HELP- Our background and track record

Helambu Education and Livelihood Partnership (HELP) is a local NGO set up in 2009 with the goal of improving the quality of education in some of the remote village schools in Sindupalchowk, some 70 km northeast of Kathmandu. Our education programmes have supported around 90 schools, benefitting over 10,000 children in many of the outlying and impoverished villages in Helambu Valley and the adjacent valleys, and the majority of our programmes are funded by a UK-based charity, Mondo Challenge Foundation. We work closely with communities and education authorities for sustainable results and villager empowerment. Our key team members are from Helambu and went to local schools. We have an in-depth knowledge of the needs of the region and have excellent project management skills. HELP’s Director, Jimmy Lama, obtained a Master’s degree in International Development from the Institute of Development Studies based at Sussex University, UK.

Very quickly after the first earthquake in April, we started to deliver emergency supplies and shelter. In total, we supported more than 3000 families in 32 villages in the Helambu region and have constructed 226 Temporary Learning Centres (TLCs) across 45 schools. Our priority is now to rebuild classrooms and damaged facilities and provide desks and books that were lost in the earthquake.

According to government figures, of the 545 schools in Sindhupalchowk district, about 545 were destroyed. This means the government has an enormous challenge and that the chance of receiving attention for our more remote schools from other agencies is low. We have therefore signed a MoU with the Department of Education on the 7th of October, 2015, to help with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 15 schools.

We are so pleased that we have FINALLY completed the heavy reconstruction of a school project. As of June 2019, we rebuilt thirteen schools in the Sindhupalchowk district. This was an MoU signed with the Department of Education in October 2015. We thank all the supporters who have joined us (HELP and Mondo Foundation) over the years in completing

 

Beginning this year, we have launched a brand new SAATHI Teachers Programme in partnership with PaanchPokhari Rural Municipality. This is a complete overhaul to our previous Teachers Funding Programme. Through the Saathi teachers programme, we are supporting five schools within PaanchPokhari Rural Municipality, where two Saathi teachers are placed in each. We have happily seen continuity in our volunteers, and we have gratefully received over fifty volunteers over the last 12 months, particularly from Cambridge and Loughborough University. In addition, we have granted 61 scholarships for students, making an investment in young people who we are hoping will return to their villages to reinvest their skills and talents back into their communities, schools and homes.

 

This year has seen us distribute the most number of school bags in any given year. It was 5100+ bags in the last 12 months. Through generous funding, our partner, Piers Simon Appeal, received the largest partnership on School in a Bag. We distributed bags for 22000+ school children across 239 schools in 22 districts of Nepal.