Three Peaks in Three Days for GEMS

We are taking part in the National Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) - 3 peaks in 3 days with the aim of raising money for GEMS , a school in the Indian Himalayas. We will begin on the 2nd June 2021, and climb one peak each day.

About GEMS:

The Garhwal English Medium School began in a cow shed in December 2009. They began with 13 students and currently have grown to include nearly two hundred. Most of the students come from poor families. For a nominal fee of 200 Rs per month they provided bus service, lunch time meals, and a quality English Medium Educational experience. In the area all of the children come from very poor households where parents do not speak English and one or both parents are uneducated. Therefore, since parents cannot help their children with their studies at home they quickly recognized the need to use engaging teaching methods, and also that all learning had to take place in the classroom. To this purpose they strive to use a variety of activity based methods to engage every child and ensure all children are grasping the concepts at hand.

However, as we are sure everyone is aware, India has been hit very hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lori and Kunwar relied on hosting groups to personally fund the majority of the school's running costs and it has been a long time since they have been able to do so, and it looks to be a long time still before groups can travel there again. They both continue to work tirelessly and selflessly to provide a quality education to these young children remotely, but funds are almost exhausted.

Any donations will be greatly appreciated so that we can help in a small way to keep the school running and ensure these incredible children continue to receive the quality education that they deserve.