Author: LED

LED Projects: Looking back at 2024 and ahead to 2025

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The LED Board of Trustees and Val met in December and discussed projects completed in 2024 and plans for 2025.

In 2024 we combined core projects – solar light distribution, education and health development in the remote communities in Nepal and Peru – with disaster relief following the Thame glacial lake outburst flood in Nepal.

2024 Projects

Peru

We continued to fund the nurse and medical supplies at Quishuar Health Post.

We distributed LED solar lights to 4 new village communities in the Cordillera Blanca, starting a project planned in 2019.

We provided school supplies to Quishuar primary school.

In May the Wonky Wombats joined Val on a trek in the Cordillera Blanca, bringing eye glasses with them all the way from Australia and helping to conduct eye clinics.

Melky carried out repairs at Quishuar Health Post and worked with the village committee to reorganise the water supply for the village, including the supply for the health post.

Nepal

As well as providing school supplies in Thame (Solukhumbu) and Manaslu (Gorkha district), we continued to provide funding to the local school in Thame which enabled them to continue engaging the services of a full time teacher at the school for another year. Following the Thame Flood, all the children and staff are now based at the school in Khumjung.

In August 2024 two glacial lakes above Thame village burst and water, mud, boulders and debris flooded down the valley. The flood destroyed many of the homes and businesses in Thame, the health post and school, autumn crops and winter stores, the hydro electric plant and trails to and from the village. Working through the Himalayan Trust and local contacts we focused on providing funding for initial food supplies and ensuring the education for the children of Thame.

LED partners with Ang Rita Sherpa of The Partners Nepal on their “One Day One Tree” project which focuses on planting native tree species, such as rhododendrons, junipers, birch, and fir, in key areas of Solukhumbu, including Khunde, Khumjung, and Pangboche. This not only enhances forest cover but also delivers critical ecological benefits, such as stabilizing soil, improving watershed health, and creating habitats for local wildlife. Rooted in its collaborative approach, the program has also raised awareness among communities about the vital role forests play in mitigating the effects of climate change.

We also support The Partners Nepal with the running costs of the Elderly Care Center old people’s home in Bung.

Following the floods that hit the Kathmandu Valley in September 2024, Mingmi and Tenzi Sherpa distributed LED solar lights to outlying areas, 1 ½ day’s walk from Kathmandu.

2025 Projects

We’re delighted that Val has already booked her flights to return to Nepal next spring and Peru next summer.

Confirmed projects – there will be others:

Peru

Solar lights: We’ll continue with our project to distribute LED solar lights to 4 new village communities in the Cordillera Blanca.

Quishuar primary school: We’ll continue to provide school supplies each year.

Quishuar Health Post: We’ll continue to fund the nurse and medical supplies, and ongoing maintenance of the building itself.

Quishuar Health Post Volunteers: Three medical students are already confirmed for summer 2025. Val’s planning mobile medical clinics during their time in the Cordillera Blanca which forms their elective placement.

Greenhouses: LED is funding the cost of replacing three polytunnel greenhouses that were stolen from the health post during autumn 2024. The thieves also stole the four greenhouses the villagers constructed having seen the benefits brought by fresh vegetables grown in the health post greenhouses.

Nepal

Thame Flood Relief: Over the course of 2025 we expect to fund further flood relief projects in Thame and to support the communities of Thame Teng (where many families have now moved to) and Khumjung (where Thame school now operates).

Solar lights: During her spring trek in Manaslu and Nar Phu, Val will be distributing lights to more folks from remote communities in those areas. We also plan to distribute lights to more of the outlying areas of Kathmandu Valley that remain without road access following September 2024’s flood.

Mobile medical clinics, eye clinics & glasses distribution: The spring trek in Manaslu and Nar Phu will provide Val and the group with the opportunity to run mobile medical clinics and eye clinics and to distribute more of the reading and long distance glasses provided by Pat and Dave Booth. Khumbu region now has an optician but we plan to run a mobile eye clinic there too.

Thame & Samdo schools: LED will continue support the Thame teacher and provide school supplies for Thame and Samdo schools for another year.

