NEPCAM

 
Helping poor communities in Nepal and Cambodia
 
 
 
 
 
NEPCAM is an initiative of a group of people in Australia
who help poor communities in Nepal and Cambodia
 
 
NEPCAM's Vision
 
The overall vision of NEPCAM is poverty eradication and sustainable development. We have, as a major focus, the importance of education within communities. Our Australian supporters provide the funding which allows the organisation to support communities in a variety of ways. These include the donation of development aid directly to schools, enhancing the quality of education for impoverished students, operating professional development courses for teachers and offering students within the community opportunities to continue with tertiary or trade qualifications.
 
We are aiming to enhance the quality of education and the numbers educated in the community on a long-term sustainable basis. Students undertaking higher/further studies will directly increase the knowledge and skills base in their communities, and indirectly alleviate poverty and raise living standards.
 
 Please read on below to find out about the following NEPCAM initiatives and programs:
  • Child Education Sponsorship Program
  • Community Development Projects
  • Teacher College Project
  • NEPCAM's Gift Shop
 
  
Our History
 
NEPCAM began in 2005 with the sponsorship of one child in Nepal. This child, Sunita, was nine years old and was in a class where Dr Colin Woodley was teaching English, on a voluntary basis, in a school in Nayabazaar, Kathmandu. 
 
One Friday afternoon, after school, Sunita took Colin home to her tiny crowded room to meet her family of ten. They were very poor indeed and from that time on Sunita has received support with her education. Returning to Australia, Colin told his family and friends about Sunita and then wrote an article in the local Manly Daily.  
 
   
       Sunita with her family    
 
After this article was published, NEPCAM's sponsorships grew quickly. As at 1 January 2009, NEPCAM has provided assistance to over 400 children, mothers, teachers and adolescents in communities within Nepal and Cambodia 
 
          
             Sunita with Dr Woodley                    
 
 Why is NEPCAM so unique?
 
NEPCAM is unique because it delivers every cent to the children, their school or their families. The organisation is a totally voluntary organisation. It has no paid employees. Further, it has all its administrative services paid for by special donors or the services are provided on a voluntary basis without charge or expense in Australia or overseas.
 
The various members and supporters of the organisation, including the CEO, perform their duties without wages, salaries, other charges or expense claims for any overheads or administrative costs, whether in Australia or overseas.
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NEPCAM's Child Education Sponsorship Program
 
NEPCAM commenced its Child Education Sponsorship Program initiatives in 2005 and, since that date, the number of children sponsored has grown from 1 child to currently over 275 children.
 
In communities within Nepal and Cambodia, children in poor economic circumstances are unable to obtain a quality of education without support and development aid. NEPCAM achieves this through its direct provision of development funds to community schools via professional development funding which benefit the whole of the student body.
 
Following the procedures and processes established by AusAID, the communities in select the children to be sponsored from the poorest families. In effect, sponsorship of a child is the nomination of that child to represent their community in communicating by letter or e-mail with a specific sponsor.
 
In NEPCAM's further development of this model, our local overseas business partners then visit the homes and schools of the children to assess and check the information provided on each child by his or her community to ensure that the following criteria has been met:
  • The child comes from poor economic circumstances,
  • The child has a caring mother and family who values education and who will support the child while he or she is at school, and
  • The child is willing to attend school and is determined to try their best to achieve good results
NEPCAM emphasises that individual needs are best met through long term and sustainable community development programs. Notwithstanding this, direct assistance may be provided in certain circumstances to individual mothers and children: for example, there may be needs for short term support for school necessities such as fees, books, uniforms etc. In cases where a street child or exceptionally disadvantaged child needs one or more of these items in order to attend school, our local overseas business partner, will provide this support from the Child Education Sponsorship Program, based upon their on-the-ground observations and assessment. These direct assistance activities are not considered welfare, as they ensure participation and commitment of communities to longer term integrated sustainable community development and the protection of children's rights and interests.
 
A unique part of the NEPCAM initiative, which has drawn universally high praise from families in Nepali and Cambodian communities is the provision of funds (accumulated as a percentage of every sponsorship dollar) for higher / further education for children wishing to continue their education to gain trade or professional qualifications.
 
Too often this is not possible because of a lack of funds within the families after sponsorship comes to a halt when the child leaves school.
 
NEPCAM will provide funding for all sponsored children, on application to their community, who elect to proceed to a tertiary institution or training organisation to gain a trade or education qualification. When a child is educated to reach professional or trade status, the result is not just the improved lot of one child and his or her family but there is a multiplying effect for the community, and indeed their country.
 
