The Joy of Sharing a Meal

The above photos show hostel pupils from St. Joseph's School enjoying their meal in Gitdubling.

Salma, a friend, organised a meal to raise funds for HCET.

We got a wonderful response, with nearly 60 people sitting down together to enjoy an excellent Indian meal prepared by Salma.

Her family supported her in serving the meal and in clearing up afterwards.

Some of the guests wore saris, which added to the flavour of the evening.

We made the marvellous sum of £1625.00.

A great big THANKYOU to all who helped to make this such a successful Fund raiser.

(please see the ff. blog entry)

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.

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

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.

THANKYOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS

BAG PACKING SAINSBURY'S MEADOWBANK

REALLY REALLY NEEDED

HELP WITH BAG PACKING AT SAINSBURY'S MEADOWBANK ON SATURDAY 30th MAY

ANY TIME BETWEEN 10.00 and 15.00 HOURS

EVEN 1 HOUR WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED

ALL HELPERS MUST BE 12 OR OVER

ALL PROCEEDS TO THE HIMALAYAN CHILDREN EDUCATION TRUST

ALL MONEY FROM TRUST GOES TO SUPPORT TEACHERS' WAGES

IN ST MARY's TRIBAL SCHOOL, NOK DARA and

ST. JOSEPH'S SCHOOL, GITDUBLING

EDUCATING NEPALI CHILDREN IN THE KALIMPONG HILL REGION OF

WEST BENGAL, INDIA