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NEWS

Curriculum Expansion and Marathon Fundraising

August 2021

Welcome to the Hannah Memorial Academy 2021 summer newsletter – or at least for those based in the Northern Hemisphere. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and we thank you for your continued support of the charity.

Hannah Memorial Academy school update

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Like all other schools in the Darjeeling region, unfortunately the Hannah Memorial Academy remains closed due to regional restrictions put in place by the local government in light of the ongoing pandemic. There is no indication yet on when schools may return. In the meantime, many of the Hannah Memorial Academy’s pupils are being taught at home by teachers in small groups. The charity continues to monitor the situation and will ensure that the students and teachers have everything they need for the new school year when they are allowed to return.

Computer skills to be added to the curriculum

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A number of HMA teachers are being taught new teaching methods in computer skills by a local IT expert who is visiting the school 3 times a week to deliver teacher training. The teachers are upskilling in anticipation of the addition of IT to the curriculum when schools return from lockdown. In more positive news, we’ve been informed by our local contacts that the Indian national government has suggested that all pupils who would normally have to pass the government exam enabling them to go up to secondary school will not have to this year due to the pandemic. As a result, students will automatically pass. This will hopefully create more opportunities for HMA pupils to advance to secondary education.

Meet our 2021 HMA marathon runners

As major sporting and challenge events begin to return this year, we are lucky to have two heroic marathon runners fundraising for the Hannah Memorial Academy over the next few months. Hannah Memorial Academy trustee, Ram Varma, will be taking on the Brighton Marathon on the 12th September. This will be Ram’s second marathon effort for HMA. We are also pleased that Johannes Nijober will be running his first marathon by competing in the London Marathon on 3rd October for HMA. Both runners have been committing lots of hours and hard work to their training programmes over the past few months. You can show your support for their tremendous efforts by making a donation to Ram’s and Johannes’ JustGiving fundraising pages – all funds go directly to the Hannah Memorial Academy. Keep up the hard work and good luck to both Ram and Johannes for race day!

Latest news from the Darjeeling community

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The Darjeeling area continues to be challenged by restrictions put in place by the state government in response to a recent increase in localised COVID-19 cases. Lockdown restrictions were extended until 15th August with schools, colleges, train services and local amenities staying closed. However, some shops, markets, and banks remain open with restricted hours. Unfortunately this has led to increases in local unemployment and many of Darjeeling’s famous tea gardens are running at a reduced capacity. Local residents are also having to contend with the Monsoon season. The charity is working closely with our local contacts to ensure that the school will be able to open once lockdown restrictions ease.

If you would like to make a donation to the Hannah Memorial Charitable Trust, please visit our donations page here

The Trustees of the Hannah Memorial Academy Charitable Trust are: Christine Browning, Roger MacLaverty, John Higham, Ben Pattie, Ram Varma, Helen Wilde, and Camilla MacLaverty. We hope you are happy to receive occasional news about the progress of the school, but if you would prefer not to receive our newsletters, please email us at admin@hannahmemorialacademy.org to unsubscribe

Hannah Memorial Academy
32, Thames Haven
Portsmouth Road
Surbiton
KT6 4JA

Email: admin@hannahmemorialacademy.org
Web: www.hannahmemorialacademy.org
Tel: 020 8339 9200
Regn No. 112544

Support us now

Hannah’s school has united people of every age, from two continents, who want to help create a memorial for Hannah and benefit a whole community in one of the poorest areas of India – please join us in supporting Hannah’s school.

Donate

Jason’s story

How the school was started

The Hannah Memorial Academy is the vision of Jason Lepcha who was inspired to build a school in memory of Hannah Foster.
The school, in the Dhooteriah Tea Garden, is a lasting legacy to Hannah Foster, a 17-year old Hampshire girl who was murdered in the West End District of Southampton in March 2003 by Maninder Pal Singh Kohli.

Just over a year after Hannah’s tragic death, Jason Lepcha, a local taxi driver with a good understanding of English, was hired as a driver in Darjeeling by the chief murder suspect. He subsequently responded to a national appeal for information that led to the arrest of Mr. Kohli in Darjeeling in July 2004. In return for providing the police with the vital information, Jason received a reward of £4569 from the Hampshire Police.

Jason is an educated man from a modest background but he always had a dream to provide free education for the children in the Dhooteriah Tea Garden, one of the country’s poorest regions. Instead of spending the reward on himself, Jason used the money and help from the local villagers to secure a plot of land suitable to build a school on.
In 2005 Jason’s vision became a reality, with the opening of an English school in the Dhooteriah Tea Garden. The school is situated in the village of Santi Gram, 21 km from Darjeeling town, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Today, Jason and his wife Isabella manage and administer the school under an Indian trust, with the support of 7 local Trustees. Most importantly, the school is named after Hannah and serves as living memory to her while helping the regions children to get a good start in life.

Jason pupil and pony Jason looking at progress Darjeeling 4650 Jasons pony

Christine and Roger’s story

How the trust was formed.

In November 2006 Christine and Roger had been travelling in Darjeeling, when their driver, Jason told them about his school. One day they visited it and immediately decided they would like to support such a wonderful, practical memorial.

They came home to Hampton and with the full support of Trevor and Hilary Foster, Hannah’s parents, started collecting funds. The school had opened with one building, 5 teachers, a few teaching materials and 22 pupils. Gradually, with a lot of hard work and cajoling, funding has enabled the school to grow to a maximum roll of 125 pupils.

Gradually, Chris and Rog involved their friends, sending books, funds and anything they could muster. Then in August, realising how much more funding is needed to guarantee the continuation of the school, they set up the Hannah Memorial Academy Charitable Trust.

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The Charitable Trust

How the trust supports the school.

Purpose

The Trust supports the school through Jason, his family and the staff – who have the skills, knowledge, determination and vision – but not the financial wherewithal.

The Trustees:

  • Christine Browning, BSc (Hons) –  Company Director
  • Roger Maclaverty, LLB – Retired Solicitor, Notary Public
  • Camilla Maclaverty, LLB(Hons), MSc Overseas Development
  • Ben Pattie – Public Relations and Social Media
  • Ram Varma –  ACA Chartered Accountant, Treasurer
  • Helen Wilde – Charity Fund Raiser and former High Sheriff of Bristol

The work of the Trust is fully supported by Hannah’s parents Hilary and Trevor Foster, who are kept informed at all times of what we do and what is happening in Hannah’s school.

How we manage the Trust

The Trustees give all their time for free, charge no personal expenses, and apart from minimal essential costs, every penny raised is used entirely for the benefit of the school and its pupils.

Even our interest bearing Bank Account is free! School Budgets are agreed in advance, all expenditure is recorded and monitored, and our aim is for at least annual visits by one or more trustees.

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