Monika, Kopila (2 girls back, far left) and Lila (girl front, far left) as well as Raju, Akash and Bhom (3 boys in hats) all achieved 1st place in their class! 

A very Happy New Year to all our Umbrella Family – volunteers, supporters, sponsors, fundraisers and friends! The children have just finished their winter holidays and returned to school this week. Some were able to spend the period with family in their villages, with the others staying in their Swayambhu homes and taking part in extra tuition classes and a range of activities organised by volunteers and house staff.

Their second-term exam results were released and we are happy to announce the children have performed very well. 48 ranked in the top ten of their class, 17 of whom (featured in the picture above) were in the top 3!

The children have worked very hard at their studies to achieve these fantastic results: it’s certainly not a walk in the park. During the school term, a typical day for them usually goes like this:

Dolma is in the NSYEP. She is currently studying Education in college. Umbrella are delighted to share that Dolma ranked 1st in her class and has been awarded 3 months scholarshipby her college! Well done Dolma!

So these results are the outcome of hard work on the part of the children and their house tutors. They are also a testament to the work Umbrella does with your help in providing children with access to quality education. With end-of-year exams in April, all the children will be studying diligently throughoout their final school term. 25 of them will be sitting the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) and entering into our Next Steps Youth & Education Programme (NSYEP).

The NSYEP is a vital part of Umbrella’s work as we aim to provide our youths with further education, skills training and support to become well-rounded, independent and responsible adults with a capacity to contribute to their communities. Without your continued support, we would not be able to provide these wonderful children with a fighting chance at their future. Read about the Next Steps Youth & Education Programme here.

It wasn’t ALL hard work and study though over the winter holidays. The children enjoyed some great activities including a trip to the Garden of Dreams, picnics, a cinema visit, art competitions, dance classes, momo parties, day outings, volleyball, football, basketball, carromboard competitions, treasure hunts, quizzes and more!

Morning studies in Kanchanjunga House	Playing by the pond in Garden of Dreams
Focused on winning top prize in the art competition!	Kanchanjunga beat Manaslu in a fierce football match!
Momo Party – yum!	Sagarmatha girls on route to White Gumba!
The girls and volunteers in Garden of Dreams.