News

Newsletter 2017 (No. 15)

This newsletter marks our 15th 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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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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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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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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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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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!

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Women’s Empowerment

We have just sent £1306 to the Women’s Empowerment Centre in Damak located in the eastern Terai region of Nepal. The Terai is the flat southern strip of Nepal along the border with India. Most tourists go for the mountains so Damak does not benefit from the revenue generated by tourist-related activities. The Women’s Empowerment Centre provides refuge and support to abused women and their children, and those with mental health problems. The money HELP has sent comes from our sponsors and other benefactors, and will be used for the benefit of six children, and to pay for the rent of a safe house.…

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Volunteers do more than teach!

HELP volunteer, Liam Campbell from Yukon, Canada, has returned to his school just outside Kalimpong for the second time having raised CAD $20,000 to build new classrooms. The school is overcrowded at present, and different grades have to share the same rooms. HELP has contributed £1000 to Liam’s fund-raising efforts. Here are pictures of Liam and Dinesh Rai, the principal of the school, standing on the land where the rooms will be constructed.…

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I want to let you know that I have looked at a lot of volunteer organizations since I did your program and you have (as far as I can tell) one of the best. I really like how much you personally care about each volunteer and each school.
Anne GillilandDenjong Pema Choling Academy
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