Progress Report from May 2000 to November 2000

26 November, 2000

This is our second progress note since our formation in September 1999. Thank you for your continued support.

The fund has received over 200 contributions with a total of almost £6,000, including a generous donation from Dr Upendra Mahato in Russia. Almost 125 standing order contributions are currently in place and these provide a regular inflow of over £200 per month.

Our first project - the construction of a library at Sarswati High School in Dunai, Dolpa - commenced in April 2000. Although our contribution towards this was only £700, our encouragement of local participation was extremely successful - voluntary labour and further local funds also made possible the addition of a second floor to the building and we estimate the total cost to completion at well over £2,000! Photographs of the new addition to the school will be posted on our website at www.helpnepal.co.uk.

Our second project addressed health issues. We paid £500 towards the cost of a health visit by a team from the Public Health Concern Trust (Kathmandu) among the Chepang community in Chitwan. During May, 205 children from primary schools in Syamrang, Wasbang and Bagumtar villages were screened for stomach worms. Deworming tablets and education regarding worm infestation was provided as was additional primary medical care.

In addition to the above, we have shipped to Kathmandu the medical equipment kindly received from St George's Hospital, London. We estimate the value of this to be over £1,500 and are currently distribution.

In the executive committee's last monthly meeting, plans were approved for our third and fourth undertakings - a Hepatitis B vaccination programme at Pashupati, Kathmandu and the construction of a primary school in Bijaynagar, Pyuthan will be sponsored. We will be providing £2,000 towards these and our assistance will be matched by the recipients' participation through local fund-raising efforts and voluntary labour.

On other fronts, good progress has been made in globalising our efforts - indeed, HELP NEPAL Belgium and HELP NEPAL USA have now been established. This has led to our renaming from HELP NEPAL to HELP NEPAL Network and our website, launched in August, also lists various contacts in other areas of the world.

We enclose a copy of our new brochure - as always, please distribute freely to interested parties. Thank you once again, and on behalf of those we help in Nepal.