We're raising £7,500 to feed school children in impoverished areas of Nepal. Our goal is to provide 56,400 nutrient-rich meals to 4 impoverished villages. These meals help at-risk kids grow, get healthy, and stay in school.

Nepal is one of the most under-nourished countries in the world, with malnutrition effecting every second child. Children in earthquake-impacted areas are especially at risk, as families struggle to rebuild their homes.

Ryan Inglis is a singer/songwriter who hails from England and is now living in Germany. Working with local NGO partner, Karmaflights.org, through their school hot-lunch program, Ryan will personally provide the money for the first 5000 meals (10% of the target). Our goal is to work together with people like you, to raise enough to provide all 188 students with a meal every day for an entire year. 56,400 meals in total!

Offering a daily hot lunch is often enough of a financial incentive to encourage parents to send their children to school. This reduces incidences of industrial and agricultural child labor. School lunches not only increase school attendance, but also categorically improve learning. Well-educated children improve their community's health, safety and productivity. The whole community benefits from a school nutrition program.

The Hot Lunch Programme is currently being carried out in 8 schools in rural Nepal. During the last two years the Hot Lunch Programme was sponsored by the Feed 5000 Project in 5 schools. The other 3 schools were sponsored by the pilot community. All together the number of the studends raised to 425 during the last years. The programme has had a variety of positive impacts for students at all the schools involved.

Pipoldali Deurali Basic School

This school is situated in an area with a diverse population demographic. As a result, children of many different castes attend the school. The school community has reported the programme has resulted in increased attendance rates as well as students now attending class for the entire day. Parents reported that their children no longer resist going to school.

Shree Prabhat Basic School

In this school, the hot lunch programme has been found to have significantly increased student attendance rates. Enrolments increased from 48 students to 74 students in one year after the programme was implemented. The programme has also inspired the school community to start a vegetable garden.

Shree Still Basic School

Attendance at this school has gone from 80 students to 130 students since the programme was implemented. The school community has embraced the programme, with one teacher becoming a full time cook who manages the kitchen, collects ingredients and cooks the food to provide to the students. The school has also set up an organic vegetable garden, and parents have started a food bank whereby they bring their own harvested crops to school to provide for their children.

Shree Chamunda Maai Basic School

The school headmaster has reported that attendance rates have increased as a direct result of the programme. Furthermore, students are attending class regularly and no longer leave school early. The success of the programme has also extended to parents, who now come more regularly to school meetings.

Shree Janachetana Basic School

This school was going to be forced to merge with a bigger school in town. Thanks to the success of the hot lunch programme, the merger has been delayed for the time being. This means that the local community is able to continue to have a local school instead of having to travel into town. The local community is very poor and many parents do not have a high enough income to give their children money for lunch. The programme has therefore provided invaluable help to this community, by ensuring every child at the school has access to a healthy and nutritious lunch.

In all schools, the programme has been a resounding success. It has contributed to increased school attendance and a more engaged school community. It has also helped break down barriers between children of different castes, with all children now eating their hot lunches together. Students, teachers, parents and the wider school communities have expressed their gratitude for the hot lunch programme. The hot lunch programme is also connected with another Karma Flights programme, WASH (a programme focused on health and hygiene). By connecting these two programme together, Karma Flights has been able to promote health and nutrition in the school community. As well as the hot lunches, hygiene kits including tooth brushes and washing soaps  have also been provided, and lessons have been conducted to increase awareness around health. The children learn about health at school, and can bring these learning back to their parents at home.

The cost of running this program, per month/per child is only $5. This budget includes hiring a school cook for the year. (This job goes to single mother, or member of the community selected as someone, who due to circumstances outside her control, is struggling to provide for her family.)

Program transparency is important to us:
100% of your donation will go towards buying nutritious food, setting up the school kitchen, and creating vital local employment for the program cooks. 100% of your donor money goes directly to those who need it most. Overheads and admin costs are paid out of separate fund, established specifically for this purpose, so that you the donor, know the precise impact of your contribution.

Your donation is tax deductible, through our partnership with The Cloudbase Foundation. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt, upon completion of your donation.

If you would like to be more involved, please get in touch with Ryan directly, at me@ryaninglis.com. Thank you for your support!