Bung Old People’s Home: LED will continue partnering with The Partners Nepal to support the running costs of Bung old people’s home.

Solukhumbu reforestation: LED will continue partnering with The Partners Nepal to support their “One Day One Tree” project.

Wonky Wombats at Work in Peru

Thame Flood Relief, Nepal

As ever, we’ll be providing ongoing updates via Facebook at Facebook/LEDCharity and donations are always welcome using our JustGiving page justgiving.com/lighteducationdevelopment.

Val and the LED Trustees

LED’s Annual Fundraising Walk 2025 – Saturday 6 September 2025 – Save the date!

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Thank you all for your continuing support for the work that LED undertakes in remote mountain communities in Nepal and Peru.

In 2025, our annual fundraising walk will be taking place on Saturday 6 September 2025 in Mungrisdale in the Lake District.

After a Blencathra walk we’ll gather for the ever popular drinks and an evening meal at Mungrisdale Village Hall to round off what we hope will be an enjoyable and sociable day.

Full details of the walk, accommodation options and registration forms will be circulated nearer the time – but please now SAVE THE DATE!

It would be wonderful to see as many of you as possible and to raise more funds to continue our work.

Val and the LED Trustees

LED Annual Fundraising Walk & Dinner 2024 – Thank you!

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Thank you to everyone who came along to this year’s fundraising walk and dinner, and to everyone who has donated “For Thame”. We’ve raised over £9,000 so far and donations for Thame Flood Relief are still coming in – thank you all. This means we will be able to continue with our planned projects for 2024/2025 in addition to providing funds for Thame.

A big thank you to everyone who donated prizes for the raffle, Hesket Newmarket Brewery for the beers and Mae’s Tea Rooms for the afternoon tea voucher, The Castle Inn, Old Crown Pub, all the WI ladies, Gemma Knight, Boo and Heather, Garry, Fish and Aly and to everyone else who gave their time and energy and helped make the day such an enjoyable success. A big shout out to the washing up and tidying up teams!

It was a fantastic day – wonderful weather, cracking views from Ullock Pike, ‘atmospheric’ on the top of Skiddaw and beautiful valley views – and an extra Wainwright – on the descent back to Bassenthwaite Parish Rooms for gallons of tea and mountains of cake followed by a lovely evening featuring curries, more cakes, the raffle and a stunning sunset. 

LED’s Annual Fundraising Walk 2024 – Saturday 7 September – Registration Now Open

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The 2024 LED Charity walk will take place on Saturday 7 September in the North Lakes and we hope that many of you will be able to join in what has become an enjoyable event which raises essential funds for the charity.

Full details of the walk will follow nearer to the event. The walk will finish at Bassenthwaite Village Hall where you will be welcomed with refreshments, followed by an evening meal. 

To register, please:

In previous years, we have raised a significant sum towards our annual fundraising requirements but we hope that this year, we can better this! With that in mind, we are focusing on two particular key areas of the work undertaken by LED. 

This year, we are hoping to distribute solar lights to 3 villages in the Cordillera Blanca and in Nepal, to communities in the Nubri and Na Phu areas. Solar lights are the backbone of our charity work in these remote areas where life is incredibly hard and the people living there have little access to healthcare or electricity.

For those donors who have not had the opportunity to travel to these areas and see our work, you may be thinking, what can light do and how can it bring significant change to these communities?

The lights are transformative. They change the way that people can live.

They help with health issues by reducing chest infections caused by the burning of kerosene for light or cheaper candles.

They allow for development by providing opportunities for children to study in the evenings, and for better social interaction between families and friends.

They provide safety and have helped in the reduction of predators attacking livestock such as scaring away wolves from yak herds in the Thame valley.

And indirectly they have reduced the birthrate in many villages in Peru where families are already on stretched incomes.

The costs for running these two projects will be in the region of £10,000. ALL of your help is greatly appreciated, whatever you can provide is all gratefully received. 

We are looking forward to receiving your registration forms and payments.

If you can’t attend, then please consider making a donation, however small – it all helps and it ALL makes a difference. 

Thank you!

Val and the Trustees of LED