School update

The school exams are going to start from 20 March and will last to 27 March. The results will be published on 9th April. Admission campaign will start from 14 April and lasts to 28 April.

In the current fiscal year Bandipur municipality provided NRP 21,000.00 to the Aandhimul school and with that money the school bought 5 wooden chairs that costs NRP 13000.00. Rest money is in school’s account.

new furnitures at school

Mr Santosh Shrestha, a person originally from Bandipur and now living in Chitwan, came to the school with his friends of the Lions Club of Bageshowri, Chitwan and donated 70 pieces of school bags and 25 pieces of maths kits. Bikram and the school will distribute these things in the beginning of the new academic session/school year (mid April 2016).

headteacher giving instruction to students

It was discussed with the headteacher, chairman of SMC and project staff members separately at whether some money from the school ( that which was given by District Education Office (DEO) NRP 250,000.00 ) can be spent on project teacher salary. Final decision to be confirmed. This we hope will help to contribute to the wages the projects provide.

bikram headteacher and chairman meeting

staffs meeing

In Bandipur Bikram and some others are going to start renovation work of a house ( a house rented by Rotary club to establish a cafe and lodge) from 14th April. They are planning to finish it within one year of starting. Once up and running, the profit will be split between five local schools, one of which is Aandhimul’s. With Bikram being a part of this project he will try his best to help our school and make it a success.

There was an article published in “KANTIPUR” the Nepal national daily on 12 March 2016 about our school. The theme of the news was “poor students’ neglected school”. It shows media also showing there interest in the school and how things can change like what is happening now.

cut piece of news published in KANTIPUR national daily of 12 March 2016

KANTIPUR is widely read in Nepal. This news drew the attention of District Education Office and Ministry of Education too.

Below is a picture of Kumar the site manager and valued member of the project, busy at work.

kumar cleaning office

Quake Quilts update

Please see below a message from Tony who set up Quake Quilts:

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We had a great day yesterday delivering AAndhimul Quake-Quilts up in the middle hills to Chepang People

It was essentially the same area as two weeks before. . . . however this time villagers trekked down to our distribution point (5hrs in some cases) and this was more heart-wrenching for these people clearly had so so little – aka even less. We had been asked specifically to return for this very purpose – and to ensure no more and no less than 162 quilts as this was the number of Chepang couples/families and it would be a bad idea to mess with this clear-cut ‘entitlement’ qualification.

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I also expect we shall be putting together a short power-point presentation (now available QQ Aandhimul PPP Feb16.pptx (11mb)) which should tell a lot. Further to which yesterday’s sortie was a great photo opportunity; The Aandhimul logo featuring worthy and prominent.

With best wishes and high-fives of solidarity

Tony

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Quake Quilts and the Chepang People

Angela still had some money left from the quake pot and as a team we had decided to donate AUD$3000 to Quake Quilts. Some info below.

The key to ‘QuakeQuilts‘, says chief co-ordinator Pashupati Timilsina, is the simplicity. Here are Nepali-produced thick blankets made and distributed with speed and total cost-effectiveness to reach those in dire straights from this winter’s zero temperatures.  Each excellent quilt costs as little as Rs700 plus transport costs. And every quilt will be good not just for this winter but for winters to come. There are many sensible and effective aspects to this mission but the simplicity is what makes it so practical and sustainable.  And in return, says Timilsina, we have the thanks is written on the faces of every family.

So many people are generous by nature and yet it’s not always easy to know how best to help others, for the truly needy often seem distant from our everyday lives – even if actually they are ever-present.  Well ‘QuakeQuilts‘ is one answer.  For Rs700 per quilt a poor family can be saved from the worst of this winter’s bitter cold. . . . and too for many winters to come.  These traditional Nepali-made thick quilted blankets are purpose-made (70X90 inches) and are reaching quake-shattered communities where they are desperately needed.

Quake-Quilts: Loading up in Pokhara for distribution to distant villages where winter conditions are adding to the plight of the needy.

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A team from ‘Quake-Quilts’ distributing thick blankets and other winter supplies. The program will continue through January.

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Distributing ‘Quake-Quilts’ in Darding District ‘the smiles of thanks make it all worthwhile’ says Pashupati Timilsina.

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Pashupati Timilsina of ‘Quake-Quilts’ with team members Gaumaya Pun & Tara Prasad Gautam

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‘Quake-Quilts’ program distribution

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Thank you Highgate Primary School, Adelaide

With great thanks to Angela’s local primary school in Adelaide, Australia – Highgate Primary School – which has been a long term supporter of the Aandhimul school.  The children from year 4 have just raised $300AUD – approximately 22,000NRp. It has decided that this money will go towards improving the Khaja (school lunch) for the ever increasing student numbers, and also to help towards new stationary and classroom equipment.

Earthquake Update 1

Update 1

Our Project manager Bikram has visited the village yesterday and taken some photographs of the village and the damage. You can see below some of the damaged houses.

damaged house 1
damaged house 3
damaged house 2

We want to thank Sarba Shakti from Saving and Credit Cooperative, Chitwan, Nepal who has distributed 7 plastic tents in village on 1 May. This has allowed some villagers erect tents nearer their homes and away from the school grounds.

village temporary shelter 2

 

We were also informed that yesterday Tanahun Chamber of Commerece and Industry, Dumre Unit, has distributed some food stuffs in the village.

Luckily the village school only suffered minor damage, as seen in the photo below.

minor damage to school

To donate please visit here www.indiegogo.com/projects/nepal-quake-aandhimul-and-nearby-communities, and please share with others. Thank You!

The Aandhimul Project Team. Angela, Jolana, Lou, and Lee.

Nepal Earthquake

Can you help our village and the surrounding communities?

As you may know, there was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Central Nepal last Saturday. The Aandhimul village, also in Central Nepal, was only 35km from the epicentre. We have been informed that all villagers are okay. The school has not been damaged and some of the villagers are staying in the school grounds and have erected tents to sleep under.

However, some of their houses have been damaged, and we are not sure to the full extent as yet. Our project manager based in Bandipur, also affected by the quake, is going to visit to assess and take pictures of the damage. And we as a project would like to gather funds to cover these costs.

To make a donation via the UK or Europe please visit our fundraising page here http://igg.me/at/aandhimul.

To make a donation via Australia please send Angela an email to angela@aandhimulproject.info. Angela will then give you a reference number so we can properly receipt and track your donation with World Youth International. When you have received your reference number*, you can make a lump sum donation to the following account:

Bank: SA
Account Name: World Youth International
BSB: 105008
Account: 087675740
Reference: your personal reference number*

Once you have made the donation, please email Angela confirm the donation amount and frequency for our records.

Thank you from all of the Aandhimul Project team.

The new book cupboard

Before Angela returned to Australia she handed over to the school 10000NRP worth of story books, both in English and Nepali to the school. A great resource that will hopefully inspire the children’s learning and the teachers teaching. And as mentioned in the previous post, the new books will be kept in a wooden cupboard made by a local carpenter and Jack (Angela’s daughter’s boyfriend).

New books for school 1 New books for school 2 New books for school 3

New school furniture (Rotary fund donations)

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Before making my first trip back to the village of Aandhimul, Bikram took me to see the new school furniture being produced that was only by the donations from the Rotary club of Patang (Dr Madan Piya) and Scottish Rotary grant (Bruce Anderson). And if it wasn’t for our project member Lou, who put in the initial proposal, we would not have been able to provide these new resources. Not only that but other schools in the Tanahun district also benefited from this donation. A big thank you to Lou and the Rotary Fund.

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A BIG Thank You to dV holding ag

On behalf of the project, we would like to say a BIG thank you Daniel Vogel, President of dV holding ag in Switzerland. Who so kindly donated £8349 to complete our funds for the continual development and support of the Aandhi Bhari Primary School in the village of Aandhimul.