Help Flood-Affected Families in Kavre, Nepal

Hello everyone,

I am writing this upon my return from nearly three months in Nepal, where we supported the response to the devastating floods and landslides that occurred just over three months ago.

Alongside our Nepal-based team — Shree Krishna, Sarina, Suresh, and Yog  we were also joined for some of the weeks by our Chair, Jamie Cresswell, and the wonderful volunteer Daisy Kendall. They both worked incredibly hard helping secure funds, running workshops, and distributing resources to schools.

Thanks to your generous contributions, 100% of the funds were spent solely on essential work. You have helped us raise an amazing amount – only £80 off our target!! And this has made a significant impact.

We delivered 29 Healing Hearts sessions to 224 students, providing fun workshops and emotional support for children who experienced the terrifying events of September 28th and 29th. Bringing smiles, fun, and excitement to these children was crucial. Emotional support through the arts is so important for children after such a devastating event, it helps them process their trauma, express their feelings, and begin to heal in a safe and supportive environment. These activities (including drama, art, dance, and PE) are a powerful tool for emotional expression and can help children rebuild a sense of normality and joy.

During these last few weeks, we realised that the Healing Hearts project will need to continue. For example, the recent January earthquake, even though it caused only minor damage in our area, had a re-traumatising impact on many teenagers in the area who experienced the trauma of the 2015 earthquakes. Growing up in rural Nepal, especially as the impact of climate change increases, makes it vital to prioritise mental health. So Healing Hearts will continue as long as we have required funding.

We delivered 238 stationery packs, ensuring that 238 children who lost everything they owned now have all they need to go to school for at least the next six months, and some for over a year. This was AMAZING! Thank you. Providing these supplies is so important to their lives and well-being because it allows them to continue their education, maintain a sense of normal daily life, and focus on their future, despite the challenges they face.

Our team facilitated a group of volunteers to reinstate the water supply to Kushadevi School and networked to find support for Bethanchok Municipality’s Education Office to rebuild toilets and reinstate the water supply for over 600 children in 4 schools.

So! - Your support has been nothing short of totally FANTASTIC! It has been just wonderful that we were able to achieve so much as a small charity operating in the areas most affected. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Milford Primary School, where some extra special students worked their socks off to fundraise to support their Nepali friends. It was heartwarming to see those donations come in at such a heartbreaking time. Durlston Prep and Senior School also had a fab group of their Year 10s who ran a Freedom to Learn School and elicited amazing donations from parents.

You have all been the best contributors and long term supporters of Freedom to Learn and we cannot thank you enough. 

Dhanyabad – Truly thank you.

Warm wishes to you all for a safe and happy start to the year, 

Joey, and all the FtL Team

P.S. PLEASE do watch the short films linked below, and if you can follow and and share our brand new You Tube channel it really helps us hsare our work and garner more support.

Thank you.

Links:

• Healing Hearts - Short Film
• One Day Sharing School Packs - a short film
• http://www.freedomtolearn.org.uk