Supporting Girls' Education in Bhutan

In October 2017, Heather McNeice, Krista Waddell, Patrick Smith, Shay O'Hara-Smith, Marina Russell, Jean Lovett, Johnnie Balfour and Dave Royle will undertake a twevle day trek through a remote region of central Bhutan, to the base of Gangkhar Puensum, Bhutan's highst mountain and the highest unclimbed peak in the world.  We are rasiing money for the Australian Himalayan Foundation's girls' education program in Bhutan.  

Heather and Krista have been working with the AHF and RENEW,  ("Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women") a local charity in Bhutan, for several years, to support an education program that funds girls from remote villages to attend boarading school. Children in rural Bhutan often live several days' walk from their nearest school which makes boarding their only option. Although the annual cost of boarding is about $200, this is beyond the means of many families who live in extreme poverty.  As a result girls, in particular, are often denied an education.   Many of the girls funded by RENEW's education program have very difficult family circumstances, reflecting RENEW's focus on helping victims of domestic violence.

Over the last few years, Heather and Krista have met with the directors of RENEW in Bhutan and have visited schools in the isolated villages of Laya, Jangothang, Lingshi and in the remote Lunana region where the two small schools are seven days' walk from the nearest road.    The facilities in these schools are extremely basic.  

Please help us to support the on-going funding of the girls' scholarship program.   

All the money we raise goes directly to the AHF (we have paid all our own travel expenses).  Donations can be made via this page and, if you live in Australia,  it's all tax deductible. 

Thanks so much!

Heather, Krista, Patrick, Shay, Marina, Jean, Johnnie and Dave.