Christmas messages from St. Joseph's, Gitdubling & St. Mary's Nok Dar the 2 School supported by the HCET

Christmas messages from St. Joseph's, Gitdubling & St. Mary's, Nok Dara

BAG PACKING AT MORRISONS ON 30-10-10

Unfortunately Morrison's canceled HCET's Bag Packing on the 30-10-10 at very short notice. I did not find out about it until my return from a visit to my family in the USA on the evening of the 27-10-10.

I tried to inform as many of my possible helpers as I was able to.

If you turned up to help on the 30th, please accept my apologies and thank you very much to all those who had planned to participate in this fund raising venture.

I am really grateful to all those who help so willingly to raise funds for HCET. Pauline

A Date For Your Diary

HCET has a BAG PACKING DAY at MORRISON'S Piershill on Saturday 30th October from 10.00-15.30

We had one in 2008 and raised £746.43 for Teachers' wages in St. Mary's Tribal School, Nok Dara in the Kalimpong Hill Region.

Can you spare even 1 hour to come along and help to pack customers' bags?

Any child under the age of 12 needs to have an adult to help them.

There will be some adults available to supervise.

I would be very grateful if you could come along and help, as without helpers, it will not be possible to make a success of this opportunity to raise funds for HCET

ALL MONEY RAISED BY HCET GOES IN TOTAL TO PAY TEACHERS' WAGES AND FOR OTHER EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF ST. MARY'S & ST. JOSEPH'S (Infant Department) Schools.

Please try and spare an hour or two to help ensure that all the children of Nok Dara and Gitdubling get the opportunity to go to school.

A Picture Parade of the Pupils and Teachers of St. Joseph's Gitdubling

HIMALAYAN CHILDREN EDUCATION TRUST / CONTINUED

In January 2009, the Trust decided to increase its fund raising to provide money for the teachers' wages in the 3 classes in the infant department of St. Joseph's School in Gitubling.

The pupils from St Mary's go to St. Joseph's School if they are able to continue in Education after Grade 4.

St. Joseph's School, has Hostel fascilities and takes in children who have no parental support and street children, it also caters for the children in and around the market village of Gitdubling

Over the past 3 years St. Joseph's has been extending its fascilities to educate pupils from grate 7 to Grade 10, at which stage the pupils can sit the State Leaving Examinations; this has entailed alot of extra expense.New class rooms have had to be built and more specialised teachers employed.

At present the school authorities are striving to raise money for a science room and a school libary. These 2 additions are essential for the school to be recognised as a Senior Secondary School by the State Government.

The inauguration of the new Primary School building for St. Joseph's, which took place during my last visit there in December 2009.

The HCET is helping to provide books for the school libary.

The people of this Region to not have any access to a libary, at present.

Life in St. Joseph's School Hostel

The School Hostel caters for all the children who live too far away from Gitdubling, where St. Joseph's School is situated, to walk to school every day; it also provides a home for pupils who have no one to provide for them and street children from other areas. The children only go home during the school holidays, not at weekends.Some of the children are only 4 or 5 years old when they come to the hostel. The older children are very helpful and help to look after the younger ones.

Their accommodation is very basic and crowded. They do not have many personal belongings.

The boy's have a separate hostel for sleeping but all share the dining hall.

The cost of food has risen considerably over the past year: the food provided in the hostel is basic but sufficient usually, however at present Father Felix and Sr. Matida

are concerned that the children are not getting enough to eat to help them to grow healthily.

THE RESPONSE TO OUR FUND RAISING AUCTION WAS TREMENDOUS

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SUPPORTED OUR AUCTION ON FRIDAY 30th JULY

WE RAISED THE WONDERFUL SUM OF £1,600.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED TO ORGANISE IT

TO ALL WHO HELPED ON THE NIGHT TO MAKE IT SUCH A GREAT SUCCESS

TO ALL WHO DONATED THE ITEMS etc. FOR SALE

AND TO ALL WHO BIDDED FOR THESE ITEMS etc.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

FUND RAISING AUCTION SALE FOR HCET

We are holding a Fund Raising Auction Sale on Friday 30th July in St. John's Church Hall, Brighton Place, Porobello

Time 7.30-9.30pm

Tickets £5.00 include glass of wine, non alcoholic drinks and nibbles

A few of the items for auction:

self catering cottage in Barra for 1 week, B&B in Royal Terrace hotel in Edinburgh for 2, meal for 4, for 2 vouchers from various business, beauty products from Shapes in Portobello and many more.

Tickets available at the door, however it would be helpful if we had an idea of how many people were coming.

you can contact me by e-mail at HCETproject@hotmail.com

St Joseph's Band

St Joseph's school in Gitdubling has expanded to accommodate pupils from grade 7 to Grade 10 at which stage they can sit the State Leaving Examinations. Prior to this year 2010, the pupils have had to transfer to another secondary school in either the town of Pedong or Kalimpong. Many could not continue in education after Grade 7 as they could not afford to financially.