If you would like to support our Child Education Sponsorship Program, click on the tab at the top left hand of this page where is says 'Sponsor a Child' and you will be provided with further information on how you can go about it.
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NEPCAM's Community Development Projects
 
NEPCAM commenced its Community Development Project initiatives in Nepal in 2005 and since that date have supported a wide range of projects for needy communities of women who have the interest, potential and enthusiasm to undertake small or medium-sized business enterprises (SMEs).
World wide experience working in developing countries shows that women are the family carers and are responsible loan re-payers who invest their income for the wellbeing of their families.
 
At the same time, they benefit from the higher social status they achieve through being able to provide a regular additional income stream from their successful and sustainable NEPCAM sponsored project and from the status of being able to send their children to school.
 
 
 
          NEPCAM provided a grant to help
          this family set up a small business
 
NEPCAM has grouped together specific SMEs for specific communities. The grouping has been done for three reasons:
  • to provide a more meaningful assessment of the total aid being provided to a community,
  • to allow consistency and efficiency of planning and design by our overseas business partners, subsequent approval by NEPCAM and then implementation by our overseas business partners, and
  • to provide accurate interaction, communication, monitoring and reporting by our overseas business partners which, in turn, allow good feedback to our sponsors who donate specifically to our Community Development Projects. 
Depending on the recipient's circumstances, NEPCAM is currently supporting SMEs by providing:
  • a free monetary gift, or
  • an interest free loan, or
  • a subsidised interest loan. 
NEPCAM's objectives are to address the causes of poverty and help disadvantaged families to become self-sufficient. Our Community Development Projects encourage Australians to contribute towards eliminating existing poverty and address its root causes through a wide variety of projects to help the disadvantaged indigenous communities to help themselves.                 This mother was provided a grant
                                                                                          to open this restaurant              
 
If you would like to support one of our Community Development Projects, click on the tab at the top left hand side of this page which says, 'Sponsor a Community Project' and you will be provided with further information on how you can go about it.
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NEPCAM's Teacher College Project
 
NEPCAM also has a major focus on the professional development of teachers in Nepal. Teachers are poorly paid, perhaps earning as little as $100.00 a month and they cannot afford to pay for advanced teacher training.
 
NEPCAM currently works in 43 schools in Nepal on a voluntary basis, often as teachers. While working at the grass roots level, with the help of the Principals, NEPCAM volunteers have observed that teachers would greatly benefit from professional support and training. NEPCAM is now working toward funding a Teacher's College, beginning with two courses, the first starting in February 2010.        
A group of teachers in Kathmandu          
relax before starting their day              
 
Each course will provide sponsorship for 25 teachers, who will be specially selected by their school and local community, based on their economic background and their potential to maximise their training.
 
Each course will provide selected teachers with six months of free training, which will help them to enhance their professional teaching and class management skills. The teacher will also be given e-mail access to their sponsors, who will be encouraged to offer technical support along with tips based on their individual experiences.
     A teacher in her class in Kathmandu 
 
Sometimes, we teachers in Australia need reminding that we are not as poorly off as we sometimes like to think. Being able to be in touch with teachers in Nepal creates a great cultural link as well as an excellent social justice angle!!! 
 
If you would like to support our Teacher College Project, click on the tab at the top left hand of this page where is says 'Sponsor a Teacher' and you will be provided with further information on how you can go about it. 
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NEPCAM's Gift Shop
 
In Australia, we are often challenged by the dilemma that comes from having so many gifts, so much to eat and drink – in a world that is, in places, so poor and hungry and in need.
 
Why not send a NEPCAM gift to someone for their birthday or on a special occasion, such as at Christmas and, at the same time, help those in need in Nepal or Cambodia. We have gift options in our catalogue to match any wallet, and we will send a handsome Donation Card to you so that you can forward it to your chosen recipient.
 
If you would like to send a gift to someone special from our large range of items in our Gift Shop, click on the tab at the top left hand of this page where is says 'Gift Shop' and you will be provided with further information on how you can go about it. 
 
 
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NEPCAM is approved by AusAID and subsequently the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient. Any donation of $2.00 or above is fully tax deductible!
 
It is certain that no other aid agency can give better value for a sponsor’s dollar!
 
You can contact NEPCAM in Australia by e-mail, telephone, facsimile or mail.
 
If you want immediate answers to your questions, please telephone Dr Colin Woodley on (02) 9999 2502 from within Australia or +61 2 9999 2502 if you are overseas.
 
E-mail:               enquiries@nepcam.org.au
 
Telephone:       (02) 9999 2502 or +61 2 9999 2502
 
Facsimile:         (02) 9997 3145 or +61 2 9997 3145
 
Mail:                   59 Prince Alfred Parade
                               Newport NSW 2106
                                        Australia

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