Newsletter 23 – March 2016
Best wishes to all our supporters in Britain and Nepal. Previous editions are available on http://www.fishtailfund.com/newsletters Please pass this newsletter to anyone – individual, group or club member – who you think might be interested.
Please co-sponsor our Fishtail Fund student Subas Kandel
Subas lives on the outskirts of Pokhara and goes to Barahi School, Malepatan. The family are very poor. His father is the breadwinner who earns a very small amount of money by selling newspapers door to door. Subas has two older sisters and an older brother. The family lives in a single rented room.
Subas is an absolutely outstanding student. Since he joined us six years ago he has been top or second in his year, averaged 92% attendance and written to his sponsor assiduously. He has now managed to pass the entrance test for an Engineering college in Pokhara. He needs £800 a year for the next three years. He wrote to us: I know that engineering is not so easy but I will labour hard to achieve my aim. We know he will!
We have managed to raise £400 so far towards his £800 a year. Will you or your organisation co-sponser him? Any amount will be helpful, from £100 to £400. He will write to thank you and keep you up to date with his progress. We can think of no better cause. Please help
£27, 765 sent to Nepal
The Fishtail Fund opened in 2009 with just ten students. We now have over just 50. During that time we have lost just four: to economic migration, forced marriage and an inability to keep up standards. Our total gifts to Nepal and its clever students is now £27,765. Please let’s maintain our support levels.
The restaurant is operated by ex-Gurkhas and was a finalist in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards 2013. The cost of £15.95 each includes a small margin which will go to the Fund. You’ll be made to feel at home, and we will be taking the opportunity to show you some images of Nepal, Pokhara and the project itself. There is a choice of spicy and non-spicy food; for those in the know there will be daal bat (rice and chutney trays) and a big range of succulent food not usually on their menu.
Please come along, bring friends and meet the Trustees. Bookings to Alan Hepworth on alanhepworth@btinternet.com or 07939 222 988 / 01246 411 966: except between 9th and 16th April when bookings should be to Ian Ward on i.ward768@btinternet.com / 01246 415 455.
At the time of writing a limited number of places are still available.
Good news at last. Nepal can resume life, our students their school and college work. We hope the improvement will last.
Our college students
No fewer than twelve of our students have now reached college or university. You can read more about
them on www.fishtailfund.com/ourstudents. They are, left to right, Gandira Thapa Magar, Sangita
Devkota, Sanju Thapa, Bishal Bhujel, Ganga Gurung, Jamuna Gurung her twin sister, Kiran Bastola, Padma Subedi, Sishir Baral, Sonumava Garti, Sunita Paudel and Samikshya Kandel with her bother Subas, who we hope will make it to college (see overleaf). Please help us make it thirteen!
A moving letter from an amazing student
Ashik Pun is now in Year 11. The photographs are a snapshot of his hard life living and working by the
river, breaking rocks for the roads and digging sand, but still going regularly to school and dreaming of
a qualification and a better life. He wrote recently to his sponsor:
I passed last exam with 78.14%. My family’s only income source is working on labour in sand mines in river side. Its very hard to survive with income and we all work from morning to evening. I have six family members, my father, mother, 2 younger sisters, one younger brother and myself. I love school and all my teachers and friends. In future I want to be an electronic engineer. Once again thank you very much for your support.
Ashik deserves so much to succeed. His attendance, exam grades and aspirations are high in spite of
his adverse circumstances. We cannot let him fail.
Please continue to support the FISHTAIL FUND.
Online payments: Send cash by credit transfer to RCD FISHTAIL FUND Sort code405240 Account00027636
It’s very important that we know who has given. Please therefore include the reference ‘FISHTAIL’ then your name. Within your bank transfer page there will be a choice ‘Make Payment’ or similar where you can give your identity.
Cheques: Make payable to Rotary Club of Dronfield Fishtail Fund and post to Dronfield Fishtail Education Appeal, 31 West Croft Drive, Inkersall, Chesterfield S43 3GA along with your name.
Please email the Treasurer (below) to give early notification of monies being sent.
If you are an individual donor and qualify for Gift Aid, email our Treasurer at treasurer@fishtailfund.com for a Gift Aid form.