Over the years I’ve often heard the saying, “Don’t give a man a fish; give him a rod,” or better still, “teach him to make a rod.” That principle lies at the heart of good development work. Yet from time to time, in my opinion there is a very real place for carefully targeted handouts like the one we organised today.

The children who benefited live in extreme, grinding poverty and have no means to help themselves. Warm clothes, woolly hats and shoes — items they cannot produce on their own — are well-received in the bitter cold of south Nepal in December and January. Their impact also lasts beyond the individual child, as these items will be passed on as hand-me-downs.

It is also worth remembering that in the developed world, parents quite rightly want their children to have opportunity, education and training. That doesn’t stop them giving presents at Christmas. Nepal, in this respect, should be no different.

This distribution followed a similar one before Christmas. Thanks to successful fundraising through this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, we have been able to reach 928 ‘low-caste’ children across 15 locations in Dhanusha and Sarlahi districts of Madhesh Province. The total cost was £6,251.

A very strong Return on Investment! Thanks to our colleagues at The Mithila Wildlife Trust for organising this – and for sharing the lovely pictures below: