Namaste...to our supporters far & wide
It has certainly been an interesting year for many of us and from ours to yours we hope you are well and life is returning to some form of normality.
All has been quiet at Umbrella Australia as our board made the decision early this year to not actively fundraise over these difficult times. However, we have still received some amazing support from our donors and had the opportunity to contribute to our programs in Nepal.
Being rather slack in the newsletter department this year, we do have a few updates, so please read on and we would so appreciate if you could share our page on your social media.
Enjoy the read,
Linda Harwood (Chairperson, The Umbrella Foundation Australia)
The Annual Umbrella Australia Garage Sale - November 2020
As lockdown eased in November we did hold our annual garage sale (our only fundraiser for 2020) which was a huge success. Our Australian sister charity Centre for Hope brought along their coffee van which delivered some great caffeine hits and delicious food. A huge thank you to the TUFA team (Janine, Geraldine, Suzanne, Mike, Georgina, Amelia, Pete, Jennifer, Dave, & Max) for all the hard work. Of course our garage sale would not happen without the amazing talent of Jennifer Nash Nashi Fruit Designs | Facebook who, even with a broken arm managed to go far and beyond the cause. Another thank you to Carolyn Scott who kindly donated her front garden for the event. Last but not least, thank you to everyone who donated items and came along on the day to support us.
Latest news from Shree Bhimsen Secondary School
Despite the lockdown, progress has been happening at our school rebuild.
The Sindhupalchowk community have suffered greatly during the recent rainy season with landslides wiping out homes and a number of fatalities.
Schools in Nepal have been in lockdown since March 2020, yet workers have managed to almost complete the top level of the school. Progress has been made with the library building with new furniture and books in a dedicated space for the students to use, this has all due to the support of our friends at YETI https://yetitrustnz.wordpress.com in New Zealand. Over the time the school community have been busy contributing to the project with the establishment of pathways, plantings and toilet blocks.
We have almost completed the project! This is due to a huge Australian community effort and for that we are so grateful.
The plan for 2021 is to send final payment and of course visit the school with as many of our team members and supporters to celebrate with the community...we hope you can join us
News from the Brick Kiln Factories
We have spoken with our partners at Better Brick Nepal over the last few weeks. There is little news to report as workers are slowly coming back to the kilns from their villages. Numbers are low as anticipated, this being due to the current COVID-19 situation in Nepal.
According to the Nepali Times; “The fact that the fatalities are increasing, especially in Kathmandu, won’t allow us to say that fewer people are getting infected. This coronavirus isn’t going anywhere just yet,” explains Sher Bahadur Pun of the Ministry of Health. “Yes, the positivity rate has gone down, but the government has also more or less stopped contact tracing.
Early in the year many of the workers were in lockdown at the kiln factories with limited food supplies. TUFA were able to send supplies for the short term.
Sushil's Food Forest
Our friend Sushil Babu Chhetri, has recently contacted us from Nepal. Sushil is an activist, writer, filmmaker, photographer and now a farmer. He works to educate people on ethical volunteering, awareness of child trafficking and abuse in Nepal, which he has personally experienced at a young age growing up in orphanages organized for profit. He is dedicated to working with the youth of his country to bring them access to education, and sustainable agriculture. He produces documentaries and takes photographs of children living on the streets or in unethical conditions to bring awareness to this exploitation
Over COVID-19 times, Sushil has gone back to his village in Western Nepal and being an ideas man has now started another project in his community. Sushil's 'Food Forest' is an opportunity to teach youth about sustainable crops and supply reliable food source and income to his community.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up for the project and if you would like to contribute go to: Building a food forest for a village in Nepal
The Board and Members of Umbrella Australia would like to welcome Janine Moore as our new board member for 2020/21. Janine is an avid trekker with a love of the people and mountains of Nepal. We are thrilled to have Janine as part of our Umbrella family.
Merry Christmas and may 2021 bring much joy, health & happiness.
For further information about our projects or to make a donation go to: umbrellaaustralia.org
The Umbrella Foundation Australia is a registered Australian charity. Donations $2 and above are tax deductable