In 2015 a massive earthquake rocked Nepal, causing widespread devastation across the country. Still the rebuilding continues, but it is a slow process. HVP Central School, located in Kathmandu, suffered permanent damage to one whole wing of its building, which subsequently had to be pulled down. As a result, the school lost its kindergarten and its plans to begin teaching Plus 2 (A Level) classes. This was a significant blow to the standing of the school in the local community and the school intake has dropped over the last 5 years. 

HVP stands for the Sanskrit term, 'Hinduvidyapeeth', which translates into English as 'House of Knowledge'. For a school that prides itself on offering an academic, moral and spiritual education to the children in its local area, including those from the poorest families, getting a new wing rebuilt and returning to full capacity has been an absolute priority.  

I have been a supporter of the HVP movement for over 20 years. In 1998, I began as a volunteer teacher at HVP Central's sister school out in the Kathmandu Valley. My experiences in Nepal have shaped my life, instrumental in my decision to follow teaching as a career and in showing me what education of the mind, body and spirit should be about. For several years now I have been a trustee of the affiliated UK charity, HVP UK, which was set up by returning volunteers in order to support the three HVP schools in Nepal. Our primary focus since 2015 has been fundraising and supporting the rebuilding of the earthquake-proof new wing at Central School. Thanks to an extraordinary response from our supporters, we are delighted to say that the outer shell of the building is now complete. But that is only half the job. The next stage is putting in all the classrooms and getting the place ready for teaching to begin as soon as possible. 

This brings me to the appeal.  

The cost to install each classroom, with everything from building materials to desks and chairs is £3,500. I am determined to raise at least this sum of money and get one classroom built. And I am not alone. HVP UK is coordinating the wider fundraising for this project, creating a pool of funding that will go a considerable way towards the building of as many new classrooms as possible. My own school, Merchant Taylors' School (MTS), is backing the project as well. July 2020 was supposed to see 21 students from MTS go out to Nepal and teach a mixture of English and Maths classes at Central School for a week. Sadly, COVID-19 has put paid to that for this year, postponed until the word returns to some sense of normality. But I know both the students and their parents are still keen to offer their support. If and when they do manage to go out to Nepal, they may actually be able to teach in the classroom their fundraising helped build.  

Together we can achieve something tangible and lasting, a place of learning for we hope generations of Nepali students who value their education above all else. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this far, and I hope you will join me in this enterprise. 

Very best wishes,

Matthew Hilton-Dennis

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