The project region Huánuco is in the Peruvian Andes and covers nearly the size of Switzerland. It is one of the most economically challenged areas of Peru. For some 35,000 people with physical and/or mental challenges, the situation is particularly difficult. If they are unable to perform physical labor in agriculture, they have little chance to generate an income. They are typically viewed by their families and society as a burden and live in isolation. Despite existing legislation, in practice they receive little to no support from their government.

TearFund Switzerland partners with an experienced local organization (Renacer) to offer 144 people with challenges vocational training in textile handicrafts, metal construction, food services, and gardening. Project participants receive individualized support for their personal and professional development and are equipped to promote and sell their products successfully. As a result, trained individuals experience a growing sense of self-confidence and receive validation from others. Renacer also advocates with the authorities for the rights of people with various challenges and raises awareness among family members and the larger community to value and support them. Renacer has an excellent track record for their work and has already received two awards from the International Labor Organization of the UN.

Action Education applies to facilitate basic learning for children in rural and isolated areas in Lao PDR. The project concentrates on the following three main axes:

1. setting up low-cost mobile libraries to serve young children in villages
2. facilitating the learning of children through the use of information and communication technologies
3. strengthening the teachers' skills with emphasizes on child-friendly training approach

The aim of the project is to improve the children's learning outcomes in the basic subjects of Lao language and mathematics as well as the use of information and communication technologies to facilitate the learning of these two subjects.

Already on our fourth project with Child’s Dream, it was agreed to replace one of the two current buildings, the rotten and unsafe facility constructed in 1994. Six new classrooms and four additional toilets will significantly enhance the learning experience and hygiene standards in the Fangdang Primary School in Southern Laos. After completion of this project, the village will be able to rely on 12 quality classrooms for the current student population of 214 boys and girls. It is expected that the student body will grow further in the years to come, since proper facilities underline the importance of education. 

The Presencia Foundation is active in the poor district “San Antonio de Prado” in the south of Medellín, Colombia and, together with its team of local experts, is pursuing the vision of breaking the poverty spiral through education. This is implemented with four different projects that support and accompany the beneficiaries in all stages of education - from elementary school to the completion of vocational training or studies.

In the vocational training project, beneficiaries are provided with training at one of our partner institutions. In addition to theoretical education, the young people also have the opportunity to do an internship in a company to gain work experience. They are supported and individually accompanied by our team of social pedagogues throughout their process and until the successful integration in the job market. Thanks to the vocational training project the young people have the chance to learn a profession that is in demand and break the vicious circle of poverty and lack of education.

For young people in Peru, the transition from public school to work is challenging, particularly for those living in rural areas. Anyone who would like to pursue further studies would have to move to the city, which is simply unaffordable for most. For the rest, the future offers few options. Vocational schools are scant, typically inadequate, and fail to provide a viable alternative. And without proper training and skills, young people can only hope to find menial or temporary jobs and become trapped in a life marked by poverty. This project seeks to bring about lasting change and give people hope. By improving the quality of public vocational schools, young people receive the opportunity to acquire the skills and qualifications they need. This in turn enables them to find jobs to earn a living or to launch their own small businesses. In this way, they are able to provide for themselves and their families and regain a sense of hope for their future.

Hatua Network works to end generational poverty by preparing promising, low-income youth to thrive in Kenya's workforce. They do so by providing scholarships to top-performing students from low-income families to pursue their high school and university education. They then mentor their scholarship students for 10 years, focusing on soft skills critical for career success including communication, collaboration, problem-solving, emotional intelligence and responsibility. At the tertiary level, Hatua pairs each student with a professional working in their career field of interest to help students gain industry-specific career guidance and build their professional networks. Finally, Hatua partners with Kenyan employers help to address their need for top entry-level talent and connect alumni to career opportunities. Among Hatua alumni, 95% are engaged in the workforce within one year of graduating, and those who are earning have an average income that is 6 times the international poverty line and 3.5 times the average combined household income of Hatua students' families. This is a total transformation, from poverty to professional careers.

