Youth Education and Leadership

Since 1995, Nalamdana has been supporting students from economically challenged backgrounds, to help them complete their high school, under Nalamdana’s Youth Education and Leadership Program.

The funding for this Youth Education and Leadership Program comes from individual donors, as well as from foundations and corporate organizations. Asha for Education, U.S. Chapters, have supported students on this program continuously from 1999 to 2009!

Deserving students are selected through a rigorous selection process, which includes interviews with the child as well as their families, screening of the student’s school performance records and a house visit to verify the facts. Students, who come from financially challenged backgrounds yet, show good interest in education and signs of good communication and leadership skills are selected.

Beyond providing monetary support, this program also strives to contribute to their holistic development as young adults. Different skill building workshops are conducted during their school holidays. These range from carpentry skills, arts and crafts, to spoken English and computer skills.

The students are also taken on a field trip/camp every year. Career guidance is provided where possible. These students are also encouraged to give back to their communities in some way while keeping their school grades up.

The Youth Education and Leadership Program has been running successfully for 15 years now, and many of the supported students have gone on to become professionals in their chosen field. Some of the students who are well placed have now come forward to support scholarship students. You can learn more this program by reading the Youth Education and Leadership Program Annual Report, 2010 – 2011 attached below or visiting the Project Page about it on this website.