Hello there! In 2010 I volunteered at Magno Vale Academy in the Himalayan village of Sukhia Pokhri, and I need your help to raise funds so that the construction of the school building can be completed.

UPDATE February 2014! - Hello again! You may recall that on my last trip to Darjeeling in 2012 I was able to see the fantastic progress that had been made on the MVA school building, as well as bear witness to the first graduates gaining places at junior college where they continue their education. Completion of the school building was an important step on the way to the school gaining affiliation from the CISCE Board (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) which will enable the students to be educated to the national SLC (School Leaving Certificate) standard, sit their exams at the school (rather than having to pay to sit them elsewhere) and graduate with nationally recognised qualifications.

Early last year Deven continued working on the CISCE checklist of requirements for affiliation, including building shelves, tables and chairs for the science lab and library, and purchasing 4 microscopes and 400 books. His hard work and determination started to pay off in May when the first inspection was made by the Board. Needless to say the inspector was very impressed and promised to send a positive report to Kolkata in support of the school.

In October we were all very excited to hear the news that recognition will be granted by the CISCE Board pending the building of more toilets - now that there are more children attending the school, they are required to have more toilets on-site (5 each for boys and girls). Although this makes good sense, it means, frustratingly, that Deven is required to extend the building slightly to accommodate the new toilets. As you can imagine, Mondo Foundation is keen to provide funds to help Deven with this last push to gain affiliation, and the Foundation (supported by an anonymous donor) has offered to match any donations that I can generate, which means every £1 I can muster will be worth £4 - in total I am looking raise £1,100.

I appreciate February is not traditionally a time when one is feeling flush (ha ha!), but if you feel motivated to donate a small amount to help Deven achieve his well-earned goal, it would be most gratefully received. 

 

UPDATE April 2012! - We're nearly there! Thanks to the generous support of friends, family and concert-goers the school building construction has come on leaps and bounds with only two classrooms now needing completion. Take a look at the latest pictures on this page to see how the building has been transformed.

In a bid to get to our target of £3,500 I took to the streets of Paris on the 15th April to run the Marathon de Paris! Photographic evidence of this can also be seen on this page. So if you can spare a couple of quid this month (or next!) your donation will be gratefully received.

 

UPDATE July 2011! - The Anglia Fellowship Band played a sell-out Brass Band concert at Lavenham church this month raising a further £850 for Magno Vale! (see pics!) Thanks to the funds that have been raised by you so far, the school now has three new classrooms, two new toilets and construction has begun on the second floor. We are well on the way to reaching our target and completing the school building. Thank you to all those who have donated so far... (view more pictures at the top left of this page).

Magno Vale was established in 1998 by local teacher, Deven Subba, in response to the need for an 'English medium' school that was accessible to all. The school mainly works with children who are living beneath the poverty line and provides full scholarships to as many students as it can within the financial constraints.

Classes were first taught in Deven’s house and from the outset the aim was to provide a modern, forward-looking centre of learning. Today, 225 students benefit from an education at the school, including extra-curricular activities such as music, drama and sport, plus the ongoing support of the MondoChallenge Foundation and MondoChallenge volunteers.

In 2007 a plot of land was acquired for a new school building that could house the ever-growing student base. Construction began after the school received £4,000 of funds, raised by a volunteer and charitable trust.

It is not possible for the school construction to be completed without charitable donations. 

Deven would like to gain affiliation for the school, which means the students can be educated to the national SLC (School Leaving Certificate) standard, sit their exams at the school and graduate with nationally recognised qualifications.

In order to gain affiliation the school is required to be a certain size and have certain facilities in place, such as a library room and a science facility, but, despite Deven taking out a large loan, his current funds still fall short of the full amount needed by approximately £7,000.

It would be great if we could help Deven to complete the school construction and attain affiliation.

The MondoChallenge Foundation has pledged to match any public donations pound for pound. With their support we only have to raise £3,500 to hit the target.

So please dig deep and help us to complete the construction of this wonderful school and contribute to a positive future for the young people of Sukhia Pokhri.

Thank you.

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