The organization “Sano Prakash” brings education and a home to underprivileged children in Nepal. The “Junkiri Planet School” teaches children of each social status and origin using holistic teaching and learning approaches. The children's home called “Sano Prakash Home” which is a part of the school makes sure neglected, underprivileged children and street children are gifted a loving home, education, love, warmth and security. Sano Prakash is Nepalese and means “small light”. It stands for the main idea of bringing a small light to children who have not had enough of it in their lives

The target beneficiary group of "Online to Success - Vocational Training+ " includes youth, operative workers, informal workers, and small entrepreneurs - a sector of more than 70 million people, representing 31.82% of the total population in Brazil. This project creates and promotes opportunities for vocational training and professional skills for the most vulnerable through online services and counseling in the favelas of Brazil. A qualitative online platform with free training for needy workers and entrepreneurs of the favelas can be further developed and made accessible with the project. After successfully completing the course and receiving a certificate, the course participants also have the opportunity to apply directly to the job market via the job portal of the project's media partner. For effective implementation, the project is based on many partnerships with companies and NGOs working in the comunidades/favelas. It is also based on a strong presence in social media, in a collaboration with Brazilian influencers and the so-called "Ed+ ambassadors" (particularly committed young people from the favelas).

Anak – Aid to Indonesian children, is a non-profit, apolitical, and non-denominational humanitarian organization founded in 2003 and has branches in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and, Spain and an office in Bali. The association works to educate children from remote villages on the island of Bali, in areas where a lot of people live below the poverty threshold. In partnership with local communities, Anak helps and guides more than 200 children in their studies, from primary school to university, thanks to the financial support of more than 300 godparents, donors, partners and foundations. All these children live with their families and are able to attend public schools and continue their studies until graduation, thanks to the monthly payment of their school fees. Anak also guides these young people in their choice of career and follows up their studies in the remotest areas of Bali, where the lack of information and the lack of schooling among adults are true obstacles to education and autonomy. If these young people and future generations are supported to become independent and autonomous, they can break the vicious cycle of poverty. As a consequence, their futures can be brighter, and they can have a better chance to achieve their dreams.

Laos’ education system is in need of improvement in order to meet the needs of its very young population – half of the people are below 18 years of age. Inequalities based on ethnicity, gender and wealth hinder many children from receiving equal access to education. This project aims to improve the reading skills of primary school children in Laos. It addresses three key areas being teacher training and support, reading materials and learning spaces.

The project is active in the rural Teuk Phos district in Cambodia’s Kampong Chhnang province. It aims to enhance the education opportunities at public schools. The project supports two kindergartens, two primary schools and two secondary schools. Furthermore, it provides direct support to the families - they can start their own agricultural income projects which directly improve their livelihood. Other families receive support in the form of school fees for their children.

The first project’s goal is to improve primary school participation rates and early grade learning outcomes in the province of Bokeo, Laos. With this project the quality of teaching and hence the children’s learning will be improved. Furthermore, the school management and community engagement in school governance will be strengthened.

The second project has the aim to foster the access to qualitative education, to improve the school teaching and the class rooms as well as to improve the inclusion of disadvantaged children, e.g. Dalit children and girls in Nepal. The project wants to achieve that children between 3 and 8 years of age can attend school and preschool and to avoid early withdrawals.

Another project is located in El Salvador. It aims to enable young people, especially women, and their families to gain an opportunity for income generation and a perspective for the future through youth employment promotion. It strengthens the social and employment system and facilitates the access to professional, technical and life skills training.

Lotus for Laos empowers young Laotians in Luang Prabang to shape their future in a sustainable way.  With the "scholarship for a better future programme", the organisation supports as many orphans as possible to attend the local university by financially supporting the adolescents and paying for the tuition fees, accommodation and one hot meal a day.

Completing a university degree is the aspiration of countless young South Africans, enthused with the hope of making a contribution to the fast-developing region. We support the University of Cape Town in funding scholarships in order to build the next generation of specialists and fight the shortage of postgraduate qualifications.

A second project supports students from poorly resourced communities that only have limited access to Information Technology and thus are limited in their learning progress. The support is implemented by providing laptops to the financially disadvantaged students.

A third and fourth project focuses on bursary opportunities for students who seek careers in the area of Health Sciences. As many students in South Africa do not have the financial capacity to continue tertiary studies following their undergraduate program, bursary programs ensure greater access for talented youth to pursue their studies.

The Asian University for Women has the aim to build the next generation of leaders by educating women across Asia and preparing them for careers in leadership and public service. This project consists of a sponsorship of 10 scholarships for women who are the first in their families to enter university. The scholarships allow the Asian University for Women to provide the women with the academic, professional and financial support they need in order to grow into strong leaders in their chosen fields.

Countless young people live in the outskirts of Tegucigalpa (Honduras) with no prospects for a secure workplace or a regular income. They are insufficiently educated and have no possibility to learn a profession. To address this issue, the project offers short-term vocational trainings in various sectors with the goal to enable marginalized young people to complete a apprenticeship which is in demand on the labour market. In addition to the expertise, the courses also teach the participants social- and self-competences with the ultimate goal of a successful integration into the working world.

The foundation has built a school in Sri Lanka’s Southwest which offers a multilateral education complementing the state school system for children and young adults. The trainings offered are English and Tamil language courses, computer science and photography courses, a preschool based on the concept of Montessori as well as the so called “Women’s Cooperation” which offers one-year training courses to women in tailoring, embroidery and batik.

This project promotes quality education and inclusion for visually or hearing impaired children in Cambodia. This aim will be achieved by offering a comprehensive curriculum specially designed for children with special needs in order to enable them to become an integral part of society. A tailored education model together with the necessary tools such as Braille and Khmer sign language, adapted textbooks and training of specialized teachers, provides the children the best possible support throughout their studies. Ultimately, the project enhances the socio-economic inclusion of visually and hearing impaired children thanks to a comprehensive education curriculum and support from Kindergarten up to Grade 12 and from there towards joining vocational training and even university.

The project supports people with a hearing impairment in Mexico. 30 hearing impaired or deaf students are taught in a school opened by taki mundo at the level of pre-school, primary school and secondary school.

This project is a four-year intervention (Grade 11, 12 and post-matric) that aims to assist young people to enter college and university by supporting learners to improve academic performance through academic tutoring, study methodology techniques and education in emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, motivation, empathy and social management). The final objective is to to mould a generation of young leaders from developing communities to become influential decision makers for a greater South Africa.

The project develops and implements innovative forms of international collaboration in teaching among universities from the global South and North. This takes place in the form of summer or winter schools focusing on socio-economic changes in rural and semi-urban areas in Namibia and Switzerland with participants from both countries. The project offers a unique experience of intercultural learning and has the overall goal to serve as a model South-North Cooperation in learning and teaching at universities.

The project aims to provide qualified primary education for the children of an ethnic minority in the Nong region, Savannakhet province in Laos. This will be achieved by the establishment of child-friendly primary schools and kindergartens, the strengthening of the village community and infrastructure and the further development of the local public social aid.

The aim of this project is to improve the girls’ participation in education and to reduce discrimination and violence against girls in family and community. The project will improve girls’ participation and accomplishment in education as well as their life chances and the quality of their lives in general. By increasing the girls’ independence and confidence and by addressing socio-cultural gender inequities, the project will create a favorable environment for girls’ education and reduce discriminatory practices such as child marriage or child labor.

This project is active in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. It supports over 900 children and youths who come from very poor families, who are orphans or who are socially vulnerable. The support is provided at school, in art and music as well as in vocational education. Awarding scholarships to poor families enables the children to go to school, special courses teach the young people English and dance and vocational training educates them in the fields of mechanics, gastronomy, hotel industry, agriculture, beauty care or hairdressing. By completing a vocational education, the participants can ensure their future livelihood.

This project has the aim to provide equal opportunities for children from ethnic minorities in Laos. The country has a vast ethnic diversity with 49 ethnics and over 80 different languages. The national standard curriculum is not adapted to the local needs which leads to a disadvantageous position for children from ethnic minorities. They do not have the same opportunities to access universities or higher education, to find a job or to life up to their potential. This project considers the ethnic and linguistic diversity in order to enable equality of opportunity.   

The project aims to enrich children’s lives through music education, especially for children from underprivileged families and children with special needs. Music education fosters various skills such as rehearsing for performance, breaking down performance skills into its component parts (rhythm, melody, harmony, form and discipline), team work or creating and following standards – for the learners as well as for the teachers. As the majority of the schools in Kathmandu does not offer music classes or only as an extra-curricular activity, there is a need for quality training in music and it has been proven that a well-developed music education system can be highly beneficial for an entire nation.

Green Leaves Education Foundation’s donation is used for the implementation of the General Education Quality Analysis / Diagnostic Framework (GEQAF) in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The GEQAF is a tool developed by UNESCO to help member states to take a systems approach to comprehensive analysis and diagnosis of their general education enterprise.