By peter humphris | Chairperson IGWR Inc.
Nepal faces even more challenges…
Flash flood death toll surges to 1,410; over 6,100 still missing. So far, 13,756 people have been rescued from the flood-affected areas
Some members of our committee visited just after the floods as the annual audit visit was already scheduled.
Committee members self-fund these annual visits to keep overheads to a minimum, ensuring that 99.52 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to our work in Nepal.
It was a visit filled with both tragedy and hope, for two of our students have lost their mother in the floods; she is still recorded as “missing”. And the overall effects of the flood are being felt and experienced throughout the country, with shortages of essential items and rising costs.
IGWR can provide immediate assistance to the single-mum families we support to lessen the impact of the current situation, and we know demand for child and educational support will soon increase because of the devastation caused by the floods.
What can we do to help?
A recent email from Raja (our director in Nepal) to a new sponsor speaks of the difference your support achieves…
“It is especially meaningful for us that you have chosen to support both sisters. Keeping siblings together and ensuring that both children have the opportunity to continue their education is something very close to our hearts at IGWR.
We will keep you regularly updated about their education, progress, achievements, and important milestones, so you can follow their journey and see the difference your support is making in their lives. Your support is much more than simply covering school expenses. You are giving two young girls the opportunity to dream, learn, grow, and build a better future for themselves and their families.”
As we address the immediate needs of families in Nepal, we are also aware that giving voice to the injustices that create poverty is important. In the shadow of the recent flood tragedy, we are confronted by the devastating effects of Global Warming, and once again we see the injustice of developed countries that are yet to address this issue.
We can all give voice to a better tomorrow for all, and we find hope when we learn from the tragedies that confront us. Maybe sharing more, taking less for ourselves, and seeing ourselves as part of a fragile world that needs looking after, rather than mining for profit.
Each time we visit Nepal from Australia, it is like visiting a different planet. A world filled with life, and with hope even in the aftermath of tragedy. We find communities that share what little they have, and that can be happy with lives that are not enclosed in four-bedroom, three-bathroom ghettos.
What a HUGE difference…
In Australia, educating a child from Prep through Year 12 and a standard 3-year university degree in Australia costs from roughly $170,000 to over $480,000, depending heavily on whether you choose public or private schooling. [futurityinvest.com]
During our audit review, we established the average cost for an IGWR student (from primary through university) as $36,800 (sixteen years).
That’s only $45 a week – less than the price of a cup of coffee a day!
It is an important difference to appreciate, for when we share, we are not giving up what we have; rather, we are investing from our abundance and creating a difference that seems out of proportion to the investment.
Over 14 years, we have changed over 250 lives, with 75% now living independently.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
Financial Review…
Our Budget for 2025-26 is $132,154 for our primary areas of operation, supporting 40 students, running our two hostels for some of the students and giving monthly essential support to several single mothers.
During our 2026 Audit Review, we determined to set a target to increase our operations by 25% and to increase our student numbers from 40 to 50.
It is a challenge, and yet inspired by the difference we are making, we look forward to bringing new supporters into this wonderful Family of families.
Although the amount budgeted for Single mums looks quite small, it is a real lifeline and gives families the ability to stay together. Mothers get a little relief for themselves as they see their children given opportunities that can break the cycle of poverty.
IGWR began with a moment of realisation, a vision, that we could make a difference;
a belief that we can give life to a child for the cost of a cup of coffee a day
IGWR is run by caring volunteers and that means that 99.52% of all monies donated goes directly to the operations of IGWR-Nepal. And remember gifts in Australia are tax deductible.
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By peter humphris | Chairperson IGWR Inc.
By peter humphris | Chairperson IGWR Inc.
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