A team of six local pupils will be flying out to Nepal this summer to work alongside the charity, Moving Mountains. Seventeen-year-old Hannah Slater is looking to go into medicine with an interest in international aid, and has managed to get together a group of five others, including her twin sister, Kate, to take part in the trip with her.
Although it will be an adventure, this will certainly not be a holiday for Hannah, as Moving Mountains is a non-profit organisation which works in Nepal, East Africa and Borneo to help with social, economic and environmental problems. The charity currently works with several villages in the Himalayas, helping with local schooling, refurbishing monasteries, building hydro-electric power plants and creating co-operatives for villagers to help them become more financially secure. Whilst on the trip, Hannah and her friends will be expected to be involved in a working project.
Hannah says: “I am thinking about working abroad in medicine for a career and the charity has built a community hospital in the village we will be visiting. We will be providing medical supplies, ready for university students to deliver to a clinic later in the summer.
“I approached the charity in September last year asking if they were running any trips and they said no, but if I could get enough people to go, we could run our own. I advertised it at school and we’ve ended up with a group of six.
“I will feel very proud to help with this project and know I will gain a lot from doing my little bit. Charity work in Nepal will make such a big difference to hundreds of people’s lives, especially after the earthquake and the subsequent loss of tourism, which is a major part of the Nepalese economy.”
As well as delivering medical supplies to the local hospital, the group of friends will be helping to start a water project to pump water into homes.
Hannah will be paying to go to Nepal, but each of the students have a goal to fundraise £500, which will go straight to the community to carry on work after they have left. As part of their effort, there will be a quiz night on 1st April at Midsomer Norton Rugby Club, which will include a Nepalese curry at half-time.
There will be ten rounds, one of which will be on Nepal. To book your place or for more information, contact Rich: 07795 437597.
Hannah is also looking for sponsors and raffle prizes from local businesses that would like to be involved, so please get in touch! Email: [email protected]
Nepal suffered a huge earthquake in April 2015, killing over 8,000 people and injuring 21,000. Many have been displaced from their homes and have been trying to rebuild their lives ever since. If you would like to donate to the group’s cause, visit: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/hannahslater98
The money goes directly to the charity and the villages of Bumburi and Bupsa, which the group will be visiting.