During the course of April and May 2015, Nepal was struck by series of devastating earthquakes. MondoChallenge Foundation have been working tirelessly since the earthquake, first to provide immediate aid, then to set up over 200 temporary learning centres and now to build strong new classrooms across villages in the Helambu valley.

As we approach the anniversary of the earthquake, we are raising funds to provide scholarships to students who have been affected by this traumatic event. Our aim has always been to ensure that children do not miss out on their education and the chance of a brighter future. These scholarships are now all the more important as we are helping to support students who lost everything when their homes and villages collapsed last April. 

In Nepal education is free until students complete the equivalent of GCSE (SLC- Standard Leaver’s Certificate). After this, education becomes expensive; preventing many from continuing their studies. School leavers with just the SLC have few options. Most have to work on their family farms, which barely produce enough food to make a living, or are forced to look for manual jobs abroad.

HELP scholarships support promising students who cannot afford the tuition fees beyond the SLC from government schools in the Helambu region. The scholarship enables them to continue their education and take the Plus 2 (the equivalent to A levels). The scholarship support covers the tuition fees, books and uniform for students. 

These scholarships have an unbelievable impact on the students they support, and some of the success stories from previous scholarship rounds can be found at: 

http://www.mondochallengefoundation.org/2013-scholarship-case-studies.html

After they complete their studies, recipients are expected to undertake a minimum of three months of volunteering work in their local communities. Many of the students help to teach at schools in their home villages, something that is crucial to helping these schools improve their standards of education. We are also able to help some of the students with internships after their courses have finished.

Just £150 will fund a student for a full year, and £300 for the full two year programme. Please do donate to give these students the chance to re-build their lives and their communities. 

I'll be heading out to Nepal in May 2016 to visit our projects and would love to be able to put a smile on some of our students' faces by telling them that they can continue their education.