Education is a life-long process that begins at birth and takes place in the family and community as much as in school. It's about helping children to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes that will be useful throughout their lives. Education also unlocks children's potential and contributes to the development of societies.

Poverty prevents many children from getting a good education. Add to this, the underprivileged children who have lost their parents and/or come from a very rustic, non-conducive, rural background. Most of the children are first generation learners in their family resulting in lack of support at home for getting an education in the first place.

Many children also have to work to boost their families' incomes and they don't have time for school. The lack of good quality education also acts as a drawback in the development of these children.

The early years are a crucial period in children's development. The kind of start in life they get can determine their whole life, and what they learn lays the foundations for later learning and adult life.

Human Development Foundation of Sikkim (HDFS) works to ensure that disadvantaged children get access to good quality education that is relevant and useful to them. Taking into account the reality of children's lives HDFS tries to provide solutions to the problems they face.

Towards this goal, we have set up Children’s Village – a community of orphan/ semi-orphan and other underprivileged young children from the ages of 7 to 17. The idea for a Children’s Village took root at Lepcha Cottage – the residence of Ms. Keepu Lepcha where she was taking care of nearly 20 needy and poverty-stricken children right in her home. There are now over 100 children at Lepcha Cottage.

HDFS takes care of these needy and destitute children in Lepcha Cottage and the Children’s Village by providing accommodation, food and schooling including vocational skills training.

We at HDFS are involved in the day-to-day running of the hostel complexes, school and the vocational skills centre in addition to campaigning for better awareness of the plight of such disadvantaged children.

All this is made possible through child sponsorships, donations, grants and voluntary services.