10 YEARS & TIME TO SAY THANKYOU & GOODBYE

NAMASTE 

Jo Pawley and Pauline Sanderson started In Your Hands Charity in 2015 after the devastating earthquake in Nepal. It is now the 10th anniversary and we are both delighted with how many projects have been completed, how many people have inspired us, how much we have learned and hopefully how many children and schools are now in a better place.

We have never pretended that we have delivered any of the projects ourselves. We raised money with an incredible amount of help from friends, family, U.K. schools and general generosity. We found the right organisations who live and work in Nepal to deliver the projects and now we can say with pride that it has been a winning combination. International support, local expertise.

The original goal was to help schools, primarily in the Sindupalchuk municipality stay open, rebuild better schools and and protect children from exploitation that can happen when schools are closed. We added to our goals as we learned more about the needs of the communities. We partnered with Days for Girls to deliver Woman's Workshops, provided uniforms, computer training and of course teacher training with First Steps Himalaya. The teachers and students have been part of this journey and we hope they are happy with the results. 

We have made a decision to close the charity this year. It feels a good time to finish because the projects we have supported have finished with the exception of the last round of teacher training with First Steps Himalaya and the Eco Ranger for Jugal Adventure Tourism.The Eco Ranger is hoping to talk to the teachers and students at the schools we supported about his job and why and how to  protect the environment they live in. Also, about working in adventure tourism in Jugal. It is never too soon and you can never be too young to be inspired.

How could we end this journey without shouting about our utter love for the people who made this journey so worthwhile and made the difference?

MANDALA ORGANISATION (NGO):  Mahendra Thapa and Milan Tamang, Shanta Nepali and Lamin Tamang. Our friends and partners. We literally would not have been able to build a toilet, never mind schools without this team. They were patient with our constant questions, hard working in difficult conditions, passionate about the projects and helped us with all the bureaucracy. Thank you!

DAYS FOR GIRLS NEPAL: the Women & Girls Workshops were delivered by a team of unbelievable women. Inspiring, joyful and practical. Sue Adlan-Hill was our U.K. co-ordinator and between them we reached 5 communities of women and girls who now have reusable sanitary towels and hopefully know a bit more about hygiene and self protection. Thank you!

FIRST STEPS HIMALAYA (FSH): We believe that education is the ticket to choice and opportunity for children. To achieve that, you need good teachers. The rural schools have been neglected in terms of investment in teachers. We partnered with FSH to provide additional training for the teachers in schools we supported. FSH are professional, fun, practical and local with a splash of international. We could not have asked for more. Thank you!

ROTARY, PRICE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA - with special thanks to Jan MacNeill and Shelley Beckett for their interest and support for IYH. They made time to visit Nepal to see the projects and see how their very generous donations enabled us to support the schools. This included support for school uniforms, shoes and warm fleeces for all the children. Thank you!

PATRIZIA FRANZOLIN CAPANNA -  our wonderful friend in Italy who met Jo by chance in 2016 at the airport in Kathmandu. She, along with her husband, Fabrizio, and her friend Silvia, generously sponsored school lunches for a school we supported in Gorkha. They were all huge supporters of IYH and their trust, kindness and generosity will always be remembered and greatly appreciated. Thank you!

COMMUNITIES WORKING TOGETHER WORLDWIDE (CWT): Malti Maini invited Pauline to come and stay I. Her home to explain how CWT were keen to help IYH, and help they did! This small but very pro-active charity from Nottingham raised enough money to rebuild the 6th school we supported, Sundara Devi. It really could not have happened without them. On a personal trip to India, Malti made a major diversion to visit the school and meet the children and teachers after the build. Life changing for all involved. Thank you!

JANE HALSALL: Jane joined Jo on a trip to Nepal in 2016 and has been actively involved with IYH ever since. What an amazing woman and fabulous teacher.  Talented, motivated, vocational, generous to a fault and did we say funny!?  Jane was able to guide us on what would and wouldn’t be suitable in terms of teacher training support for education. She hosted and trained U.K. volunteers from her own home and co-ordinated multiple fundraising events in Liverpool. She visited the schools in Nepal, designed and ran our first 2 day teacher training workshop in 2017 and was an essential part of our strategy. An Angel in a human body. Thank you Jane!

SUE ADLAM-HILL: Sue joined us in 2017 and not a moment too soon. Sue designed our strategy for the Women’s Health and Hygiene Project. She  joined Pauline for a 3 week tour of the schools while co-ordinating the delivery of the Workshops with Days for Girls. She made it seem effortless and always with a smile, empathy and humour. Invaluable support on so many levels. She was also a sounding board for any decision and strategy we needed to discuss. Oh and yes….funny lady! Thank you Sue!

EMMA MORLEY: Emma is Jo’s sister and offered to help with the charity accounts. Did she know it would be another 10 years of free labour and deadlines each year? If she did, she deserves a medal. If she didn’t, she deserves a medal for doing it all so graciously. It is one of the behind the scenes roles that needs to be celebrated publicly as it is such an important part of running a charity. Thank you Emma!

MARK RAMSDEN: Mark runs his own graphic design company ( GRAFIKA). He offered to help with the charity website and has been stuck with us ever since. He never asked for a penny or an acknowledgement. He should charge double  fees given our lack of natural intuition when it comes to tech issues. Nothing was too much trouble and he continues to support us to the end with a smile and laugh that deserves a tip at least (but don’t hold your breath ????). Thank you Mark!

VOLUNTEERS - Huge thanks to all the wonderful people who raised money and came on our trips to Nepal. Thanks to the volunteer teachers who helped at the schools we supported. Thanks to the girls from Sydenham High School in London for volunteering to go on a trip and help at the school they are fundraising for. Those trips were a real joy. Thank you!

Donations to the charity have come in all shapes and sizes. Organisations, schools and individuals. We can’t mention them all but you know who you are and THANK YOU!

PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM PAULINE: Jo is my longest and one of my best friends. We met when we were 11 years old. We have so much history we could write a book. We won’t, but I just want to say sharing this journey with her has highlighted why we are such good friends. She is so committed and driven to help people. She has a heart of gold and energy to match it. We are so different in so many ways but we have complimented each other while running this charity and it comes as no surprise I love her as much and more than ever. What an honour. Thank you Jo ❤️ 

PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM JO - THANKYOU to absolutely everyone who has helped us make IYH such a fabulous and enjoyable journey.  I have loved every minute of it and especially getting to meet so many of the children and families in the school communities we have supported.  I especially enjoyed the volunteering visits whee we stayed at the school, painted classrooms and spent time with the children playing games.  Of course huge thanks and love to Pauline , the biggest superstar in all this. We both love Nepal. This started as an idea for a fundraiser after the earthquakes and lasted 10 years. Pauline has been the glue that ensured everything happened and that everyone knew about it all the good work being done by so many of our team and partners via the website and social media. Huge energy, hard work, huge lover for all this around her. So lucky to have Pauline as a great friend! ❤️