(I am thrilled to see that your generous donations mean that I have now hit my target. Thank you so much. I am off to Nepal in November to visit the schools and assess their current needs. The So The Child May Learn page stays live for a couple of months more, so any additional donations will of course be a valuable addition to what can be achieved.)

It is three years now since I first visited Nepal and in particular the Kanti Children's Hospital in Kathmandu. The hospital is supported by the Liverpool-based charity So The Child May Live, for which Birkenhead School has been raising money for several years now. The great thing about So The Child May Live is that all the money donated goes straight to where it is needed.

So The Child May Learn is my retirement project - based on the same principles, but focussed on education rather than health and centred on a group of rural schools high in the hills to the east of Kathmandu. I will personally ensure that every penny raised goes straight where it is most needed and supervise how it is spent - be that building classrooms, providing teachers, buying books and pencils, or simply making sure children have shoes to wear to walk to school.

Nepal is amongst the poorest countries in the world and state education provision, particularly in rural areas, is extremely basic. Yet a little money goes a long way. Colleagues and I have already funded the rebuilding of two collapsed classrooms at one school, built three brand new classrooms at another, as well as funding a teacher of English (teachers in this area typically earn about £40 a month!) and finding sponsors for a bright 11 year-old girl whose mother just couldn't afford for her to go to school.

I plan to spend two to three months each year at the schools, helping out in any way I can - teaching English, supporting teachers, improving classrooms and directing funds where they are most needed. So The Child May Learn is not (yet) a charity so Birkenhead School is kindly acting as the channel for funds. Any contribution, however large or small, will make a difference. If you are interested in sponsoring a child or investing in a classroom, just get in touch with me.

Thank you for your interest and support.

With best wishes,

John Clark