Mike's #GivingTuesday Fundraiser for Happy Kids Center

**** Donations can also be made via Venmo at @thehappykidscenter  ****

It is hard to believe I have been involved with Happy Kids Center for over 7 years now. It all started with a conversation with another traveler who had volunteered at HKC back in 2016. The way she spoke about the children and the programs, I knew I had to get there. The more I learned about the organization, the more I wanted to support it.

In 2017 I trekked to Everest Base Camp to fundraise for Happy Kids Center. Following the trek I delivered the funds to the Center and that is when I first got to know the community and came to understand the challenges the children face every day. I first met the children while walking with HKC's manager through the city. They had bags of recyclables larger than they were thrown over their shoulders when they should have been in school. It was a difficult site to see. Despite that though, when I saw those same children just a few hours later in the center, they were smiling ear to ear, looking through books and playing with dolls, just as children should.

Since then, my family and friends have allowed me to continue to support Happy Kids Center in so many ways -- from toothbrushes to hundreds of pounds in clothing being sent from the USA, not to mention the many fundraisers we have supported together. I am proud to say my community has changed the lives of these children in Nepal in ways most will never understand. 

Back in 2016, approximatley 60% of children were out of school, most of whom never attended school in the first place. They instead spent their days engaging in child labor --  walking the city in search of recyclables earning around $0.50 USD per day. The families relied on the children to ensure they could put food on the table each morning and evening. The children and their parents longed for an education, but it was out of reach even before the earthquake.

However, thanks to Happy Kids Center's programming, the children's futures have taken a turn for the best. Now, more than 90% of our Happy Kids are now enrolled in school and less than 10% are engaging in child labor with no new children joining the workforce since 2016. 

Unfortunately, two years of school lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic undid a lot of that progress. Children fell behind and became less committed to school and parents again relied on their children to work amidst difficult economic conditions. Many girls were also married because their parents could no longer afford to care for them.

The circumstances have already improved greatly over the last year, but we need your help to ensure we are able to lift our community up and get back to where we left off in 2019, and go on to acheive even grater things!