Discover Impact Foundation: The history of Shubhakamana Academy

My journeys to Nepal with students began in 1999– and now some 25 years later, we are striving to make a consistent difference in the Shubhakamana community through our Impact Foundation.

Each year our student groups deliver a teaching programme to all the children at Shubhakamana, helping them to improve their English speaking and in turn being positively impacted by the enthusiasm, aspiration and kindness.

Part of the Impact Programme each year is to visit the homes of families that are supported by the Impact Foundation so we are able to update our sponsors and donators. This can have a profound impact on our students and staff each year as they are welcomed into some very humble homes and offered tea, fruits and cucumber as revered guests.

Our goal is simple - to help parents, the school and the children. We know that if we want to make a difference, it means supporting the poorest of families so they can send their children to school without fear of rejection. This enables the poorest and most vulnerable members of the community to lead better lives day to day with the added hopes and dreams that their children’s education may lift them out of abject poverty. We also know that by giving direct to the school each year, they can employ the best teachers around to deliver the best possible schooling.

Impact Foundation is only as strong as its donors and sponsors – without your help and financial support, the Foundation is nothing but a dream. Amazingly since its inception in 2011, we have been able to fund over 245 children – the vast majority of whom have gone on to College and found employment.

How does it work?

As a guideline, an average cost for a full annual scholarship is just over £300 per child. This includes school fees, library fees, ID card, exam fees, and school books. Every summer, we hand deliver the payment to the school (in person), inviting the sponsored children’s families member to receive their Scholarship Statement. The benefit of this sponsorship programme is threefold:

1. The school benefit as it gets the fees it needs to develop their curriculum, pay the staff well and attract more children.

2. The families benefit because they can send their children to school without fear of costs, knowing they are getting an amazing education.

3. The children benefit from a diverse curriculum, cultural exchange annually and most importantly they get an amazing start in life.