendra Lamsal, who continues to oversee a variety of projects that support Nepali children and families.

Network for Children, Prisoners and Dependents

ICRI Nepal facilitated the formation of this coalition of grassroots organizations working to support prisoners and their children in 2001. We have remained deeply involved with the organization and with its efforts to improve the wellbeing of families impacted by Nepal’s prison system. In recent years, ICRI Nepal and NCPD have received funding from the United Nations Development Program to implement HIV/AIDS prevention, vocational training, and psychosocial support programs in Nepali prisons.

National Center for Learning Resources

ICRI Nepal runs a comprehensive training program for pre-primary and primary school educators. Teachers and administrators from local programs receive in-depth training on global best practices in early childhood and primary education, as well as learning materials and ongoing evaluation and mentoring.

Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility

ICRI Nepal partners with local, national, and multinational corporations to develop corporate social responsibility initiatives. ICRI links participating companies to grassroots community-based organizations, and works to bring new collaborators into the dialogue on how to best serve vulnerable families and communities in Nepal.

Child Welfare and Orphan Care Projects

ICRI Nepal has developed a number of projects to promote child welfare in Nepal, and is currently partnering with the national Central Child Welfare Board to increase support for orphans and vulnerable children in the country. The Infant Care Facility Improvement Project has worked to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of children in Nepali orphanages, and the Thecho Family Village Project is working to develop a model program that will provide a community-based alternative to institutionalization of Nepali children.

• Outcomes
• Over 50 teachers and over 17 educational facilities, serving a combined total of over 12,200 Nepali children, have received teacher training, learning materials, and educational assistance.
• Over 584 Nepali prisoners and their families have received HIV/AIDS prevention vocational training, and psychosocial support.
• Over 19 companies have developed corporate social responsibility initiatives in conjunction with ICRI Nepal.