SHIVA Charity update ... Ginette

Harrison School Regd. UK Charity no. 1045197

In July 2001, I was overwhelmed by the great welcome at GHS School! Of course I knew that I was taking the credit for all the improvements and equipment provided by sponsors.

They were very much aware of the help, though, as I soon found out when I saw the banner with "Thanks for your kind help GHS family" painted on it.

I was inundated with garlands (malla). It seemed that every student was determined to hang one around my neck .... and there are 182 of them!

A band was playing, and there was dancing and singing. The school was looking lively. It was a proud moment for me, and a happy one too.

Now the school has typwriters, and a word processor. Soon we hope to get a computer. This time we bought a very professional music keyboard, thanks to donations from Ginette's family.

Already we have a small library of English books, and an American charity, "Books For Nepal", are sending us a few hundred more! Horfield Methodist Church (Bristol) also provided hundreds of pens, and pounds to keep stocks going!

In August there were celebrations for "Children's Day" at the school. We saw some fine Nepali dancing, and the costume was superb.

A crowd of more than three hundred parents and pupils watched the performances. The headmaster (Pratap) played on the keyboards in the band.

The government school, next to GHS, was in a terrible state of repair in July. There were very few shutters, no doors, and many bricks missing. It was in an appalling state.

Kimberly Rae Pease of "Nameste" gave Anil Thapa (Project Manager of SHIVA) the money to repair the building, and by August 2000 bricks, 17 windows and 5 doors were in place.

The private and the public school have now agreed to cooperate, and the government school building's offices are to be used as a resource centre for both schools.