Our Link With Nepal

Our link with Nepal began 4 years ago when Hannah, daughter of Mrs Humphry-Baker, gave an assembly about her gap year experience in Nepal.. The girls’ interest was immediately captured and our link with HVP Dang, a school of over 400 students, began. It is one of three schools whose unique mission is to provide an education to both boys and girls regardless of ability to pay, caste, creed or religious beliefs. They also teach the ideals of peace, tolerance and international fellowship. Find out more from HVP UK Website.

Letters were exchanged by the pupils and regular assemblies established to update the girls here on the latest news. They were particular interested in the New Peace Home being built in the Headmaster's garden in Dang. This would become a boarding house consisting of two buildings, one for boys and one for girls, for children in severe need of free full time care, either because they were orphaned, or because their parents could no longer look after them. Further information can be found in Leaflet 1 and Leaflet 2.

A year later Hannah returned from her third trip back to Nepal with some traditionally crafted purses that had been made by the local women in the community centre also run by the founder members of the HVP schools. Could we sell them to help raise money for the development of the Peace Home?

Once the box of purses arrived the girls here quickly discovered unexpected entrepreneurial and marketing skills. They set up a shop and posters were put up around the school. Since then supplies of decorations, hair accessories, scarves and toys have arrived in time for every Christmas and summer fair.

We have also welcomed two visitors to Derwent Lodge; Ghamshyam Yogi, a teacher from HVP Kathmandu, came in 2006 and opened our eyes to the natural beauty of Nepal.

In January 2009 Chintamani Yogi, founder of the three HVP schools, visited Derwent Lodge and he gave a moving and inspirational assembly about his work and helped the girls understand what life was like for needy children in rural Nepal.

Mrs Humphry-Baker stayed in the Peace Home when she visited Nepal with her family in the Christmas holidays in 2008. The children loved the SAS school fleeces that she took with her and she was able to see where the local women make their handicrafts in Kathmandu.

Update Feb 2010:

Bhola Yogi, the headmaster of HVP Dang, visited the Schools at Somerhill in January 2010.  The Children’s Peace Home has been built in his garden and he was able to update us with the latest news and progress there and showed us lots of photos to bring it all to life.   He spent a morning in classrooms answering questions about the life and customs of the people in Nepal.   The staff enjoyed a relaxed supper party with Bhola ji and his wife Jaya, who have become our good friends.

For a further insight into HVP Dang see:

poetry writing of the children

Spreading Its Wings,

photo gallery