Mission & Approach
Creating change, 20 children and 20 families at a time
Our mission is not to build schools. It is to reach the children schools never reach, and to make sure they stay.
Our vision
A beacon of hope for out-of-school children
We envision a world where every child has access to quality education, every family can improve its quality of life, and communities flourish through education, good health and economic opportunity.
Our mission
SKF establishes Learning Centers that provide free primary education to children aged 4 to 12 who have never had the chance to attend school and live in impoverished communities.
After two to three years of foundational education, children move into mainstream public or private schools, where the Rising Star Scholarship covers every cost.
Our mission has two equally important goals:
- Empower children with quality education, hope and opportunity.
- Empower families through skills, employment and economic uplift, so change lasts for generations.
Why not build schools?
A bridge, not another building
Most nonprofits in this space build schools. But a child who has never held a pencil, cannot read and works all day cannot simply walk into a school classroom. SKF Learning Centers are bridge education centers: small classes, caring teachers and learning at each child’s pace, until they are ready to pass the admission test of a regular school and move into the mainstream school system.
Growth plan
Four phases, one path out of poverty
Learning Centers
Free, quality foundational education for out-of-school children: literacy, numeracy, language, life skills and character.
Rising Star Scholarship
Scholarships and ongoing support as students move into mainstream public and private schools.
Health & Hygiene
Health education, hygiene awareness and access to basic healthcare for children and their families.
Economic Empowerment
Vocational training, employment and income-generating projects so families become financially independent.
Who we serve
We select children aged 4 to 12 who are out of school, often roaming the streets, and who belong to poor families in urban slums. Their parents work as daily laborers, house help, sweepers or rickshaw drivers and cannot afford school fees. Many of the children work too: girls helping their mothers in other people’s homes, boys selling goods on the street.
SKF does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, caste, colour, national origin or political affiliation.
Give a child the chance to learn
$250–$350 covers a child’s full year at an SKF Learning Center: teacher, books, uniform and a daily healthy snack.
