An update from the Foundation’s first Learning Resource Centre in Palpa, Nepal

The Steve Sinnott Learning Resource Centre was originally established by Manisha UK in Palpa, Nepal in 2019, in partnership with the Steve Sinnott Foundation. It was administered by Dan Wichmann and Saran Saru. It included an excellent library, a classroom with an interactive whiteboard and monitors with Raspberry Pi software. Although well used by a local school, evaluating the project in 2021, it was decided that the facilities should be available to a wider usership. An agreement was concluded with Children Nepal in Pokhara for the material effects to be utilised.


Children Nepal is an effective and inspiring organisation providing extensive and holistic support to deprived families. The centre offers classes to students who are very keen learners and attend after their usual morning classes in other educational institutions. They attend IT classes facilitated by a Steve Sinnott funded teacher. There are two classes of 20 students each, these classes are offered twice a day, except Saturday. These students need to compete with students from private schools; the government schools they attend have very limited computers and IT classes.


The centre offers art classes to younger children, as well as singing, dancing, creative writing and storytelling. In the holidays, classes are offered to years 6, 7 and 8 with excellent attendance. Performances are given, artwork displayed and there are competitions for art and writing. The library is very well used. This is a vital resource as the local neighbourhood has only two small libraries and schools rarely have libraries or enough books. The children enjoy individual and paired reading, talking animatedly about their reading. The library is also available to adults from the community.


Manisha UK, The Steve Sinnott Foundation and Children Nepal have enjoyed a very good relationship. Via quarterly reports and unplanned visits from Manisha UK, we have seen the excellent work Children Nepal are undertaking. The staff in Pokhara are totally committed and dedicated providing an invaluable resource to the communities they serve.


A recent renewal of financial support from The Steve Sinnott Foundation means the work of the IT teacher can continue and new books can be bought for the library. This funding ends in 2027. Further funding is essential to update the software used from Libre Office to Microsoft Windows.


Manisha UK and Children Nepal are incredibly grateful for the support from the Steve Sinnott Foundation, particularly the help provided by Ann Beatty. I will be visiting the centre in December and look forward to seeing the continuing excellent work.


BIOGRAPHY

A full time secondary school teacher for 31 years, Barbara retired from her final post in an inner city Birmingham school in 2010. She had worked in pastoral roles and as head of English and Director of Literacy. This was an early retirement in order to pursue voluntary work abroad, fortunately she came across the small but highly effective charity Manisha UK. The charity supports 8 government village schools in rural Nepal and Barbara undertakes annual visits.

Barbara Bond • February 10, 2025

Volunteering in Zambia - Spotlight on a Steve Sinnott Foundation Ambassador

By Helen Porter • January 30, 2026
Summer of 2025, I volunteered in Lusaka, Zambia with Mission Direct to improve educational facilities for school children and staff. These nursery school children live in very basic and small homes in the Kaunda Square Compound. They are currently being educated in overcrowded classrooms with very little space for play and movement. The new school building will allow more children to benefit from an enriching nursery education and ensure that they are ready to learn when they start their formal schooling at the age of six. It will also enable more mothers to work and contribute to their families’ income. The children were very happy to meet us and performed a wonderful song with actions to thank us. Witnessing the challenges of these families living in poverty led me to reflect on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that finding a route out of poverty (SDG1) often starts with a quality education (SDG4). Educating children to become literate, numerate and confident, responsible young people allows them to obtain secure employment with fair pay and to have the prospect of rewarding careers, leading to economic growth (SDG8). Of course education is about so much more than preparation for future employment. An educated person is better prepared to maintain the health and well-being of their family (SDG3) and ensure that nourishing food is provided everyday (SDG2). We are disappointed and saddened to learn that some of the world’s wealthiest nations are slashing their overseas development budgets. This makes the work of NGOs even more vital as they strive to reduce inequalities (SDGs 5 and 10) to ensure that all children benefit from a quality education.

