IT WAS SIX DAYS INTO MY FIRST VISIT TO NEPAL IN APRIL 2015 THAT THE 7.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HAPPENED.
IT CHANGED EVERYTHING.




I WROTE A STORY ON THE JOURNEY TO INDIA.
WHICH BECAME AN ILLUSTRATION PROJECT.
WHICH BECAME A BOOK.
WHICH BECAME A KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN.






WHEN THE KICKSTARTER WAS FUNDED AS WELL AS THE BOOK THERE WERE ILLUSTRATIVE PRINTS AND SCREEN PRINTED T-SHIRTS.
AND AN ONLINE SHOP, WHICH LAUNCHED SIX MONTHS AFTER THE QUAKE.






WHICH THEN MANIFESTED INTO TALKS IN SCHOOLS.
AND
PRESENTATIONS IN DESIGN AGENCIES.
AND
SIGNINGS IN BOOK SHOPS.








JUST OVER A YEAR AFTER THE QUAKE, THE BOOK HAD RAISED OVER £7,000.
I PARTNERED WITH THE GURKHA WELFARE TRUST TO REBUILD SHREE BARBOT SCHOOL




FAST FORWARD TO THREE YEARS AFTER THE QUAKE...
IN APRIL 2018 I WENT BACK TO NEPAL TO VISIT THE SCHOOL WHICH IS NOW FINISHED




A TRUE STORY OF HOW SOMETHING AS SMALL AS WRITING A STORY ON A BUS CAN MANIFEST INTO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED.




BUT IT DOESN'T END THERE...


THE BOOK CONTINUES TO SELL, STEADILY RAISING MONEY,
SO I DONATED ANOTHER £500 TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL WITH THE GURKHA WELFARE TRUST




AND THEN I LEARNT HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE BEING FINISHED BUT NOT EQUIPPED, SO CHILDREN ARE SITTING IN BRAND NEW BUILDINGS WITH NOTHING TO LEARN FROM.
SO ALL SUBSEQUENT FUNDING FROM THE BOOK TO PROVIDE BENCHES AND DESKS FOR RURAL GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN BASERI, DHADING.






MADE IN KATHMANDUWITH DURABLE METAL FRAMES, THE EQUIPMENT IS THEN TRANSPORTED OUT TO THE VILLAGE.










WHAT'S NEXT?


For the full story of the project please visit my website
or the Facebook page
The charity I have partnered with to rebuild the school is the Gurkha Welfare Trust