The new primary school has been built to free up class rooms for the increasing numbers of secondary school pupils.

The New primary School was inaugurated during my visit last December It was a very happy and joyous occasion.

St Mary's Tribal School love singing

The people of the Hill Region love to sing and dance. St Mary's Tribal school is in the village of Nok Dara. There is no vehicle access road to the village and no electricity.

St. Mary's School does not have access to any musical instruments, hence the children learn to sing via the sound of the human voice, making it very difficult to keep in perfect tune.

All celebrations: religious, social and educational involve much singing and dancing.The villagers also enjoy sharing food as a way of celebrating special occasions. Meat is only eaten on special occasions and is greatly prized. Main meats eaten are goat, pig, and chicken. For every day meals, no meat is eaten, it is considered a luxury.

BOOKS URGENTLY REQUIRED FOR LIBARY FOR ST. JOSEPH'S SCHOOL GITDUBLING

T This class was divided into 2 classes for Grade 7 in 2009. Pupils are wearing House uniform.

St. Joseph School Pupils Pupils are wearing everyday school uniform

Uniforms are very important and greatly valued in all schools in India. They are a source of pride for the children as they show that they are at school. Education is much appreciated and valued.

With reference to my blog entry of Thurs. March 18 "Urgently needed a Libary for St. Joseph's School"

What is required? MONEY to be sent to the school, so that books for a libary can be purchased in India. It is not practical and it is too expensive to send books from the UK to India, especially as the Region the School is situated in, is in the Kalimpong Hill Region and is not easily accessible.

The Director of St. Joseph's has been given an assurance that books for the libary can be purchased at a discount price.

I have many second hand books and am available to hold sales to sell these books at a very reasonable price. I would very much appreciate venues at which I could hold a book sale.

All money raised by sales organised through this appeal, will be used for books for St. Joe's libary.

Also my suggestion of individuals donating £1, see blog entry of March 18, and any other fund raising suggestions which you may have, would be very much appreciate: all money raised to go towards books for the libary.

I apologise for making this additional appeal, as many of my contacts have been so generous in supporting the HCET, since it was set up in August 2007, and which is at present an ongoing appeal.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

I am trying at present to get a charity Paypal account for my web site which is still being finalised

address of web site http://sites.google.com/site/hcetproject/

URGENTLY NEEDED A LIBRARY FOR ST. JOSEPH'S SCHOOL

Pupils of St. Joseph's School Gitdubling

WHY DOES ST. JOSEPH'S SCHOOL URGENTLY NEED BOOKS FOR A SCHOOL LIBARY?

Over the past 3 years St. Joseph's has been expanding to provide education for the pupils from grade 7 to Grade 10. This year 2010 will be the first class of Grade 10 pupils.

On the completion of Grade 10 the pupils can sit the State leaving examinations.

Prior to this , the majority of the pupils could not continue ther education beyond Grade 7.

Many left school, got married and started having a family at 15/16 years of age.

There is very little paid employment in this Hill Region. There is very little money in this Hill Region. Most parents can not afford to send their children to continue their education in schools available in the towns in the Kalimpong Hill Region.

Because St. Joseph's is now providing education to Grade 10, it is possible for ever child who wishes to continue in education to Grade 10 to do so.

However To gain State recognition as a school providing education to Grade 10 their are certain criterior to be met; one of which is A SCHOOL LIBARY

Money is tight. Many new fully qualifed teachers have had to be employed and a new primary school constructed to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers.

Books can be purchased in India at a more reasonable cost, than trying to send books from the UK.

An idea came to me, that if everone to whom I send this, donated £1 and if they got 9 friends to donate £1 also we could very quickly provide sufficient books for a libary to be up and running fairly soon.

If you feel that you would like to join in with this fund raising venture, you can contact me via my blog or by e-mail at pauline_macinnes@hotmail.com

This is separate from Funds collected for HCET which uses all funds, collected through it, to support teachers' wages in St. Mary's Nok Dara and 6 teachers from the infant dept. of St. Joseph's School.

Newsletter-St. Joseph's School Gitdubling

MAP OF KALIMPONG HILL REGION

Walking in the forest in the Mungsung Valley

Walking in the Hill in around Cashyem

Kangen Junga mountain from the road to Kalimpong

St. Mary's Tribal School Nok Dara

Pictures of the children taken in Nov. 2009 during my stay with them.

The photo of the children, in "fancy dress", is the cast of "Three Important Words"
The first English language playto be performed, by the pupils of St. Mary's
This play was put on for their Annual Concert in November '09
They all did very well.I was so proud of them.

SANAN PICTURES OF DUBLING- A VERY PICTURESQUE VILLAGE

Village of Dubling in the Kalimpong Hill Region

Pictures of Dubling Village and School for Sanan. I enjoyed my visit to the village very much.

The people were friendly and wecoming. Hope some day you might manage to go there yourself.