Welcome To My Yard is an innovative social enterprise working with Nepali young people on the street to provide holistic community based support, education, training, and income generation programmes. We hope that through our dedication and creative approaches to involve and inspire young people we will have a positive social impact in the community as well as provide an unforgettable experience for our customers.
  
Welcome To My Yard Community Interest Company UK Registration Number 07814702

 


 
Welcome to My Yard began in 2005 in Nepal with Arabinda, Anju and Sarah after we initiated a photography project with a group of ex-child labour children and a group of Kathmandu's street chidlren who took incredible photos of their llives using just disposable cameras. Arabinda, Anju and other friends remained in contact with street children in Nepal and Sarah went back to the Uk to work supporting children and families in Lodnon.

3 years ago sat on the floor of their London flat Sarah was showing Ray a bunch of photos from her volunteering trip to Nepal...

“A group of photos she showed me really struck a chord, one was a close up of a blind man and his wife sat on a curb, then there was picture of a man sleeping in a very dark room atop a pile of rubbish, it became apparent that these photos were not taken by Sarah, as she explained to me that these photographs were taken by street children with disposable cameras, I realised how amazing these photos were. I was able to see and experience the street children’s lives through their images” Ray 
 
We all had a passion to continue supporting the young people we had met, The photos are so personal, strong and creative and screamed anything but ‘pity me’ and we wanted to give them the respect we felt they deserved. We published the children’s work in a photography book to begin showcasing it and raising funds through the sales. Then with a group of friends in London we created an art-photography exhibition. We recreated a Kathmandu street scene and visitors could walk around viewing the images through prints and visual installations, listen to street sounds and Nepali music, and fill up on Nepal’s favourite snacks .Through the exhibition and book sales we were able to raise enough money to fund 8 ex-child labour children’s school fees for the next 2 years through a local Nepali organisation called CWARDS and 2 young street young adults to get their citizenship cards and licenses as Taxi drivers.
 
This year, after doing some more reflection, we decided to take it a step further. Sarah and Ray went back to Kathmandu to join forces with Arabinda to research what else we could do.
 
 “We arrived in Pashupati, one of the holiest Hindu temple sites in the world where open cremations happen each day and also where the street children and young adults spend their time. We carried the Welcome to My Yard photography book around with us and began to recognize some of the faces now a few years older. They were so surprised to see themselves in the book, some of them remembered which photos they had taken and were really excited to show others and tell us about the images.” Ray
 
We visited Pashupati regularly over 3 months and took the young people indoor rock climbing. After numerous discussions with some of the street young adults about what they want in life and after seeing what other social organizations are trying to do to help, we felt we may  have found some way to support them. Sarah, Ray & Arabinda with the support of volunteers have now formally founded Welcome To My Yard. Some people may think we are a little crazy but we believe that if you don’t try you will never know what the outcome will be and we have already learnt the power of doing small actions to achieve positive changes towards young people’s futures. We feel really lucky to have a chance to support these amazing young people who have all struggled so much individually but have shown such creativity, strength and determination to keep going.
 
The children and young people are asking us for more, we want to give them more and continue to be creative in ways to supporting them build on their strengths, get educated, get skilled and have options for their futures, we want to support them to have these basic rights, but for this we need peoples support.