PRESS RELEASE: HAE Team Members Providing Vital IT Support to Schools in Nepal

It is time for the annual visit to Nepal by members of the Rotary Club of Northallerton, to update the computers and training provided over the past 9 years to remote schools in the Panchemul Valley in north-west Nepal.

Four computer enthusiasts, John Proud, Duncan Davison from Northerallerton together with HAE’s Graham Arundell and Luke Hawksford, a young IT support engineer left for Nepal on Tuesday 8 January and will return on 18 January. Their primary aim is to install new laptop PCs at Rithepani School to take advantage of a new Internet provision funded through HAE, who generously provided 5 years of internet payment through NCELL, the Nepal telecomms company.

It will be a busy 10 days, but 3 of the group are now old hands.  John has visited every year since 2011, Duncan every year since 2013, and Graham in on his second visit.  Luke is a newcomer, but the experience for him will be life-changing. These visits are all self-funded, and Rotarians have raised considerable amounts of money locally.  After an overnight stay in Kathmandu as guests of our linked Rotary Club of Himalayan Ghurkhas, the group faces an arduous road journey across the length of Nepal, to a college at Smarack in Chitwan, to audit their 15 PCs.

From Chitwan the group will drive to Pokhara, located at the foot of the Himalayan mountains, to use it as a base to audit the original 2011 PCs at Rithepani School and install the new laptops, 3 Google home assistants, and new classroom solar panels.   This is the first time the school has had Internet provision, which is an exciting development. A social event will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Pokhara New Road.

Photo, left to right, John Proud, Luke Hawkesford,  Duncan Davison and Graham Arundell.