Sponsor's update from Itahari
17/03/2008
Update from Summer 2007
Dear Friends and Sponsors,
Once again time has permitted us to write you on behalf of the children living with-in and outside the SOS Children's Village Itahari and to provide you with some general information on the activities that we have carried-out during last six months. We would like to grab the opportunity to express our Heartfelt Thanks with profound Gratitude for your generous support to the children living in our care.
The first half of the year 2007 has remained satisfactory from every aspect. During this year village has organized several activities for the children and celebrated all rituals that fell in this period. We have admitted 5 new children in the families and 4 senior boys and girls have shifted to SOS Youth Facility Biratnagar after completing school graduation. In this way, the village has 148 children living in and outside the village. The age ranges a couple of years old to 16 years of age. Most of these children attend SOS School Itahari in different classes.
SOS Children's Village Itahari has organised various other activities besides taking care of helpless and destitute children. It has extended its helping hand to community people by providing micro finance facility, such as to buy goats, pigs, start poultry farm and small grocery shop at villages. It has proved very benefiting to the community people in enhancing their economical condition. Similarly, a very new housing program has been started since last two month. Presently, we are supporting 18 families in constructing new houses and maintaining the old ones. This is a kind of lending which the villagers are supposed to refund in installments. The SOS Children's Village Itahari has a vision of 100 "homes with job" in few years time.
SOS Children's Village Itahari is organising 3 adult literacy classes at nearby village which will ultimately create awareness in housewives and encourage their children to attend the schools. This time the Terai belt is badly hit by cold wave. So, we have distributed blankets to the rather poor families of musahar community. We suppose, it must have helped the children and elderly people to keep them warm. Similarly, we have carried many other services in communities on regular basis.
Dear Friend and sponsor, it is you, who have made it possible to carry-out all these activities and rear hundreds of children. It would simply have not been possible to take- care of these children and families without your generous support. So, we salute you and for your firm support. Please accept our best wishes and greetings.
With regard, we remain.
Yours Sincerely,
SOS Children's Village Itahari Ramesh Tamrakar (Mr) Project Director
Child sponsorship update from Surket
Update from Summer 2007
Dear Sponsors/Friends,
This is the mid session of this year and we feel great pleasure to get an opportunity to be in contact with our sponsors & friends and extend our wishes on behalf of the SOS family in Surkhet. We feel equally privileged to present a brief account of the present situation of this village.
After signing of the comprehensive Peace Accord between the government and Maoists on 21st November 2006, Nepal has entered the phase of peace and reconciliation after suffering from violence and killings for over a decade. It has formally ended the eleven years of conflict and blood letting. A large part of the population has heaved a sign of relief and hopes that the armed conflict will not recur in this nation. The first year of LOKTANTRA has surely registered some laudable achievements with regard to human rights and sovereignty of Nepalese people. Recently, the government has declared the date for the constituent Assembly election. The people feel the constituent assembly election would be a historic event and a new experience for the country. It will be an exercise at making the people sovereign. The international community which strongly supported Nepal’s democratic movement has been watching keenly every event unfolding in Nepal. The international community wants the early constituent assembly election to be held in a free, fair and peaceful manner. In fact this is the process that will decide the future course of Nepal’s politics.
The climate of this year was pleasant and we didn’t feel much hot during this summer. The winter ended lately and the summer began with heavy rain fall. The children enjoyed this summer with long holidays after their final examination. We are very much proud that most of our school going children have managed to promote them selves in their respective classes and most of their results were encouraging one. In this half year we could only admit five children two boys and two girls in the village. The newly admitted children are from the remote hilly area of this region from Dolpa, Doti and Dailekh districts. Suman B.K. aged of three was admitted to the village whose mother got martyrdom in Nepalgunj in a big and long demonstration against the monarchy last year. The mothers of this village showed their concern towards this child and he has been admitted on April 2007.
This year ten children from the village appeared in SLC (school-leaving certificate) examination conducted by the government of Nepal. After their examination we sent the children to different renowned places for their educational trip for their recreation and some of them went to their own village to know their living. Most of them went to Manakamana and Pokhara. After their return, we arranged 3 days career guidance workshop for their future plan. We invited experts to conduct aptitude test of the children and were guided in the field of their interest and aptitude. We invited the experts of medical fields, information technology and the local administrator. With this guidance the children had clear view on this regard.
Our SOS School has been very popular in all respects and its services have been appreciated by the people of this area. At present this school is providing quality education to 537 students. Out of total students 75% come from the neighboring. It also provides various scholarships to the needy children of local community. The performance of pupil in our SOS School is expecting to be excellent. It is rated to be one of the best in the region so we were privileged to run the Higher Secondary Level from this session. On this purpose, newly constructed building has already been finished and the necessary furnishing and settings have been completed. The higher secondary level will be running in Management stream.
Similarly SOS Social Centre has shown commendable job towards the people of this community. Every year we admit near about forty children in our day care center and give care to these children. The children get care from the early morning from 7am to late evening. Most of the children are from under privileged group and economically deprived. Local women are also benefited by the training center which is run by our Social center. The Social center has just introduced the Family Strengthening Program from this year. With this program the neighboring who could not afford their children to send in the school are getting help from it. Near about 30 families are getting financial support to up bring their children and more than 200 children getting scholarships from this program. In this way the village, the school and the social center have provided commendable help to the neighbor and the localities of this area.
Relevant Countries: Nepal.