Chairman's Message

The Nepal Trust continues to achieve huge success, punching well above its weight, delivering health, development and hope to the communities of the Hidden Himalayas. Last year we set out our future road map and plans for ‘upping our game’ in the delivery of healthcare and supporting the installed base of renewable energy facilities.

Already we are making progress but it will be a long road as it involves cultural change as much as anything. For example our plans to build and staff birthing centres at each of our clinics in an attempt to make inroads into the appalling infant and in-labour mortality rates of Humla, will require abandoning the tradition of expectant mothers going out into the cow sheds or even open fields to give birth to their new baby.

To keep the installed base of energy facilities working across the long winter months year in year out will require a coordinated programme of proactive maintenance and investment in spares: an approach we take for granted in the West but which is a major shift in attitude and organization for the local communities in Humla.

Between us we have over the last 2 decades already made a substantial difference to the lives of many individuals living in one of the poorest and most inaccessible parts of the world. It is now less than circa one day’s walk on average for a member of a remote community to gain access to primary healthcare at a Nepal Trust clinic that is staffed with a trained medical worker and which has regular supplies of medicine. To me this is our flagship achievement.

We remain an all volunteer organisation in the UK, which means every pound raised is a pound spent in Nepal. As an INGO operating full control over the transfer and expenditure of money we give complete transparency of accounting back to our donors. All of this means that nearly every penny raised is spent in Nepal, where of course each Pound spent goes a lot further. In Nepal Jeroen continues to run the office and manage the in-field work of the Nepal Trust with great support from our colleagues at the Nepal Trust NGO. The successful completion of a number of projects in 2011 is substantially due to their hard work and dedication.

Our reputation for working hands on in partnership with the local communities, seeing projects through and for ethical incorruptible behaviour is a beacon in the rather murky field of third world charity and aid programmes. This along with our established infrastructure is making us the partner of choice for other aid organizations wanting to work in the Humla area.

The Trust continues to depend totally on the support of its members. The Board can establish broad strategy and plans; but without the continued support of each and every friend and member of the Nepal Trust we will not succeed. We need to grow our membership and promote more widely the good work that we do. Please think about what you could do to help this drive and vision.