Nepal
Guy lived in Pokhara, in the Kaski region of Nepal for several months during the winter of 2010/11. He loved the country and its people, especially the children, and had planned to return there.
Over a million children in Nepal do not go to school. Although Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDCs) are part of the Nepali government's national education plan, facilities are usually extremely poor and have little impact amongst the most marginalised sections of society.
This is why Guy's Trust, in partnership with international NGO ActionAid, funded the construction of three Guy Joseph ECDCs in the impoverished Kaski district, together with a wider programme of work that helped hundreds of children get the start in life they deserve.
We continue to provide the small amount of funding necessary to sustain the three ECDCs. In addition we provided emergency food supplies and children's stationery during Nepal's lockdown.
Currently we are working with British-Nepali charities Cairn Trust to build a library at Panchakosi Secondary School and Pipal Tree to build a community learning centre in one of the very poorest regions of Nepal.
The Schools
Dhikupokhari
In early 2012 Guy's Trust agreed to build its first ECDC in the village of Dhikurpokhari. The community's main occupation is farming although this rarely provides enough food all year round. The ECDC took its first class of children in June 2014.
Dhansing
The second Guy Joseph ECDC was built in the grounds of Shree Bhagawati Secondary School in the remote village of Dhansing inside the Annapurna Sanctuary. The main occupation of people in this community is subsistence farming and some tourism. The school took its first class of children in November 2014.
Bhalam
The third Guy Joseph ECDC is in the grounds of Mahendra Higher Secondary School in the village of Bhalam and opened in June 2015.
ActionAid's planned withdrawal from Kaski is complete and Guy's Trust is now working directly with the Child and Women's Empowerment Society (CWES), a respected local Nepali NGO. They are monitoring the projects regularly on our behalf and keeping us informed of progress and continuing needs.
Responding to the 2015 earthquakes
Although none of our schools were damaged in the earthquakes, we helped to restore education facilities with donations to the British School of Kathmandu for their outreach work and to Shree Gadgade School in Nagarkot for the reconstruction of their classroom floors. And through the charity ChoraChori we funded the reconstruction of Chapakharka School near Kathmandu.
The Libraries
Armala
Guy's Trust has funded the renovation and stocking of the library at the Shree Shanti High School in the village of Armala.
Dabhung
In 2017 we completed the construction and equipping of a new library block in partnership with Cairn Trust at Shree Dabhung Thanti School in the impoverished Syangja district.
Sitaram
In early 2019 we agreed to fund a library in partnership with Cairn Trust at Sitaram Secondary School in Kaski district. The library was opened in February 2021.
Panchakosi
In August 2021 we agreed to fund the construction of a library at Panchakosi Secondary School in Parbat district.
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