News - Page 5 of 19 - Himalayan Education Lifeline Programme

March 6, 2018

Teacher training in Uttarakhand

Barbara Porter (Director, Volunteer Programme), who is visiting our projects in the Indian Himalayas, has just completed a three day teacher training seminar in Dehra Dun on behalf of our local partner, the Serve and Share Association. Nearly 30 participants from 16 different rural schools and interior districts of Garhwal (Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Tehri and Rudraprayag) participated and will hopefully return to their mountain schools with new ways of teaching English. Before 1947, these districts of Garwhal were ruled by a maharaja who did nothing for the education of his people.…

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February 6, 2018

Volunteers needed!

We are recruiting volunteers right now. If you would like to volunteer your skills, please visit the volunteer page of our website. We are looking for English teachers and medics.…

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December 14, 2017

Newsletter 2017 (No. 15)

This newsletter marks our 15^th birthday! I never thought when I set HELP up in 2002, with the indispensable assistance of my family, that it would still be up and running 15 years later. I hope you will agree that it has been a worthwhile effort.

We redesigned our website this year. If you haven’t seen it, do go and check it out and let us know what you think of it.

The on-going demand for a separate state for the Nepali-speaking regions of West Bengal flared up earlier this year in a prolonged strike in Darjeeling and Kalimpong and surrounding areas.…

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November 21, 2017

An easy way to raise money for HELP

You can raise free donations for Himalayan Education Lifeline Programme every time you buy anything online with the UK’s leading online fundraising service, easyfundraising.

With over 3.2 thousand shops and sites on board including Amazon, eBay, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Virgin Trains and Aviva, you can get donations on everything from your weekly shop to your annual holiday and it doesn’t cost a penny extra!

Plus, if you join and support Himalayan Education Lifeline Programme we’ll get an extra £2 when you raise your first donation.…

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October 29, 2017

An abused mother and her child

On my recent inspection visit to Nepal, I visited the local NGO in Damak that is helping abused women and their children to make their way in the world. We have been providing them with funds to pay the rent of their safe house and to purchase sewing machines and training. HELP sponsors, in particular, have been supporting some of the women and their children to enable them to complete their schooling and gain professional skills. These visits are an eye opener for us on a very cruel world, and brings us closer to the heart of darkness than anything else we do.…

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September 29, 2017

Return of normal life in the Nepali-speaking districts of West Bengal

The unrest that has, for over 100 days, brought economic life to a halt in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, has been called off, and life is starting to return to normal. We will now re-instate our volunteer programme in this part of India, and also Sikkim.…

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June 20, 2017

Unrest in Darjeeling district

The Nepali-speaking region of the Indian state of West Bengal is again in turmoil over its demand for a separate state they want to be called Ghorkaland. Many shops are closed and roads are being blocked by picketing protesters. Read this update from the BBC

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-40323341

For the time being, we will not be sending volunteers to West Bengal or Sikkim. We will re-instate our programme there as soon as the unrest ends.…

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June 15, 2017

Wasting Indian minds: India has made primary education universal, but not good

The world’s biggest school system is also one of the worst

Read this revealing article, which appeared in the 6th June edition of The Economist magazine, about how India’s children are being let down by an education system which is not fit for purpose:

www.economist.com/news/leaders/21723105-worlds-biggest-school-system-also-one-worst-india-has-made-primary-education

May 26, 2017

From our man in Sikkim

By Shane Lefevre

“Tathung is a small farming village in the Western district of Sikkim, India that lies in the fertile foothills of the Himalayas. It sits in the Northeast corner of India, bordered by Nepal, China & Bhutan and a kind family here have allowed a silly Aussie teacher to call this place home for the past 2 months.

The spectacular scenery and dramatic mountain landscape calls adventurous types from far and wide, but it’s the warm hearted & welcoming people that really blow you away to make your stay unforgettable.…

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May 22, 2017

Coming back for more!

HELP volunteer Paul Lessner enjoyed his volunteering experience so much last year, that he came back for more this year. Last year he was in Ladakh. This year in Sikkim!