This afternoon I felt privileged to meet Mrs Urmila Das at her home in Dhanusha District, south Nepal. Urmila is a university student who, at her own initiative, has established a small community learning centre of her own at her home, offering extra tuition to children from the Dalit (‘untouchable’) community, much like those Pipal Tree has created with our local partners.

I visited the centre for the first time this afternoon and was deeply impressed by Urmila’s initiative and commitment. It was a powerful reminder of how relatively small amounts of support from Pipal Tree can create lasting opportunities for children and young people. See my film below:

Our Big Give education campaign ends at noon BST tomorrow, the 6th of August, and we’re delighted by what we have achieved so far.

Although we remain some way short of our target, our loyal supporters have helped us raise an incredible £37,680 in matched online donations. This is a tremendous response, particularly during these difficult economic times. In combination with other grants we are seeking, these funds will enable us to provide bursaries and student grants and meet the running costs of our community learning centres. And beyond that, to support initiatives such as Urmila’s.

Here is the donation link that will allow a gift to automatically double in value: