Giving vulnerable children in Nepal an education

Does your giving really make a difference?

The pictures show a group of the School+Plus kids gathered together to share their term three exam results, consider their progress and to make some plans for their final exams that will come up in about seven weeks.

Many of us will have done a similar exercise within our own family homes with our own kids; but these kids don’t have that luxury.

The School+Plus program gives kids that special time ‘after school’ where they can share and explore in the security of a ‘family’ group which is especially important when parents are not at home, not there at all, or not really interested.

There is a well-known African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”; and you are very much a part of the village that is raising these children and giving them opportunities they would otherwise not have.

The school system is Nepal is lacking in so many ways, but the children are as keen, bright and filled with wonder as kids anywhere else in the world. The primary difference between these children and my own is ‘opportunity’.

Where’ we are born in the world makes a really big difference to our life-outcomes, and to the realisation of our potential.

Your giving to the future of these children helps close the gap between those who have and those who don’t; and that means you are making a difference and a big one; for these children it is a life-giving difference.

How much of my money actually goes to the kids who need it?

Many charities have high administration costs, and certainly in Nepal many are quite corrupt in their use of donor funds.

IGWR-Nepal is supported by IGWR Inc. a registered Australian Charity that is run by volunteers and that has no Administration costs, except for bank charges and audit fees.

99.52% of all monies donated goes directly to the operations of IGWR-Nepal

All site visits to Nepal are self-funded by the volunteers visiting, and the team in Nepal is amazing in what they can achieve with each dollar donated. Our GlobalGiving projects do incur a 10% processing fee, however this is balanced by the matched giving days and extras that come from the GG programs.

School+Plus in 2020 and Beyond...

We are already working on the budget for the next financial year, and seeking to tailor the demands of our School+Plus programs to fit the resources that come from sponsors and fundraising.

A fully funded program, as shown in the budget extract, requires $30,775 each year.

This GlobalGiving project has raised $22,014 and has been running for nearly twelve months. We have kept program costs at a minimum by using resources associated with other IGWR-Nepal operations.

Our School+plus2 project has so far raised $4,177 and so we have a big task ahead to find $30,775 for the next twelve months.

 It is a big task to keep going, BUT, it’s all worth it.

Somehow we constatly rise to the challenge, most probably because we are always inspired by what’s being achieved.

And another delightful benefit of sharing across cultures and across the world is that we share knowledge and awareness that might otherwise not be readily available.

Here, Raja runs a program in the School+Plus timeslot to teach about “coronavirus”; these kids are likely to be better prepared and more aware than some of their teachers!.

Thanks for being part of a wonderful village

Links:

• School+Plus on our Website

• full report (PDF)
  

Realising Children’s dreams

From 1^st to 15^th November I visited our children in Nepal and together with our treasurer we assisted with the School+Plus program for three days. 

I wish everyone could see and share in the joy these children get from the creativity and support the program offers.

Day-by-day the children supported by IGWR-Nepal have a relatively good opportunity as they have the support of the IGWR-Nepal team; however even these children have a relentless school routine that is quite foreign to that experienced by children in Australia. The quality of education/teachers is (at best) terrible, with rote learning, under-qualified teachers and some of the most boring lesson plans imaginable.

Some of the children head off for school at 6am in order to get extra tuition before school, some have extra tuition after school and then a 1-2hour homework load. All of which lacks creativity and any encouragement for self-expression.

I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me cope with anything

We introduced this ABBA song to the children and asked one of the senior students (Unik as shown in the picture) to teach the song. When we returened three days later, all the children could sing the whole song, and Unik, plus two others on guitars and one more on a drum box had the musical accompaniment sorted.

Giving children a creative opportunity allows them to shine and that is one of the best things that’s being achieved through School+Plus. It is even more important in poorer communities where the daily routine is one of survival, and even those going to school have little opportunity to discover life’s joys.

Announcing School+Plus 2

During our November visit we reviewed all aspects of our operations in Nepal and together with Raja, our Country Director, we’ve decided to start the second School+Plus program and have already chosen a location that is nearby a very poor (and so probably poorly run) government school.

It is however a decision that now requires us to find the support for this next project

We have begun the preparation work and are currently discussing all aspects of the program with the various stakeholders such as the Government School Principal and Local Area Committees. 

We’ve appointed an interim ‘management team’, two of IGWR-Nepal’s senior graduates, to look at potential properties, canvass local families and liase with the local school(s); they will also work with Raja to establish a detailed budget, job descriptions, hiring requirements, policies and procedures.

Currently we anticipate an annual budget for SP2 of around AUD$20,000, however as we will be offering full-time staff positions based on a three year contract we will realisticaqlly have to consider an overall commitment of $60,000.

Join us in making this dream for children come true

o We will be creating a second Global Giving project for School+Plus2 and this will be launched for our December fundraising campaign.

o Christmas is coming – A time for giving

o Each Year I make a Christmas list and allocate an amount to each of my family and friends that I then donate on their behalf to help the children in Nepal. It is a great gift that gives twice and unlike over 80% of Christmas gifts it doesn’t end in landfill.

o We’ll be promoting our Christmas Giving catalogue on our website from December 1st

o And we will be promoting small monthly donations as they all add up together and monthly gifts give us a regular commitment that helps us to make critical budget decisions.

Thanks for the gifts you have already shared, and for the dreams that you have enabled us to make real, we’ll have a lot more to share as we approach Christmas and we hope you might look at donations to our School+Plus programs as you consider your Christmas shopping.

Links:

• Our website
• Follow us on Facebook

• full report (PDF)