IYH SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMME HAS A SPONSOR!

SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMME 2017

We are over the moon to share the wonderful news that thanks to Patrizia Franzolin Capanna and Silvia Girelli Gentili and their charity, Associazione P.S in Italy, In Your Hands is able to launch our school lunch programme for the children at Shree Jana Jagriti Primary School in Gorkha. Patrizia and Silvia have confirmed that they will sponsor the lunch programme for the first year. So it is all systems go now to buy the equipment we need to get this much needed project started as quickly as we can. Of course we will be asking our friends and partners from The Mandala Organisation team to help us.

 A big HUGE thank you to you both. 

 Associazione P.S. is a non-profit association incorporated in Italy 2 years ago with the goal of actively supporting international artisans. Particular focus is given to underdeveloped areas and to women’s empowerment all over the world. P.S. also works with small businesses in the developed world. The aim of the two founders, Patrizia Franzolin and Silvia Girelli Gentili, is to merge “ethic and aesthetic” looking for beautiful handmade objects which are ethically produced. The funds raised from the sale of these creations as well as supporting the artisans who craft them, have helped to endow other initiatives, developing a wide range of relationship with similar associations all over the world. Now children in Nepal are going to benefit from their generosity.

The school they are helping has children from grades 1 to 5 plus nursery school age children.  So children from nursery school age to about age 12. 

The families whose children attend this school are some of Nepal's poorest children.  They are 80 % Dalit, which is the lowest caste in Nepal and India and 20% Chepang which is a Nepali indigenous tribe.  These families live very much hand to mouth so not only do many of the children walk long distances to school they frequently have little to eat.  For lunch many of them may have brought a small piece of fruit or a couple of biscuits and some bring nothing at all. 

The benefits of the school lunch programme are enormous.  We will be able to offer all of the 135 children a hot and nutritious school lunch every day of the school term for a year. In addition it will encourage the parents to send their children to school so they are fed each day and it will enable the children to concentrate and learn better whilst they are there.

 We have estimated that the cost of this is about £3,000 for a year.  We need to buy the stoves and pots and find a cook to prepare the meals.  Our plan is to employ a local cook and we hope that in time we can educate the community to make this a self sustaining nutrition programme but we need to show them how it works first and  funding of this first year will be crucial and enable us to progress this. 

We will be reporting on our progress periodically.