The Gurkha Welfare Trust

This year (2020) we have been doing everything we can to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on those we exist to support – Gurkha veterans.

Due to the swift and effective actions of Nepal’s government, limiting movement and enforcing quarantines, the spread of Covid-19 in Nepal has been slower than neighbouring countries. That said, the risk has been high and the risk to our Gurkha veterans and widows even higher, due to their age and their health.

From March, the Nepal government banned all movement across the country; however, because we were delivering essential medicine and PPE, we were allowed to drive to the homes of the vulnerable Gurkha veterans and widows we look after. Whilst we normally deliver three months-worth of financial aid to our pensioners at a time, this year we have been delivering five months-worth, due to the uncertainty of the country-wide lockdown.

In the UK, we have been blown away by the unstinting support of the public whilst in lockdown. Through May, June and July, over 200 people climbed their stairs, ramps and local hills repeatedly with the goal of summiting the equivalent of Everest in order to raise money for us. Their fundraising efforts raised over £50,000 for our work in Nepal. We also celebrated our most successful campaign to date. Launched in February, the second of our homebuilding appeals raised a phenomenal £800k+.

Gurkha veteran Rana BahadurTamang 2,200km across Nepal unsupported on a bicycle

Former Gurkha officer Rob Abernethy took on an epic journey cycling unsupported across Nepal smashing his target of £100,000 to build a school there. Rob departed the UK for India on 29 December 2019 to start his challenge in Darjeeling on New Year’s Day. From there he tackled the brutal terrain of Nepal in its entirety before finishing the other side in Landsdowne, India. We were delighted to welcome Rob twice along the way; once at our Residential Home in Pokhara, and again at Shree Prabha, the school to be rebuilt thanks to Rob’s journey. At the school, we made sure to give him a hero’s welcome. Hundreds of students lined the streets, each desperate to give Rob a Mala (flower garland) to thank him for paving their way to a brighter future.

All of the funds raised by Rob’s cycle will assist in the rebuild of Shree Prabha School in the Gulmi District of west Nepal.

Trailwalker 2019

Organised by the Queen’s Gurkha Signals, Trailwalker remains one of the highlights of our fundraising year and, in September 2019, 232 teams completed the 100km challenge across the South Downs in aid of the Trust and our charity partner Oxfam GB, together raising close to £1m. The Queen’s Gurkha Signals were the first to cross the finish line in 10 hours and 25 minutes, beating reigning champions the Royal Gurkha Rifles.

Rob Abernethy at Shree Prabha School, Gulmi District Rifleman Uttam Kumar Rai outside his earthquake-resilient home

New homes for heroes

Thanks to an outstandingly successful fundraising appeal, we took pre-emptive action by building 110 new earthquake-resilient homes for Gurkha veterans and widows before lockdown measures were imposed. Our homes are built to an earthquake-resilient design and they are able to withstand the heavy rains and strong winds of the annual monsoon season.

Empowering women and girls in Nepal

Though Nepal is increasingly developed in many senses there are still some subjects which are considered ‘taboo’ in some cultures within Nepal itself. As a result there are many misconceptions around the subject of menstruation. In Nepal, only one in ten girls practices good menstrual hygeine. Since 2018, we have been distributing packs of reusable sanitary pads to GWT-built schools, for both students and teachers.

Medical camp in Mugu

We provide free medical camps for communities living in the remote hills of Nepal. For many, this is the only medical assistance they receive. Relatively simple procedures like cataract removals and tooth extractions can make all the difference to those living in discomfort. Our medical team braved the cold weather in the far west of Nepal for the medical camp in Mugu at the end of 2019. Over 1,500 people attended the camp across the four days and the team worked flat out, delivering over 100 eye surgeries, 200 dental procedures and 90 hearing aids.

Keeping elderly veterans and widows warm

To help our vulnerable Gurkha pensioners stay warm last winter, we distributed blankets at our Welfare Centres, Residential Homes and at their homes. Weighing over 4 kg each, the heavy 2 x 2 m faux-fur rugs were perfect for the winter months.

OUR YEAR IN STATS

SUPPORTING IMPOVERISHED GURKHAS We deliver a package of care to Gurkha veterans and widows to ensure they can live with dignity. Our Pensioner Support Teams journey into the hills of Nepal on motorbikes, in 4x4 vehicles and on-foot to pay them a pension, check their health and deliver medication in their own homes.

Last year our Pensioner Support Teams conducted over 6,806 separate visits.

FINANCIAL AID We pay a Welfare Pension to thousands of impoverished Gurkha veterans or widows.

Last year, over 4,400 Gurkha veterans and widows, with an average age of 80 years old, received a pension worth 11,500 Nepali Rupees per month.

There were 232 recipients of the Disability Support Grant. 420 received the Home Carer’s Allowance. Emergency Hardship Grants were awarded to 1,647 people, including home repair from flood and landslide damage.

All Gurkha veterans and widows also received a Winter Allowance of a warm winter blanket.

MEDICAL AID We provide an international standard of healthcare and medication to Gurkha veterans and their families living in Nepal. We do this through our regional medical clinics, via home visits by specialist staff and by arranging subsidised treatment at carefully selected national hospitals.

Last year The team treated 84,000 medical cases at our clinics and at home by mobile staff and held a medical camp attended by 1,538 people

RESIDENTIAL HOMES Our two Residential Homes provide round-the-clock care to Gurkha veterans and widows who would otherwise struggle to live alone. With no comparable facility in Nepal, they set the standard of care for the elderly.

This year our two Residential Homes housed 45 residents.

CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION Our water projects bring clean water and sanitation to remote communities in Nepal. We install individual tap stands and toilets to households and schools. By ensuring a safe water source and providing a comprehensive education programme on the importance of sanitation we see sharp drops in water-borne diseases such as dysentery.

This year our Rural Water and Sanitation Team worked on a total of 109 projects. Over 6,500 households now have access to clean water, benefiting over 37,500 people.

SCHOOL PROJECTS Our Schools Programme builds, repairs and improves schools in remote regions of Nepal and, in turn, provides access to education and a better future for Nepali children.

Gurkha Widow Nau Siri Gurung

We built three major schools last year, worked on six building extensions, 32 refurbishments and two community centres.

Earthquake-resilient Homes

It’s not if another earthquake hits Nepal, it’s when. We are taking pre-emptive action by building earthquakeresilient homes for Gurkha veterans and widows.

This year 110 new homes for vulnerable pensioners were completed. These homes offer a safer alternative for some of our most vulnerable Gurkha veterans and widows.