NDA Journal 2021

The years pass and we continue to hands-on support our children, our schools and up until this last 18 months, visit once and twice a year. We are now starting to see our elder children flourish and grow; Sangita has now qualified as a Nurse, Kishor is a 3rd year Medical student and Tenzin is studying to become an Architect. Dearest Aman our youngest, aged 6yrs, is loving school and continuing to excel. Through meeting and chatting with others, I discovered the organisation BRANNGO. I made enquiries and CFENC became a member. During two such meetings I offered my ‘help’ with any health related matters as at the time, BRANNGO was although made up of a variety of NGO’s, naturally educationally biased because of the nature of it original formation. My offer of help turned into being asked to instigate and run the Health Working Group, which it was and is my pleasure to do. Another stage in a life much changed. I have met the most amazing and wonderful people both within the organisation and externally both here and in Nepal. I am so proud to be a part of this organisation and it’s team, doing what we can to promote Nepal, share ideas and knowledge all the while supporting the people and country of Nepal. During two such meetings I offered my ‘help’ with any health related matters as at the time, BRANNGO was although made up of a variety of NGO’s, naturally educationally biased because of the nature of it original formation. My offer of help turned into being asked to instigate and run the Health Working Group, which it was and is my pleasure to do. Another stage in a life much changed. I have met the most amazing and wonderful people both within the organisation and externally both here and in Nepal. I am so proud to be a part of this organisation and it’s team, doing what we can to promote Nepal, share ideas and knowledge all the while supporting the people and country of Nepal. BRANNGO was set up in 2018. David Thomas and his wife Joanna, who have many years experience of charitable work in Nepal through the Thomas’s Foundation and CAIRN Trust, had long been aware that with better coordination and collaboration between UK NGOs working in Nepal, it would be possible to avoid duplication of effort and increase the efficiency and effectiveness with which charitable aid is provided to the disadvantaged and needy people there. Their insight was endorsed by many other organisations, and strongly supported by both the Britain-Nepal Society and the Nepalese Embassy in London, the latter thanks to the then Ambassador, His Excellency and Plenipotentiary Dr Durga Bahadur Subedi. As well as individuals and NGOs involved in fund-raising or charitable work in Nepal, BRANNGO has a Partnership Programme to engage with other organisations supporting philanthropic work in the country. In addition to the continuing strong relationship with the Britain-Nepal Society, BRANNGO also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the NGO Federation of Nepal and links with the Association of International NGOs in Kathmandu. In the UK BRANNGO is pleased to be working closely with the UK branch of the Non-Residential Nepalis, the Tamu Dhee organisation, and the Britain-Nepal Chamber of Commerce. An initial event in the Nepalese Embassy on 29th May 2018 was attended by large numbers of individuals and organisations with an interest in helping the people and country of Nepal. Subsequently events have taken place in the Embassy and elsewhere Although the Covid-19 pandemic has curtailed any scope for face-to-face meetings since early 2020, this has ironically helped BRANNGO develop and use more and better online capabilities such as social media and Zoom. This has made it easier and more convenient to engage with members and other stakeholders worldwide. The underlying concept of BRANNGO is that by exchanging information and facilitating discussion, members will be able to get insights and identify opportunities they would otherwise not be aware of. In addition, they can ask for advice or help both within the BRANNGO membership and through its extended contacts. Regular ‘virtual coffee mornings’ held online provide a useful forum for informal inquiries and discussion. BRANNGO also provides a programme of more focused activities to facilitate discussion and collaboration. Our Working Groups broadly aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in relation to Nepal. Education and Health David Thomas Nick Hinton, Chairman of BRANNGO (BRANNGO ’ s logo consists of the Nepalese and British flags united in the form of a triangle, representing the mountainous terrain of Nepal, with the Nepali word सहयोग ( ‘ sahayoga ’ , meaning collaboration) NDA UK JOURNAL, JULY 2021