The HVP schools have been closed for several months due to government rulings to limit the spread of CV-19, and HVP is receiving no school fees or government support to cope with this period of forced inactivity. With cases of Coronavirus increasing in Nepal, this lockdown situation may continue for some time.
As you can imagine, this poses great risks to the future of the schools, and to the wellbeing of the staff that are the lifeblood of the HVP family, as well as denying HVP students the benefits of an education.
As the stark consequences of COVID-19 begin to emerge, we are asking all supporters of HVP to consider making a two-part donation to support the three schools in Nepal at this moment of crisis. We are calling it the 20:20 Appeal.
A one-off donation of £20, which will go towards the running of the three HVP schools for the duration of the pandemic and the continued payment of partial staff salaries. The HVP senior management have committed to paying staff 50% salaries despite the lack of income, but are struggling to find funds to continue to do this as the lockdown continues. The schools are seeking to arrange online lessons for homebound students, enabling some social interaction and education to continue.
HVPN-UK has sent an emergency payment of £10,000 from our very limited reserves to help the schools pay staff wages in the short term, but this money will not last long. Your one-off donation will contribute to a further emergency payment to support the short-term measures as a new normal is established.
A regular monthly donation of £20 to the HVPN-UK Scholarship Fund.
We are determined to meet the challenge of COVID-19 and its impact on the most vulnerable children and their families. Sent out to the three schools on a quarterly basis, the scholarship fund either pays in full or in part the school fees for the children from the lowest income families, who would not otherwise be able to send their children to an HVP school.
As the situation worsens in Nepal, there is growing concern among the three headmasters that once the schools re-open they will see a significant decrease in the numbers of students returning. They fear families may choose to keep their children at home, either because their reduced income means they are unable to meet the school fees, or because they would rather their children work and contribute to the upkeep of the household. Work for these families, typically agricultural or manual labour, is in short supply and the cost of food, including vegetables, is rising.
Minority groups, such as the Muslim community, have been highlighted as likely to be among the most seriously affected by the long-term consequences of Covid-19. Adolescent girls are also vulnerable at a moment of crisis and face the possibility of being pressured by their families into forced marriages, or seen as a lower priority to send back to school if family finances are too restricted to cover fees, books and uniforms.
Many of these girls face the additional problems associated with the beginning of their menstrual cycle and its unfortunate social stigma. HVPN-UK is committed to addressing this worldwide issue know as Period Poverty, which raises not only health and sanitary concerns, but also very serious implications for a girls education and her wellbeing long into adult life. We aim to work alongside the three schools in their efforts to support their female students and to educate the wider community. It is why we have chosen to allocate up to 20% of our scholarship fund going forward towards ensuring a free supply of hygienic sanitary kits for students. No female student should feel she cannot come to school because she feels ashamed of natural changes to her body, or because she is unable to access the resources required to manage her period with confidence and comfort.
Thank you.
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
