The Transparent Trust: Project Nepal

A little over 2 years ago, I travelled to Nepal where I lived with Apsara and her family for 3 months. While I was there, I gained a mother in Apsara who looked after me as one of her own. Since then, I have stayed in close contact with her and her family and have decided to start fundraising for their cause.

In 2009, Apsara founded Purnarbal orphanage, since then helping 85 children, currently hosting 35. Many children migrate from the poorest parts of Nepal to Kathmandu as their families cannot afford to look after them, sending them away in search of a better life. Some children have contact with their families and visit them during the holidays, often coming back from their homes malnourished. Others don’t have any family and were found by Apsara alone on the streets.

Alongside the orphanage, Apsara has created a sustainable farming program, cooking and skill making classes as well as a safehouse for women and migrant familes empowering and supporting the people of Nepal. Through creating environmentally friendly farming whilst increasing the quality and accessibility of education and jobs for the children and adults she helps, she hopes that the funding can go to different areas; such as the getting the right materials to grow their own fruit and veg, as well as and buying animals e.g. Chickens for eggs and Cows for milk. The children also need funding for their school uniform, textbooks and school stationary supplies. Women have vastly dire access to sanitary products and any form of feminine care whilst menstruating, yet alone access to smear tests. And finally the building of temporary housing for migrants and women who have suffered to the hands of trafficking, prostitution and severe poverty to provide temporary shelter until they can financially support themselves and find their own house.

I am writing this on my computer, in my lovely uni accommodation and cant help but feel there is more I can do for the world from my privileged little bubble. I have always been a strong believer in that if everyone did a-bit more to help the world we would be in a much better place. However, I recognise that a lot of people do not trust mainstream charity’s nowadays due to the lack of transparency of where the funds are going.

And that is why I have decided to start a fundraising programme called ‘The Transparent Trust’ for different charitable causes that I have experienced first hand to promote transparency for donors as it is super important to trust the cause your providing your money to, especially within a cost of living crisis!

If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to ask, I am willing to answer anything to the best of my ability.

I thought about delaying the creation of this until after I had completed university, but the guilt of not helping is something I cant live with. The smallest donation helps and the more I travel and experience the world, the more I will be able to share these charitable causes.

Many Thanks,

Phoebe Dowell

Founder of The Transparent Trust