At the end of a brief visit to check on projects, I can confirm that as a result of your amazing support, donations and fundraising you have made a real difference to so many people in some of the worst affected areas of Nepal following the Earthquake in April.  Colleagues working with the Mandala Organisation have spent time amongst these remote communities asking the community members themselves who most needed support. These communities show such support for each other and identify some of those that are without  financial or family assistance through loss. I have spent time in their homes and hearing their moving stories of loss, sacrifice and devastation.

The fact that people throughout the UK have supported them is so gratefully acknowledged from all those families and communities we are funding.  It’s humbling to think the fundraising is still going on and we can continue to identify projects and people to support.

Below is a brief list of those we are supporting:

Homes

Mr Seto Giri - we are funding his new home

Mr Seto Giri. During the collapse of his home he sustained severe leg injuries and may risk loosing his leg.  His wife has left him following the earthquake with 1 son and no home - He is still in hospital and he will get news this week that we are rebuilding his Home!

Anita standing by her make shift shelter where her 2 story house stood

Anita BK -  She is pregnant with her 7th child whilst her husband is ill in hospital. They are from the lowest cast in the village with no funds. She lives in the remains of her fallen home! We are funding the rebuild of this home.

Hema with one of here daughters shocked by the news of her new home.

Hema Kumari Giri has 3 daughters. Her husband was killed as their home collapsed. She does not want to live on the same site anymore due to the experience. The village has donated land close by and we are funding a home for her and her daughters.

Bhelprasad Paudel and his wife

They are both 70 and stand on the remains of their home. They have no finance to rebuild and no one to take care of them. We are funding their new home.

Shyam standing on his collapsed home, but worried about the plight of his Aunt.

I’ve shown this picture to some of you before. This is Shyam who is a young raft guide standing on the remains of his home. I have had the great pleasure of training Shyam in Nepal and during this visit it was brought to my attention not his plight but his Aunts. Chali Maya Shrestha, she has 1 Son and 2 Daughters and no home. In addition to this, she sadly lost her husband and another son just before the earthquake in a tragic drowning incident! We are funding her new home.

School Projects

In 2009, the school at Kodari needed additional classrooms and a lick of paint and some of you helped to raise the money to do this and some even came out to help with the project itself. When I visited it today, half of the property is flattened whilst the other half has been declared unsafe until structural work is carried out. This is the story for many rural schools in Nepal even before the earthquake. Most had very little in terms of facilities resources or educational systems in place. I have visited a number of schools as part of this trip and seen the same thing, make shift schools out of donated tents or bamboo and tarps, yet there are excited and keen children to educate. Whilst we have supported and funded a number of much needed homes through the Charity there is a real need to assist the communities with their schools, especially those in rural areas.

Taken in May after the earthquake with the classroom we built in 2009 under us. I promised these children they would get a new school.

We have decided to focus on a couple of rural schools, not just with the intention to rebuild the property, but also to support them on a long term basis. This will include contents, resources, computers, looking at the structure of education, even supplying volunteer teachers like some of you in holiday time! The Nepal Appeal was set up to provide long term support and rather than just replacing schools, why not improve and support the whole rural education system that desperately needs it?

With the teacher earlier today at Kodari School and foundations have started!

Foundation work has started and we hope to take volunteers a number of times each year to help us support these schools into the future.

Sirinchaur school and some of its 59 pupils

Whilst out looking for the properties that colleagues had identified we came across this school, 1500 ft above the main road. The original school was flattened, a villager donated land and a make shift bamboo structure erected to last the next 3 warm dry months. The Nepal Appeal will now fund and support this school.

The team I leave on the ground that will keep us updated - Awesome job guys, Thanks.

With the team on the ground in Nepal, we are able to ensure your funds go directly to real people on the ground that need it most and will benefit hugely.

I’ll be editing footage and posting more in-depth stories of each of the funded projects over the next few weeks. Thanks you so much to all those that have helped, it really is making a difference and their faces say it all. Please share this link and keep the support going - it is making a difference.

Its been a physical time training guides in Bhutan, and an emotional time in Nepal - but well worth it. Time for home.

You have paid for his new school - he was so excited! Thank you to all of you

Thank you

Ant

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