Welcome To My Yard is an innovative not for profit social enterprise working with Nepali young people on the street to provide holistic community based support, education, training, and income generation programmes. We hope that through our dedication and creative approaches to involve and inspire young people we will have a positive social impact in the community as well as provide an unforgettable experience for our customers through our not for profit business projects.
Our social enterprise is working towards long term self-sufficiency through a social business. Profits are re-invested back into our project to support children and young people. This social business not only brings in partial funds needed to run, it also provides us with opportunities for young people to gain work experience and training within our social business. We also raise essential funds needed to help us run through grants, donations, sponsored activities and campaigns.
- Relationships based on genuine partnerships
- Inclusion and active participation of children & young people at all levels of our project
- Supporting older community members to be positive mentors for their own communities
- Focusing on small achievable measurable changes
- Local community at the heart of what we do
- Promoting new and existing skills and practical planning for sustainable positive futures
- Mutual cultural and skill exchange and development for staff and volunteers
During my time at UEA studying International Development, I discovered my passion for travel and working with people in a strengths based way and I have never looked back. I have spent the last 12 years overseas in the NGO sector and managing volunteers, and in the UK developing my career supporting children, young people and families in community settings. I first met the Nepali street community in 2005 and saw their incredible ability to survive and capacity to flourish and I’m so proud to support them in their efforts through our Social Enterprise.
Favourite Quote:
“When the road bends you cannot walk straight.” Romani Proverb
Born in Tondo, Philippines. I spent my early years in Tondo, known as one of the poorest and most underdeveloped districts of the country but I later moved to Sydney, Australia. I later founded and assisted setting up a shelter home for street children in Manila, Philippines. I have passion for working and supporting children and a believer that each child should be given equal opportunity.
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” Dalai Lama
MA - Sociology
Favourite Quote
“Almost everything comes from nothing.” Henry F. Amiel
I am an IT professional but always passionate to work for human altruism. I have 2 years of practical experiences working with street children of Pashupati. WTMY gave me this lifetime opportunity to join hands so I could fulfill my dream to work for those kids.
Favourite Quote:
“Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.” Buddha
I am a young adult who is passionate to help out with Welcome to my yard ever since I went on my trip with my dad last year to Nepal. I am right at the end of my GCSE’s and will soon be finished at school then to follow on to A level where I will be doing Drama which I am very excited about. I will do my very best to do all I can to help out with Welcome to my yard and am here if needed.
“Knowledge is limited but imagination encircles the world” Albert Einstein
I have always dreamt to work for society and driven by this dream I studied my MA in social work. I had my first chance to work with street children in 2008. At that time I realised there is a real need for the kind of support for street children and young people that will help them to be positively independent. Now, after four years I have an opportunity to work with WTMY and great team with it, whom focus all of their efforts to make children and young people independent, emotionally strong enough and confident through its activities and social entrepreneurship.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes” Marcel Proust
We are also incredibly grateful to be joined by a team of skilled Nepali and international volunteers who do a variety of roles within our project.
Through these activities we funded eight ex-child labour children’s school fees for the next two years through a local organisation called CWARDS and two street young adults to get their citizenship cards and licenses as Taxi drivers.
In 2011 we decided to take it a step further to focus our efforts on the street children and young people in Pashupati. Sarah & Ray returned to Kathmandu to join our Nepali friends.
“We took their photography book around Pashupati, one of the holiest Hindu temple sites in the world where open cremations happen each day and also where the street children and young adults spend their time. The young people were so surprised to see themselves in the book, and were really excited to show others and tell us about their images.” Ray
After discussing with some of the street young adults about their lives and spending time getting to know their community and the difficulties they face living or working on the streets, we decided to formally found ‘Welcome To My Yard ‘in 2011.
The children and young people are asking us for more, we want to give these incredible young people more. We want to continue to be creative in ways to support them by building on their strengths, getting educated, getting skilled and having options. We want to support them to have these basic rights and have safe positive futures, but for this we will need your support...