DADREG created this innovation in order to Break the Cycle of Intergenerational Poverty
Many of the children DADREG works with come from families who have lived in and work in the dumpsite whose mothers work and live in the dumpsite. Thus, getting out of this cycle will take many generations to overcome poverty. Without intervention, they are likely to follow the same path. DADREG believes that to provide a sustainable escape from poverty the children need to be equipped with education and life skills that will enable them to make informed choices as they grow up. Initially DADREG used to work with local public primary schools. However, because the public schools could not absorb majority of the children sent to their schools, DADREG decided to put up our own school known as Candlelight Education Centre. This is also because Conventional schooling often overlooks children with trauma, learning gaps, or unstable home lives. Dumpsite children are among the most excluded. Infact the children taken to public schools often feels like they are not wanted .
DADREG understands that the only way to reach out to children with trauma or working in the dumpsite is through sports. Sports is international language spoken by all. To do this, DADREG field workers/ Social workers visit the dumpsite where the children work with their mothers and scavenge for food in order to survive. Using sports, we are able to engage and identify vulnerable children facing abuse, neglect, malnutrition, or who are out of school, thus able to understand their situations.
One thing that DADREG has done is to make sure the children are supported to remain in school through education, life skills and school feeding so that they don't have any reason of not going to school or going to work or scavenge for food in the dumpsite.
DADREG also believes that it does not make sense only to support those children in primary school only. As a result, DADREG has partnered with other charities to provide scholarships to bright children so that they don't have to go back to the dumpsite just because they cannot afford to go to high school. Another good thing is that those children find themselves going to colleges, something they never dreamed of even in their wildest dreams. For those not able to proceed to universities or colleges, DADREG has set up a community college where those children are equipped with skills that will not only make them become competitive in the job market but also creators of wealth, employing others.
DADREG has added STEM education, Science Lab, that helps in equipping the children with STEM education instead of just engaging the children in cramming.
If you want to try our model, you must first understand your community, understand the children and those working in the dumpsite; Make them become part of the project, they know better than the experts. you can only learn from them. When they tell you learn more why they are where they are.
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