Soroptimists from Slough Windsor and Maidenhead Club have just returned from a 2-week trip to Nepal. Whilst overseas they visited their sister Soroptimist club in Kathmandu allowing them to personally present a donation of money to the Nepalese club. This money will help the Nepalese ladies to continue with their projects educating and enabling women to help themselves. They spent the afternoon enjoying the generous Nepalese hospitality whilst sharing information on their latest club projects and heard how the destructive earthquake of 2015 had impacted Kathmandu. It was explained that one of the results had been the dramatic increase in trafficked children from the country and how the club was working with various non-government organisations to help combat this serious problem.
Whilst in Nepal the members travelled into the “hills” to visit several Pahar Trust schools and a medical centre. The Pahar Trust was the idea of a local military man Tom Langridge M.B.E and was conceived with friends at a pub in Crazy’s Hill, Wargrave in 1993. “Pahar” means “hills” in Nepalese and the aim of the Trust is to work with ex Gurkhas and Nepalese locals to provide access to healthcare and schooling for all in remote mountainous districts of Nepal. The charity has now completed over 200 projects. Travelling for hours over rough terrain and dirt tracks meant the ladies were able to meet the locals before being shown the foundations for the latest medical centre. The members were able to present money raised by Soroptimist International Slough Windsor and Maidenhead Club, along with donated medical aids and children’s clothes directly to those who will benefit.
Nepal itself is such a poor country however they are rich in generosity of spirit Club member and trip organiser Dee Caufield said she always finds the trip to Nepal a “humbling experience”.
