Education Programs
Our largest scholarship program provides scholarships to cover tuition, fees, books, supplies, uniforms, mentoring and emergency health care to thousands of Little Sisters in 22 districts of Nepal.
One-third of the population in Nepal lives on less than $2 a day, making school prohibitively expensive for many families. Girls who are not in school face an increased risk of child marriage, child labor and child trafficking. In Nepal, 7 out of 10 girls in rural areas drop out of school before the age of 16. 10,000-15,000 girls are trafficked from Nepal each year for sexual exploitation. 30% of girls are engaged in child labor. Nepal is home to 5 million child brides. Of these, 1.3 million married before age 15.
Education can prevent these injustices.
LSF’s School Scholarship Program removes the first barrier to education—the cost. We guarantee every scholarship through the end of high school, provided the Little Sister attends school, does her best and receives passing marks. By providing access to school and the support necessary for girls to succeed, LSF partners with the girls, their families, schools and the communities at large to uplift girls from poverty and oppression. In doing so, we effectively prevent child marriage, child labor and trafficking while tackling one of the root causes of poverty: illiteracy.
The main outcomes of our School Scholarship program are simple.
All Little Sisters who were previously not in school, at risk of dropping out of school, getting married at a young age, being forced into child labor or being trafficked for the sex trade will stay in school.
Little Sisters learn and progress in school and graduate from high school.
Little Sisters are positioned for future success and can pursue higher education.
Community and family members become educated about the importance of girls’ education and female empowerment.
LSF’s School Scholarship Program is largely supported through foundation funding as well as individual donations. Additionally, the School Scholarship Program is supported by a grassroots in-country donor program that supports the education of approximately 75 Little Sisters annually and is 100% funded by the families of Little Sisters as a way to “pay it forward.”