Enhancing safe education; phase two of the addressing school-related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) Programme

By Isata M Kamara • January 29, 2026
Addressing SRGBV comes through different methods. One effective approach is to provide the most at risk of becoming victims with required skills and knowledge. The essence of this approach is to keep girls safe, engaged and ensure before they return to school that they have a better understanding of SRGBV. The phenomenon of school-related gender-based violence [SRGBV] undermines the right to education for countless children, particularly girls. In the initial phase of our project, we successfully implemented SRGBV awareness and prevention programmes in 14 schools across Bombali district Northern Region. Phase one involved training school staff, engaging students, and building community awareness to create safer school environments. This phase focused on training girls to make reusable sanitary pads and other soft skills to engage them in daily activities. The project engaged over 50 students between the ages of 12-18 years in skills training to help keep them engaged in learning how to make reusable sanitary pads, bead design and cake making. The overall implementation of the project was a success as all of the girls engaged were able to learn new skills and new knowledge relating to GBV prevention. Below are some of the specific successes; Girls were trained in making reusable sanitary pads, sewing and bead design work, basic cake making skills, learning to identify violence, report it and learn how to prevent and de-escalate violent situations and how to stay positive in life through mentoring and supporting each other. This increased the knowledge of community stakeholders and parents on the impact both in and out of school. 100 participants including parents, education officials and community leaders were engaged. Despite the successes recorded, there were some challenges in the implementation. Challenges The rains were heavy and affected some classes Inflation in the market affected the proposed initial costs and the current cost of items The number of stakeholders and parents engaged were more than the proposed number leading to an increase in the food budget BY ISATA M KAMARA DIRECTOR OF GENDER EQUALITY AND DEVELOPMENT FOR SOCIAL ACTION (GEDSA)

Alfabetizasyon se chemen development - Literacy is the way to development

By Sarah Grey • January 28, 2026
Alfa Limonade, Haiti  For all our people who were deprived of childhood education, the objective of this Alfa programme is to provide the opportunity to become literate. In Haiti, especially in rural areas such as ours, literacy rates are dismal. 44% of Haitian men and 56% of Haitian women are illiterate, but these statistics are far worse in villages and the countryside. (UNESCO) Launched 23 years ago, Alfa uses an excellent participatory text book, Goute Sel, for writing, reading, and comprehension. It was developed specifically for use here in Haiti. We also use Ti Koze Sou Istwa Peyi Ayiti, stories and questions from Haitian history, and Lekti Net Ale, reflections on connecting with the world. Through blackboard instruction and Kaye Kalkil, Alfa participants practise exercises in arithmetic. At the second level we launch group discussion through reading Edikasyon Civik. After long consideration, our team of monitors has established that Alfa must develop its own practical introduction to numeracy for adult learners. Our improved numeracy project must adjust to the situation of Alfa participants. Obviously, in their daily lives our participants constantly face numeracy problems. Having no education, they were unaware of their lack of capacity. Today, through Alfa, they are gaining in literacy, and we should also ensure that, despite their often advanced ages, they also become numerate. They must not lose this gift simply because they have been deprived of the basic human right to education. Through our new tool, Alfa’s market women and peasant farmers will grasp the basics of numeracy, so that they are not lost in the economic situations of their adult lives. They will address these problems with awareness, papers and pencils in their hands - just as others do! Chancy Jacques, Alfa Supervisor, and Antolius Pierre, Alfa monitor in Jede, are collaborating on Alfa’s own book, Kalkil San Limit, with the following objectives: To support our monitors with a good tool for introducing numeracy. To reinforce the capacity of every Alfa participant. To enable participants to reflect productively. To enable participants to calculate well and fast. To enable participants to record their written results. Thus Kalkil San Limit will include the following sections: numeracy, problem solving, geometry, and mental calculation. Numeracy is a key part of the core skill base of a literate individual. In our Haiti, this means the ability to understand and use basic maths in real life situations at home, in the market place, or for agricultural transactions. We are preparing to go to print this summer! By Sarah Grey Alfa Limonade, Haiti