Newsletter

cetop@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE

Issue 19
June 2015

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Junior School
Photo
Exhibition

Senior School
Fundraising

Year 10
Commerce
Market Day

The
Workout Club

Junior School
Report

Membership

DHANYABAD Thank you from CETOP

our immediate and overwhelming response to CETOPs emergency

relief effort in Nepal has been tremendous! Your contribution towards
the $90,000+ raised to date goes towards immediate shelter relief.

Some two weeks after the initial earthquake a small group (Mario Hughes an ICU nurse, Matthew Swait
of World Horizons and I) travelled to Nepal on 9 May. Our aim was to bring your donations directly to
the villagers by providing bundles of corrugated iron roof sheeting for immediate shelter.
Each bundle = 8 sheets = shelter for approx. 6 people.

On arrival we toured Kathmandu amazed at what was still standing and shaken by what was lost. The tender sadness
was palpable yet the people seemed to move forward- somehow.

CETOP Newsletter #19

Travelling through the regional
areas to Rasuwa we found houses
in crumbled, twisted heaps while
villagers waited desperately for
food supplies. We did, however,
find the Jeremy Madin Kalchitt
School building standing. It is
structurally sound with only minor
cracking of the non structural infill
walls. The other buildings sustained
damage and are unsafe for
occupation.

donation has now provided

immediate protection from the
harsh summer sun and the
monsoon rains for some 5,500
people. Further, in conjunction with
three other partners, secured by
Balaram, the effort has now
expanded to cover the whole of
the Bhorle and Dhaibung VDCs
(Village Development Committees)
sheltering a total of around 11,500
people.

The status of all the schools that

we have supported over the years
is poor. The majority of buildings
are unsafe. With schools now
closed and no immediate
assistance available - where the
children will go to school becomes an unanswered question.
Our assistance post monsoon,
could aim at continuing the
childrens education.

The corrugated iron sheeting is

being used now, in the immediate
relief phase. Once the monsoon
recedes the sheets can be recycled
and used in the rebuilding of
permanent houses in the recovery
phase. CETOP hopes to return at
this time to assist with the
rebuilding.

Thousands of families in Raswua

District, one of 13 districts to be
declared by the Government of
Nepal as a priority affected
district have unsafe houses, now
marked with red paint indicating
the unsafe assessment provided by
local engineers.

Our partner Balaram Neupane from

Rasuwa Treks, consulted with the
villagers of Rasuwa District. They
identified a clear need for
immediate shelter. With the onset
of monsoon rains a few weeks
away the need for shelter for
families, crops and animals was
given the highest priority. Your

Prayers

Along with the overwhelming

monetary donations, CETOP
received some hundreds of kilos of
medical supplies arriving at the
Cranbrook Senior School office.
Using our extra weight allowance
to its maximum we filled every
corner of our bags and pleaded
with the airline to let us through.
Once in Kathmandu international
pressure had slackened quarantine
at the Kathmandu airport so we
sailed through customs. An
enormous thanks goes out to all of
you who contributed to the
medical supplies, especially to the
Rastogi and Serafim families. The
medical supplies were greatly
appreciated at the Chitti and Jhib
Jhibe medical outposts. Resources

Sarseu SchoolCETOP supported

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are extremely limited and in many

cases non-existent at the medical
outposts. There is no medical
support, no equipment and no
specialists. With such limited
resources the doctors and nurses
jobs are very difficult. Marios
experience working in a Pokhara
hospital was invaluable. He spent
his days working at the health
outposts with the local staff
treating patients. The very severe
cases had already been sent off to
Kathmandu whenever possible.
While in Kathmandu, CETOP
decided to fund the transport of
supplies for the Students of
Bengal in solidarity with Nepal
from Kathmandu to Rasuwa. A
group of university students in
Calcutta, India had banded
together with other university
students in India to raise funds for
the people of Nepal. They travelled
from Calcutta to Kathmandu with
supplies of rice, blankets, sleeping
mats and other items but had no
way of getting their supplies to the
villagers in need. When we heard
of their long committed journey
CETOP happily agreed to pay the
transport cost and travelled with
the group of students to Rasuwa
where they distributed the
supplies. Well done, students!
There are so many people to thank.
Many of you have contributed in
extraordinary ways. On the logistics
side Miranda, Anna, Bob, Jeffrey,
Brent (set up CETOP PayPal
account) Kerrie and Matthew made

Bengali student supplies

Page 3

things happen. Bob Lock, one of

the founders of CETOP was invited
to appear on the Switzer Report on
Sky Business on 19 May. Bob gave
a concise overview of CETOPs
activities in both Nepal and Ladakh
over the years. Please visit CETOP
on Facebook and find the link to
the program.
Taking their own initiative, groups
and individuals came up with some
wonderful ideas for fundraising.
'Namaste' was a gorgeous
photographic exhibition curated by
the most recent Junior School
group to Nepal. The exhibition in
the Junior School iCentre was
skilfully put together by Tanya,
Emily, Brent and Amanda
showcasing photographs by Junior
School art teacher Christian Bonett,
Year 1 coordinator Emma McNelley
and parent Lisa Droga's recent
Junior School trip to Nepal. The
exhibition raised just under
$10,000. A second exhibition was
held at Contact Sheet | The
Photography Factory, St. Leonards
on Thursday 28 May to raise
money for CETOP.
As a follow on with the art
exhibition Susan Hart and family in
London featured the exhibition in
A Magazine.

