Our long term objective at Harmony House is to provide each of our children with realistic goals and aspirations and most importantly, ensure that they have the tools to achieve them. Wherever possible, we strive to place our 18 year olds in local colleges or businesses.
Vocational Training
This is an ongoing project that we are constantly evolving to ensure that the needs of our children are met.
As is sadly common among children who live below the poverty line, pursuing secondary and tertiary education is an unbearable financial burden on their families. That’s why our Vocational Training programmes have proved crucial in equipping as well as training our children and young adults to secure a viable job once they reach the legal working age.
Currently, we offer training in skills such as tailoring, cosmetology, yoga, music, data entry and coding among others, in small groups led by trained and certified instructors who assess them according to established performance indicators in the field.
We are pleased to now be able to extend these programmes to other young adults in the community who were not able to attend school as they needed to work, usually as domestic help, to support their family. As with all our educational classes, we offer sessions throughout the day so that students can work around their existing work schedules.
To better prepare these students for the ‘real’ world, we have developed a small beauty parlour at Harmony House, as well as a stitching studio and multipurpose community learning space.
Success stories
Meera
Meera joined Harmony House at the age of 7 years. She grew up to be a very ambitious young woman who always had a smile on her face and a tenacious spirit. Against her father’s wishes to study, Meera pursued her education. She excelled both academically and in extracurricular activities and was a welcome student in our first cosmetology course. After graduating, she started working as an assistant at a local beauty parlour and today, owns her very own in the community.
Meenakshi
Meenakshi joined Harmony House at the age of 8 in 2010. Her mother was single and could not afford an education for Meenakshi and her sister. Once she joined Harmony House and started spending time with us it was evident that both girls were bright and full of potential. Along with performing very well academically, she was keen to explore and learn new things. Meenakshi then joined our cosmetology course and singing classes at Harmony House. After completing the courses she started supporting her mother by working in a parlour and boutique. She scored an impressive 80% in her grade 10 board exams and is currently awaiting her grade 12 results. This hardworking and immensely talented young woman hopes to one day become an air hostess.
Premchand
Premchand is a true reflection of Harmony House. He came to us when he was just 12 years old but living away from his family in order to support them. He had found work at a guest house as an errand boy in return for accommodation, and was also simultaneously pursuing an education when he was introduced to Harmony House by a volunteer. Soon, he became one of our most dedicated students. After passing his grade 10 exams, Premchand started training in mobile repair that helped hone his technically-savvy mind that then helped him join a network marketing firm. Today, he is well-settled and in constant touch with us, always trying to find opportunities to give back. For instance, on one trip to the village he was forced to leave as a child, he distributed school bags to those who were just like he was.
Sangeeta Thapa
Sangeeta was only 6 years old when she came to Harmony House. We helped her to get admitted to an evening school. However, after completing her primary education she was forced to work as a housemaid in order to support her family. But, she continued attending classes regularly at Harmony House and enrolled herself in the cosmetology and tailoring course. While she always performed well academically, her parents did not allow her to work as she had to care for her little sister while her parents were away. Her mother then forbade her from attending any classes at all...but through sheer determination, she convinced them to let her join a nursing course. We are so proud to say that today she is a caring, kind and attentive nurse at a multispecialty hospital, earning a salary worthy of her excellent skills.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SPONSOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Rs. 40,000 per month (USD 580/ GBP 465/ AED 2132)
Teacher, materials and machines to increase the number of tailoring courses
Rs. 45,000 per month (USD 653/ GBP 523/ AED 2398)
To provide two additional and desperately needed IT teachers, learning resources, additional equipment and maintenance so that we can effectively utilise our new IT labs
Rs. 45,000 per month (USD 653/ GBP 523/ AED 2398)
To increase the capacity of students in our cosmetology course
SPONSOR A BEAUTY TOOL KIT – Manicure and pedicure set, threads, wax heater, etc
Rs. 2500 (USD 34/ GBP 24/ AED 125)
SPONSOR A YOGA MAT
Rs. 500 (USD 6/ GBP 5/AED 25)
