News

Some recent research into why girls drop out of school has revealed that one reason is that many schools do not have toilets. Of those that have, many do not have separate toilets for girls. As the girls grow they tend to miss school when they are having their periods, not just because they may be experiencing pain but also because they find it difficult to use the same toilets as the boys. Parents do not encourage girls to go out when they are having their periods mainly because of these problems.…

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VOA News reports (6 September 2010) the following story:

‘Many people in Nepal defecate in open fields or along riverbanks, contaminating both ground and surface water used for drinking and cooking. Diarrhea, intestinal worms and gastritis are rampant.

Development groups have tried for years to draw the connection between open defecation, poor health and low productivity. But posters and preaching do not always work. Shame, on the other hand, is proving highly effective.

Children are being recruited across the country to whistle at offenders, said Namaste Lal Shrestra from the United Nation’s children agency in Nepal.…

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Our volunteer in Phyang, a village that was badly affected by the flash flood, has sent us the following report:

“..some parts of the village are very badly affected: 3 houses have been completely washed away in a part below the monastery. Also at the top of the village there has been some severe damage. IThe heavy rain only lastet for one hour, but apparently it was a cloud burst, so that there hardly has been any warning. The night before it …… rained and thundered heavily, so that my guest family and I moved to their old house which is just below the monastery located at a hill.…

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One of our volunteers in Ladakh has sent us the following update:

“Just to let you know that it has been confirmed that one of the junior school teachers at the school has died. School has been cancelled this week as a lot of people have been affected by the floods or have family that have died or lost their homes.
I am spending my time volunteering in the local vaillages doing relief work. We have been digging mud out of the houses and also entertaining the children in the villages who have now found themselves homeless.…

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Dear friends of HELP,

This is to let you know that I am going on a trek in the state of Uttarkhand, in north west India, this October (2nd-10th October) and would like to invite you, readers of this blog, to join me. Here is the itinerary:

KUARI PASS ( CURZON’S TRAIL)

Popularly known as Curzon’s trail after Lord Curzon’s trek to this region in 1905, this trek still remains amongst the most popular in Garhwal. Passing through dense forests of oak, pine, rhododendron, deodar, bugyals – wide open meadows with flowers which are typical of this region.…

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17 year old Khagendra Thapa Magar, from Nepal,  has been recognised by the Guiness Book of Records as the world’s shortest man. According to the Guinness verification team, Khagendra is 56 cm tall and weighs just 5 kg.…

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