I am now back at home in Duncan suffering from jet lag. Today I gave a presentation to Duncan Rotary Club about my trip and the Rotary Project at Mahalaxmi School, Nakhipot, Kathmandu.
It was a very busy time in Nepal with all the children and schools to visit plus the filming with Nick.
Ed from Australia and Dave from New Zealand were a big help and we were quite a team. My thanks to them both. Ed intends to return in October and to continuing working with NEF. He is a great addition to our team. He just loves the work, loves visiting the children and families and helping out wherever he can. I am very happy to have him assisting us, finally it is just not only me. We have a back up person. He is also very organized and can help with spreadsheets etc.
We also have a new manager at NEF, Nepal. One with great experience who is teaching Mann to organize the charity is a much more efficient way. All this is good. Also we are all covered if someone is ill or unable to work. So the charity is more stable and well organized now.
There were many highlights of this trip as I have already mentioned here in previous posts. This year we lost a few children and some sponsors but some attrition always happens. We have some new children and children who lost their sponsors had them replaced with new ones and we welcome and thank these new sponsors to our NEF family.
I have very fond memories of the Mahalaxmi, Nakhipot school and the wonderful Principal and teachers there. They were so caring of the children a large percentage who were child labourers. The new toilets are well on their way to completion and next will be the replacement roof and nursery room. Hopefully this makes for a little light in the dark lives of these poor children.
Paros, the little deaf mute, boy will start his new school this week where he will learn sign language which will open up his life and give him a bright future. His mother took a long journey with him last week back to their original district to get all the documents she needed for him to be able to start the new school. This was a big undertaking for her as she does not read or write herself. Fortunately Mann knew someone there who could assist her.
Many of our students took their School Leaving Certificate exams last month and will get the results in June. Hopefully they will pass and will start two years college. NEF will sponsors all students to class 12.
It is wonderful and very moving to see all the children that we have sponsored for so many years. Some of them have been with NEF for ten years and they have grown into very respectable young men and women. They have a purpose and want to do well in their future lives. NEF has been part of this and it is very rewarding. We hope to continue with helping children to better lives and hope for the future.
I will continue to update this blog weekly with news of the children and schools.
Photos: Top Manu and his mother. Manu's mother's have been badly burned so she is not able to work. Manu started school very late so is in class 1 and aged 11. He is a lovely child who rushes to meet me and throws his arms around me in a big hug. Hopefully he continues his school for a few years.
Middle: Ed reading a letter to Rojina.
Next: Sandip, who has just finished class 10, holding a photo of me with him and his brother and sister when I first sponsored them ten years ago. They keep the photo on the wall.
Bottom: Last week Ed and I walked up to the Peace Pagoda in Pokhara in the early morning. We sat for an hour and enjoyed the view. More importantly we embraced the peace and tranquility that we lose hold of when working amid the chaos and poverty of the cities. It gave us a chance to refresh and remember what life is really all about, enjoying the moment.
It was a very busy time in Nepal with all the children and schools to visit plus the filming with Nick.
Ed from Australia and Dave from New Zealand were a big help and we were quite a team. My thanks to them both. Ed intends to return in October and to continuing working with NEF. He is a great addition to our team. He just loves the work, loves visiting the children and families and helping out wherever he can. I am very happy to have him assisting us, finally it is just not only me. We have a back up person. He is also very organized and can help with spreadsheets etc.
We also have a new manager at NEF, Nepal. One with great experience who is teaching Mann to organize the charity is a much more efficient way. All this is good. Also we are all covered if someone is ill or unable to work. So the charity is more stable and well organized now.
There were many highlights of this trip as I have already mentioned here in previous posts. This year we lost a few children and some sponsors but some attrition always happens. We have some new children and children who lost their sponsors had them replaced with new ones and we welcome and thank these new sponsors to our NEF family.
I have very fond memories of the Mahalaxmi, Nakhipot school and the wonderful Principal and teachers there. They were so caring of the children a large percentage who were child labourers. The new toilets are well on their way to completion and next will be the replacement roof and nursery room. Hopefully this makes for a little light in the dark lives of these poor children.
Paros, the little deaf mute, boy will start his new school this week where he will learn sign language which will open up his life and give him a bright future. His mother took a long journey with him last week back to their original district to get all the documents she needed for him to be able to start the new school. This was a big undertaking for her as she does not read or write herself. Fortunately Mann knew someone there who could assist her.
Many of our students took their School Leaving Certificate exams last month and will get the results in June. Hopefully they will pass and will start two years college. NEF will sponsors all students to class 12.
It is wonderful and very moving to see all the children that we have sponsored for so many years. Some of them have been with NEF for ten years and they have grown into very respectable young men and women. They have a purpose and want to do well in their future lives. NEF has been part of this and it is very rewarding. We hope to continue with helping children to better lives and hope for the future.
I will continue to update this blog weekly with news of the children and schools.
Photos: Top Manu and his mother. Manu's mother's have been badly burned so she is not able to work. Manu started school very late so is in class 1 and aged 11. He is a lovely child who rushes to meet me and throws his arms around me in a big hug. Hopefully he continues his school for a few years.
Middle: Ed reading a letter to Rojina.
Next: Sandip, who has just finished class 10, holding a photo of me with him and his brother and sister when I first sponsored them ten years ago. They keep the photo on the wall.
Bottom: Last week Ed and I walked up to the Peace Pagoda in Pokhara in the early morning. We sat for an hour and enjoyed the view. More importantly we embraced the peace and tranquility that we lose hold of when working amid the chaos and poverty of the cities. It gave us a chance to refresh and remember what life is really all about, enjoying the moment.
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