Body copy Working in partnership with the people of the Himalaya Annual Report 2014/15 Sustainable education, health and environmental projects Contents 3 Who We Are 4 Chairman’s Review 5 From the General Manager 7 Program Review 8 Rebuilding after the Nepal Earthquakes 9 Teacher Training & Quality Education Program 10 Our Programs 12 Board of Directors and Staff 14 Our Donors, Sponsors & Supporters 16 Accountability The Australian Himalayan Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for people in need in the remote communities of the Himalaya. Who we are Over the years, thousands of Australians have visited the Himalaya. For many it is an opportunity to trek beneath the world’s highest peaks and to appreciate some of the world’s most hospitable cultures. Yet the Himalaya is not just a vast adventure These programs help to reduce poverty playground. For the local communities life and address human rights like gender is anything but easy – with access to basic equality, child rights and the rights of health and education services often out of marginalised groups in rural regions reach. In response to these needs, the throughout the Himalaya. Australian Himalayan Foundation was The AHF is a registered Australian NGO formed in 2003 and strives to ensure the with no political or religious affiliations. long-term viability of sustainable health, We are members of the Australian Council education and conservation programs for International Development and have across the Himalaya. accreditation status with the Australian These cost-effective projects are combined Government Overseas Aid Program (DFAT). with practical on-the-ground outcomes in the poorest, most under-resourced areas of the Himalaya across Nepal, Bhutan and Northern India. ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15 | THE AUSTRALIAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION 3 Chairman’s Review When I wrote last year that “we have much to look forward to – new partnerships, more and more loyal and new supporters, and new opportunities to help the people of the Himalaya”, little did we know what a year of major challenge and difference 2014-2015 would be for us. Of course, it was the enormous challenges All of this of course required an enormous --The appointment of new AHF Youth faced by the people of the Himalaya, with and rapid operational and fundraising Ambassadors, Jackson Bursill and the disastrous earthquakes in April and effort and through the commitment and George Hillary. May 2015, which largely generated ours, generosity of literally thousands of loyal --The appointment of Tshering Lama as our assistance for them had to be swift and new partners, supporters and donors, O’Gorman, as Program Director, and – as it always has been – effective large and small, we raised a fantastic taking over this role from Garry Weare. and sustainable. $915,000 in our Earthquake Appeal, Thank you Garry for your stellar to June 30, 2015. The earthquakes radically expanded and efforts over many years in building altered our operations. When the April 25 I want to thank so much the AHF team: up our wonderful set of practical, earthquake hit, we had to immediately the Board, staff, the many volunteers and cost-effective programs. become a disaster relief agency, supplying pro bono helpers – organising fundraising Though 2014-15 was very different for us, vital emergency help and supplies. drives and events – who worked so we stuck firmly to our ethos of ‘providing tirelessly, and particularly The Sunrise With virtually every school in our education what is needed most to those who need Foundation, Dick & Pip Smith Foundation, heartland, the Lower Solukhumbu, it most’, in a practical, efficient way, Dr G and Ruth Fitzhardinge, Ian Watson, destroyed or damaged we set up many and I can promise all our supporters we Bill Grose, Joe Bonington, Jackson Bursill Temporary Learning Centres and also began will continue to do that, as the damage and the ‘Neverest’ team, Andrew Lock and organising a major earthquake-resistant, and deaths from the earthquakes has Geoff Bartram, Jennifer Waugh, Peter sustainable, schools rebuilding program. made our long-time direct assistance to Lemon, Joan Naughton, the Ian McNair children, families and schools in hundreds Charitable Foundation, Craig Macindoe of Himalayan communities more vital and David Ross for their sterling efforts. than ever. Of course, this all had to be on top of our fundraising for our on-going programs and overall we raised $1.95 million in 2014-15. 2014-15 was also notable for: Simon Balderstone --The visit of Her Majesty, Gyalyum Chairman Sangay Choden Wangchuck, Queen Mother of Bhutan, to Australia to raise awareness and support for our girls’ education projects in Bhutan, of which she is Patron through our partner RENEW. We thank Her Majesty so much for her fantastic spirit and dedication. 