sajha friends, i usually prefere to write in nepali but english this time. in my last two trips to nepal i visited UCEP, that is a shelter for kids whose parents are detatched from them. i talked to several kids whose dad or mom were in prison and they are deprived of things our kids have. i want to help them and wish that we can group together here in the USA and canada and raise funds to help them. there are some 300 kids in UCEP looking for our help and support. ABOUT UCEP Underprivileged Children's Educational Program (UCEP) was incepted in 1978 as a national Non-governmental Organisation. UCEP-Nepal was subsequently established after the successful program of UCEP Bangladesh, one with an international image. The objective of UCEP is to provide primary education to underprivileged children and then further to job oriented vocational skills training at its complex in Sano Thimi Technical School. The main target group is the working and street children. UCEP was established in Dhaka Bangladesh in 1972 by the late Allan Cheyne, a New Zealander with the objective of providing opportunities for street and working children to attend school, learn technical skills and enhance their income generating capability. UCEP extended its program to Nepal in 1978. After conducting a case study of working children in the Kathmandu Valley, five schools were started in 1980 followed by Sanothimi Technical School in 1983 with financial aid and technical assistance from the Danish International Development Agency - DANIDA. The program, which saw over 1500 skilled technicians in the technical sector and over 5000 student in non-formal education sector being produced, was for various reasons terminated in June 1993. Main Objectives: To provide special school facilities to the working and street children. To impart vocational and technical training in different trades to the underprivileged Nepal children to make them self-reliant, and enable them to live a respectable and dignified life. To raise their awareness about family well-being democratic values and norms. To assist those who have completed education and skills training at UCEP to find suitable employment or help establish links with potential employers. To disseminate the problems of Underprivileged children of Nepal and to conduct/implement appropriate programs. Target group:: UCEP-Nepal works for underprivileged street and working children up to 14 years of age who have previously not received any education or are school dropouts in the stage of their primary education. The major categories of such underprivileged children are Direct worker: those who are directly involved in some kind of manual job such as waiters, day labours, house servants, garment worker and carpet weavers. Non-working street children including beggars. Indirect workers: children who help parents in household works, traditional handicraft/farming etc