THAME COMMINITY APPEAL - AUGUST 16 2024

A devastating flash flood and mudslide struck Thame village in the Khumbu on August 16, caused by a glacial lake outburst.

This disaster severely damaged twenty homes, several lodges, a school, and a health clinic. Fortunately, everyone was able to escape, with only one person reported missing; all affected are currently staying with friends and family.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends in Nepal who are affected by this tragedy. Immediate relief efforts are focused on sheltering villagers and providing financial assistance.

In response, The Juniper Trust, in collaboration with the Pasang Lhamu Foundation and Mountain Lodges of Nepal (whose lodge was completely destroyed), is working with a local committee to determine the best use of donations for immediate relief.

Funds will be channeled through the Pasang Lhamu Foundation, ensuring that 100% of donations go to community projects. We will monitor and provide updates on how donations are used, drawing on our experience from rebuilding 20 schools in Nepal after the earthquake.

Please donate to the following JustGiving page to support the Thame community during this difficult time.

20 SCHOOLS REBUILT IN NEPAL - NOVEMBER 2023

"Turning Challenges into Triumphs – 20 Schools Rebuilt After the Earthquake"

The Juniper Trust is thrilled to announce that, in November 2023, we achieved our goal of rebuilding 20 schools since the earthquake in 2015. This incredible journey has witnessed the reconstruction of 20 schools, overcoming a few delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have successfully raised an astonishing £360,000 to complete the schools, providing furniture and teacher/learning aids. This ensures that every student has the school uniforms and essential equipment they need to thrive. This journey has been nothing short of incredible, positively impacting the lives of over 2,000 children in remote villages of Nepal.

Our Story

In April 2015, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, followed by a 7.3 aftershock two weeks later, resulting in nearly 9,000 casualties. The Sindhupalchok District, near the epicenter, bore the brunt, with its steep, densely populated mountainside dwellings. Between Jiri and Lukla, over 740,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

The Juniper Trust swiftly responded, ahead of most international aid efforts, channelling funds and supplies directly to the affected people, especially focusing on the complete destruction of many schools, often the heart of these communities.

Despite challenges like remote locations, bureaucratic hurdles, new earthquake regulations, and unpredictable weather, the Trust helped with the reconstruction of 10 schools by the end of 2016. Word spread about their impactful work, leading to more villages seeking assistance.

Despite the fading earthquake appeal headlines, the Juniper Trust persisted in fundraising, rebuilding three more primary schools by 2018, connected to the thriving Kinja School. In 2019, two community primary schools were reconstructed, and the foundation was laid for the 18th school, a kindergarten in Bamti Village, before the project was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2021, with life slowly returning to normal, the Bampti Kindergarten was completed, and the 20-school rebuilding project got back on track. The 19th school in Maili village, situated at 2,800 meters, received assistance from the Juniper Trust in reconstructing three classroom blocks in 2022 with Adventure Aid Nepal volunteers. In 2023, the trust raised £20,000, completing its 20th school rebuilding project in remote Rajuana Beni, high above the Kinja Valley.

The completion of rebuilding 20 schools in the hardest-hit areas, along with providing uniforms, coats, shoes, bags, books, and pencils to over 2,000 children, community libraries, and teacher training, is a testament to the incredible impact of your support.

SUPPORTING THESE SCHOOS IN 2024:

Supporting these schools going forward, we aim to continue to provide teacher aids and learning essentials such as furniture, internet access, basic PCs, whiteboards, notebooks, library books, musical instruments, pens, pencils, and more. We hope to make a first delivery to the schools in the spring of 2024

Additionally, we have received a request to transform an old classroom at Uma Kunda School in the Kinja Valley into a canteen. Here, the school will cook food donated by villagers for children, many of whom travel long distances and often arrive without meals. This space will offer them a place to eat, relax, and socialize, especially during the monsoon season. They're seeking new internal walls and roof, with winter insulation, a cooker, tables, chairs, and utensils. The budget is approximately £3,000, offering children a welcoming space and the village another chance to support the school through food donations.

March 2024: We would like to express our sincere thanks on behalf of all the children at the Juniper Trust for an anonymous donation of almost £10,000 that has just been made to this project. We want to thank you, but we don't know how, so we hope that you will read this and follow our posts to see where your money will be spent. Thank you

Thank you on behalf of the children of Nepal for your generous support, every donation helps no matter how small.

Change Their World. Change Yours. This Changes Everything.

THE JUNIPER TRUST IS A VOLUNTEER RUN, NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION WHERE 98% OF DONATIONS GO TO PROJECTS

Visit our website for more details : www.thejunipertrust.org