Transforming Kids' Lives in Nepal

Please help me to improve the lives and life chances of some adorable but seriously disadvantaged Nepalese children who live in remote villages in the Pokhara area (about 200km from Kathmandu). Your donation will enable a dental health education and screening programme to be established in villages that have never seen a dentist and where painful and debilitating tooth decay is common, even amongst small children. In October I visited the wonderful country of Nepal for the third time. Four years ago I spent over 3 months in Pokhara, working as a volunteer in a local school and an orphanage. This placement was organised by Alliance Nepal, a small local charity that does some inspiring work to support disadvantaged communities (see website). I returned to the area for a shorter visit in 2015, not long after the devastating earthquakes, and (with the support of family and friends) I was able to provide badly needed resources for a temporary school that had been built with bamboo to replace a village school in Gorkha that had been totally destroyed.  When I returned in October, I wanted to help  Alliance Nepal (with your support) to expand a very successful project that has been established in two remote villages in collaboration with a French charity, Kétaa Kéti Népal Solidarité  (see website). With funds raised from sources around the world, this project has provided school uniforms (which are required for the children to attend their local school) and school canteen facilities (to provide a regular nutritious meal for the children). Most crucially, it has also organised a dental and medical health education, screening and treatment programme. The overall aim is to give these children the best possible start in life in very challenging circumstances.  The two charities are now extending this project to benefit the children of more remote villages (starting with Chainpur and Jogimari). Specifically, your donation will help to fund "dental camps" in the schools. These will involve: -  an annual check-up by a dentist for all the children; -  a follow-up for the children who need it, with appointments at the dentist's surgery; -  the provision of free tooth brushes and toothpaste for at least one year; -  dental hygiene awareness raising, including brushing teeth every morning before classes start.  I am sure you will agree that this is a worthwhile cause. So I will be very grateful if you would help me to turn this ambition into reality. Every contribution, large or small, will be gratefully received - and I can assure you that the money will be well used. Thank you for your support. Austin McNamara