4 THE AUSTRALIAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION | ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15 From the General Manager This past year will be etched firmly in the hearts and minds of everyone who has a love for the Himalaya and for AHF it proved to be one of our biggest years yet. In October, we were thrilled to welcome This year we: --Rolled out our Teacher-Training and Her Majesty, Gyalyum Sangay Choden --Raised over in $1.95 million in funds Quality Education program to the last Wangchuck to Australia as Patron of our remaining districts of Kerung and Brought Her Majesty Queen Mother work in Bhutan. She is a fearless advocate -- Necha. This program now operates in of Bhutan to Australia as Patron of for the development of women and girls every single district and reaches every RENEW to raise funds for and lift across the region and it was a delight to single school in the lower Solu the profile of our work with women have her in Australia. Along with numerous Khumbu region. This is part of a and girls fundraising events and activities, twelve-year vision aimed squarely at Her Majesty met with high-level government --Provided critical supplies including improving the quality of the education representatives in Canberra including the food, clean water, emergency shelter in the region and children’s access to it and medical supplies to those areas Minister for Women and the Secretary of Provided medical training for traditional most affected by the April and -- the Department of Foreign Affairs and health practitioners in some of May earthquakes Trade. Her Majesty’s visit was a fantastic remotest communities of Ladakh opportunity for the AHF and we are grateful Established emergency medical -- Launched a new textile-based for the support of many during this time. camps in the Everest region in -- vocational training program for women response to the second earthquake On the 25th of April this year, the first of and girls in Bhutan, focussed on Constructed temporary learning two major earthquakes hit Nepal and -- employment opportunities post-school centres to get kids back to school caused widespread devastation across the --Increased our annual support for country. These events put our team here --Organised a post-trauma art therapy the conservation and preservation and our partners in Nepal to the test and camp for students of the Everest of snow leopards. both groups worked tirelessly to get vital region with over 330 teachers and Although it is more than 60 years since supplies out to those most in need. students attending Sir Edmund Hillary first began working to Provided 1600 teachers with psycho- -- help the people of Nepal, these results Despite these heartbreaking events, social counselling and training who were show that the Australian public still shares I am proud to share with you AHF’s then equipped to go out into the field his vision to improve the lives of the people achievements during this time which would and provide this counselling to others never have been possible without the of the Himalaya. This year we have seen, Started scoping the long-term support of our wonderful in-country -- in a very powerful way, Sir Ed’s spirit live rebuilding needs of the many schools partners and you – our valuable donors, on in your remarkable response to the we support across the Everest region supporters and volunteers. We are tragic earthquakes in Nepal and through particularly proud of our partners in Nepal your support for our various other programs who managed to continue to deliver our and for this we are immensely grateful. flagship education program in the face of enormous challenges. Carolyn Hamer-Smith General Manager ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15 | THE AUSTRALIAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION 5 The only load a child should carry is a school bag. Program Review Following the earthquakes in Nepal in April and May 2015, we have assisted in the rebuilding of the education sector in Solukhumbhu and other select areas. Integral to our ‘build back better’ model is capacity building of the local people – training on disaster preparedness to schools and training of local people in skilled construction works. To normalize the education sector, it was opportunities for women to learn necessary to continue our long running traditional medicine practice combined flagship program, Teacher Training & with modern medical care and help people Quality Education (TTQE). So with new in remote communities. components such as psycho-social training and disaster preparedness, our TTQE This year, we supported our in-country program resumed fully as soon as it partner, the Snow Leopard Conservancy’s was safe to do so. (SLC) work in Zanskar to mitigate human- wildlife conflicts. The beautiful and iconic Elsewhere in the Himalaya, I am pleased mountain cat, the snow leopard, is to report that our projects are running unfortunately a threat to livestock. SLC smoothly. As a result of the visit by found that improving the design of the Her Majesty Queen Mother of Bhutan we sheep corrals protected the livestock and raised funds to launch a vocational training curbed the retaliatory killing of the cats and project for women from disadvantaged we are supporting this venture in Zanskar.