The Concept
The concept is beautifully simple: Children attend the CLC before and after school each day where they receive the extra tuition they need. The tutor is a student (sixth form equivalent) who receives a small salary that covers their own education expenses.
Meet the inspirational Ambika
The tutors are both male and female and from the same caste groups. They therefore act also as role models, proof that there is a future in education. They receive bursaries from us, conditional upon their ’paying back’ by giving their time to CLC duties. We fundraise for bursaries through Big Give appeals in October and at Christmas.
Check out this video to find out how Ambika went from being a CLC student to becoming herself a CLC tutor!
How it all began
We built our first CLC in 2020 through funding support from The McGough Foundation in the UK. Such has been the demand that in 2025 we had to build a second one nearby!
A 21st century design
We are now building to a design appropriate to a rapidly changing environment:
- Raising land to mitigate against the risk of flooding – the CLC can double up as a flood relief centre
- A raised roof to allow circulation of air
- The use of eco-bricks for the building itself. These have a very low carbon footprint as they are cold compressed cement/sand
- A covered well area where classes can be held outdoors when it is too hot to teach inside
CLCs in Sarlahi District
In 2024, our Lily’s Leaves partner joined in the activity by complementing its training of young women in Sarlahi District with the building of a CLC. This was so well received that in 2025 we had to build a second CLC nearby!
This second building was supported primarily by grant funding from our German colleagues at the non-profit ‘Himalaya Friends’.
Future plans
Through a summer Big Give campaign for our education programme, we will aim to raise £100,000 towards the operating costs of our CLCs, to pay bursaries for 36 children who are attending sixth form college and, for the first time, university fees and grants for up to three young people to join Bachelor’s degree courses in September. If you can help us with a pledge or a gift, please let Philip know in advance. That would be really helpful!
