Sponsor's update from Gandaki
17/03/2008
Update from July 2007
Dear Friends and Sponsors,
Once again, time has come to remember our invaluable friends. Really I am very much proud to present to you the report of the activities done during last six months and future plan for our children who are entrusted into our care. Though we have turmoil political scenario in the country, we are extremely hopeful and very much conscious about these changes taking place and trying our best to guide our children toward right path. We are going to construct new Nepal through Constitutional Assembly which will be held on November 22 of this year. We do believe, this will offer immense opportunities to our youths and children to become worthy citizen of new Nepal. SOS Children's Village Gandaki in Nepal is making significant progress towards its objectives as mentioned in the manuals.
221 children of different age groups are enjoying under its direct or indirect care in its 15 families and two SOS youth facilities. In this period (Jan-June 2007), three new children were admitted into our village. In SOS Children's Village Gandaki, two staff has been appointed as youth educator/counselor and secretary in March. One SOS mother has retired from April. One of our girls has got a job in a Kopila Children's Home as a mother. Four girls have completed nursing training few months ago and doing volunteer service in different hospitals. We are hopeful that they will get good job in hospitals and will be self-sufficient in near future. Some youths are enjoying job in Gulf countries and some are interested for the same. Children in the village are engaged in various sporting, social and cultural activities and have been receiving special lessons in football, table tennis, judo and gymnastics. National and Deputy National Directors visited our village and its ancillary projects in January and February respectively. Similarly a board member Ms. Meera Singh also visited to this village in June. Such visits have been inspiring us to do better towards quality work.
We have our own SOS Secondary School with 750 pupils and fifty nine teachers and administrative staff. Last year's result of SLC and +2 were very encouraging to us but this years result is yet to be published. We are hopeful that this time also the result will be excellent. This school has been rated one of the best schools in Pokhara Valley. Our SOS Social Centre Gandaki has been doing well towards spreading SOS principle and its commitments in public by organising different training programs such as computer training, candle making and adult literacy class for women for local community people. We got an opportunity to exchange our views with one of the researchers of Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) named Ms. Nancy Ardaya from Bolivia in February. We are very much encouraged to extend family strengthening program according to manual. We have been providing scholarship to around 400 community children from very poor families to pursue education, especially up to secondary level and even in higher levels to some extent. Nearly, 35 families have been receiving our family help program who are too poor to run their families; this has been appreciated very much by the local people.
The 21st SOS Day was observed on 23rd June jointly by all the SOS projects in Pokhara by organising various weeklong activities such as football competition, blood donation, Inter School Arts Competition, fun games and also we donated some benches and saline - stands to Regional Hospital, especially for children's ward after kind request from the hospital. Many fun games were organised among children, mothers and staff on that occasion.
All this would not have been possible without your support and kind help. Finally, we join all the children, mothers and co-workers in thanking you for this continuous invaluable support and remain with our best wishes and regards.
Yours Sincerely,
(Rajendra Regmi)
Assistant Director
SOS Children's Village Gandaki
Relevant Countries: Nepal.