This year saw an increase of 20% in net income and an increase in the number of our corporate sponsors. Again during the year we received generous sponsorship from Hornbeam Ivy Limited and for the first time from Yorkshire company S Harrison Developments Ltd. S Harrison Developments sponsored a major fund raising event held at Castle Howard in Yorkshire. The family event included participation from the Ghurka regiment based in York.
In 2007 power cuts in Kathmandu were averaging 8 hours each day and we had to look at ways of providing alternative energy sources for the Hope Centre. We were fortunate to receive a generous donation to purchase generators and 2 were installed during the year. In 2008 we funded the provision of a new wheelchair for Bal, one of the disabled adults at The Hope Centre, enabling him to be more mobile and independent. Our other adult, Manamaya, was fitted with an artificial limb which has radically improved her life.
We continued to provide funds for six year old Anita to receive reconstructive surgery for her damaged limbs and she now walks with the aid of a bamboo zimmer frame and a special boot fitted to her right leg stump. Several of the children received physiotherapy on a voluntary basis from a visiting physiotherapist from the UK. This treatment proved to be so beneficial that we are using the services of a local Nepali physiotherapist and include it as part of a weekly programme for the disabled children. We will not be able to rely upon voluntary help for this and so will seek a sponsor or sponsors. We will also teach the helpers and staff how to encourage and support the children in their exercise regime.
We have continued to fund the education of all the children and have seen them achieve consistently good results in their exams. 2008 is an important year for the two oldest girls Nirmala and Anita. They both take their school leaver’s certificate in April 2009 and are working hard towards achieving good grades. We are working with them and our team in Nepal to plan for their futures through professional or vocational training. We will need to start a separate fund raising programme to cater for this as the cost will be substantially higher than the cost of school fees.
Our second project in Kalimpong was to install clean water for the Deaurali Primary School in the mountain village of Bong Busty. The task here was to lay 1,000 metres of pipe-work from a clean water source down to the school. Having clean running water at the school has transformed both the health and hygiene of each of the children and the general facilities that can be offered as part of the school’s curriculum. It will also provide another source of clean water to the villagers of Bong Busty. The project cost was £3000 and it was completed in February 2008.
In 2008 we again made a small grant to another charity through our Lifelines Project.
LONDON
Charles Barton, at his 6th attempt, was accepted for this year's London Marathon. He puts it down to the fact that he is now properly matured (having passed the 60 mark last year!) He joined a local running club and is training daily for this gruelling event. Charles is a founding trustee of the charity so going that extra mile was a real driving force. London Marathon