Changing Horizons
Since 1997, KE has worked closely with the Juniper Trust and together we have a very successful record of locating community projects and carrying them out. The Trust identifies projects likely to generate long-term benefits and KE uses its expertise and local knowledge to ensure that funds are successfully distributed and that the work is done. Working with a single charity in this way, we have been able to maximise our contribution to the areas we visit. Our focus is on finding sustainable projects where we can work alongside the local people.
Registered Charity: 1053356. Patron: Sir Chris Bonington
News about Projects
Nepal
Nepal is the heart of the Juniper Trust and where Angela Locke found her inspiration to set up this worthwhile Charity. For the last 11 years, the Juniper Trust has worked in partnership with KE Adventure Travel, fundraising for projects in Nepal. Most of our projects in Nepal are based in the Kathmandu Valley.
Our three main projects over the past five years have been Education based, building three flagship schools at Balodaya, Chobar and Ardesha. All three schools are now thriving and victims of their own success. The Juniper Trust funded extensions to Chobar and Ardesha schools in 2007.
One of our newest projects in Nepal is at Adarsha Bal Vikash Kendra School, which lies 30 kilometres east of Kathmandu and has about 45 children and older students with severe learning difficulties and physical handicaps. In October 2008 £2500 was sent to Nepal towards the £5000 cost of building a much needed physiotherapy unit. Fundraising continues.
In 2007, the Juniper Trust supported the Himalayan Outreach Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable healthcare development in remote areas of Nepal and also donated to the Sedi Bagar Landslide Appeal in Nepal's Pokhara District.
>> View Nepal projects
India
The Lingshed Area Children's Hostel provides a home from home for over forty children from one of this region's most remote villages. This allows them to receive a good education at schools in Leh. A new washing block was recently added, using environmentally sound materials and providing solar-powered hot water. An upper floor is also now complete, with sleeping rooms for the children and a large corridor used for playing and private study. A total of over $36,000 has been contributed through the Juniper Trust. In 2009, the kitchen area will be made more suitable to cater safely for all the children and staff.
In 2006, work finally finished on a complete rebuild of Congress School in Darjeeling with all the children appreciating their new environment. Solar Panels were installed in a remote village in Spiti in northern India and Loughborough School helped with a new classroom at Bagsu Nag School in Dharamsala. The Juniper Trust and King Edward's School also helped with the construction of a new classroom at Ngayur Sangacholing School in Kalimpong.
>> View India projects
Pakistan
KE Adventure Travel first fundraised for the Hushe Water Project over 15 years ago. Recently it came to KE's attention that a considerable amount of repair and maintenance work was required. In the spring of 2007, £2200 was raised by KE to assist with this project to enable this work to be carried out, ensuring a clean water supply to the village. As the winter snows melted, work began and throughout the summer of 2007, several KE groups visited the Hushe Valley and reported good progress.
A letter from the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in Baltistan - 5th December 2007: "As per measurement of work done at the site, the community have completed 90% of the work physically in November 2007 and the remaining 10% of the work will be completed by the community next year before April 2008. But, the community have already started to get benefits from this project. They are using the spring water now. Due to the start of the winter season, they still have to plaster the bottom speed breaker tank and this will be done in the spring. The villagers of Hushe would like to thank KE and the Juniper Trust for their kind donation."
Anwar Ali, Field Engineer, AKRSP Area Office.
>> View Pakistan Hushe Water Project
Peru
Since 2004, KE leader Val Pikethly has installed over 600 solar-powered lights in small mountain villages of Northern Peru. Pocpa and Pomapata, in the Huayhuash were first to be given these lights (2004), Quisuar village in the Cordillera Blanca region and Tupacamaru village in Huayhuash were next (2005). Then Queropalca in the Cordillera Huayhuash (2006). In June 2007, Val installed 120 of the lights in the villages around Tayapurca in the Cordillera Blanca. It takes 5 days on foot to reach these villages and previously the only lighting was provided by candles. In Tayapurca, the villagers are now running womens' and childrens' health classes in the community centre - thanks to these lights. The Juniper Trust has contributed $8300 to fund this project. There is no shortage of villages requiring Solar Lights and Val’s help. Val installed 150 Solar Panels in 6 villages during the months of May and August of 2008.
>> View Peru Solar Panel Project
Africa
2006 saw the first project for the Juniper Trust in Africa, with the installation of a new water tank in the small village of Aroumd in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Noadswood School travelled to Morocco on a trekking holiday and took time out to help with this project.
The Juniper Trust is also proposing to raise funds for maintenance work on 2 run-down primary schools in northern Kenya - Island School and Gitare School. The first of these schools likely to be helped is Gitare (at Chogoria). Phase 1 is a facelift: fitting rain guttering, painting the existing classrooms and providing new benches and desks. Phase 2 is the provision of funds to build a new library/computer room. Phase 3 will be ongoing work to provide long-term teacher training programme and to develop teaching skills. Alderley Edge School, from Cheshire, will be visiting this school in summer 2009 and hope to raise almost £7000, which should cover phases 1 and 2.