CETOP Newsletter #19

Sheena Polese, in training while on
trek in Nepal, completed the most
extraordinary RUN FOR NEPAL a
grueling 100km run through the
rugged terrain of the Blue
Mountains raising over $10,000 in
sponsorship - an amazing effort!

went a long way towards sheltering

a community that they have not yet
met. Thank you Michael and Oxley
College.

Joe Browne jumped into action and

purchased a generator for use in
the village. Without power we
could not have continued the
connection back to Kathmandu to
organize materials. In future the
generator will be essential for
powering the dental camps.

Every day the donations keep

flooding into the CETOP account.
We have received donations from
past and present members,
Cranbrook families, friends outside
of the Cranbrook community from
as far away as South Africa and a
number of very generous
anonymous donors - thank you for
supporting CETOP. In addition to
financial support we can also help
Nepal by choosing to visit again,
once the recovery phase begins.

Donna Hay and Perkins House

boys in the Senior School have
been baking cookies and cakes and
selling them. They hope to raise
over $5,000-fabulous! Indeed all of
the Senior School houses are
collecting funds and lending a
hand. David Berridge and the SRC
have donated the proceeds of
Mufti days totaling $7,500 to
CETOP-thank you once again for
your generous support.
Michael Parker, former Head of
Senior School, now at Oxley
College in the Southern Highlands,
spearheaded a huge fundraising
effort by boys and parents who
anticipate their first Nepal trip.
Their contribution of over $12,000

Ascham School, who have a long

association with Nepal, also came
on board raising over $3,000.

It has been an extraordinary time

for CETOP, something we certainly
didnt expect. Your contribution
shows a depth of care and concern
for other communities that have
touched hearts. I believe both our
community here and the Rasuwa
community, are richer for it.

Renate Carius | President

Semjong School-CETOP supported

Handover medical supplies

Upper Jhibe Jhibe Jangalang School

The Jeremy Madin School (right), collapsed house (behind) and typical shelter (foreground)

CETOP Newsletter #19

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CAPTIONS
1.

Rasuwa villages receive CETOP

roof sheet donations

2.
3.

Handover to villagers ID check

Transporting corrugated iron
roof sheeting
Villagers transport CETOP
donated roof sheeting

4.
5.

Typical corrugated iron shelter

CETOP Newsletter #19

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Nepal Fundraising
Photo Exhibition | Cranbrook Junior School iCentre

Page 6

CETOP Newsletter #19

P
SOCIAL
SERVICE

erkins has had an active and

progressive year involving
Social Service. I am proud to
be a part of Perkins as we
have taken a new mindset in helping
people. We have begun to habitually
raise money for Nepal and we are
also planning to raise money and help
some new worthwhile causes.

Perkins House

As we all know two devastating

earthquakes hit Nepal only recently.
These earthquakes devastated the
country killing thousands and
traumatizing the remaining survivors.
The biggest single challenge facing the
people has now been shelter, food
and clean drinking water. People who
originally lived in homes are now on
the street, lucky to have something
over their heads.
Perkins and many other houses have
acted immediately in helping these
people. One event that we are
committed to do every Tuesday is to
do a bake sale that Perkins boys
prepare and sell to members of staff
in the common room. After only
three weeks of this routine, Perkins
has raised over $2000. One of our
goals was to be original in the way
that we raise money for this cause.
We came up with the idea of a Car
Wash. The idea is that Perkins would
wash all the teachers and Year 12
Cars over several lunchtimes with
the aim of raising a further significant
amount.
Although raising money is great,
providing a service is a more
satisfying activity, which we think will
benefit Perkins and the School
community as a whole. Once we have
raised our designated amount for
Nepal Perkins will continue to
support further charities closer to
home.
One in every 200 Australians are
homeless without a catastrophic
event occurring, yes over 100,000
Australians are without a regular
shelter. Perkins is attempting to
organize ways that we can help the
Australian homeless through the cold
winters. We plan to help by providing
food, donating clothing and other
ways, which we will develop once we
properly, understand and experience
this area of life. We are also keen to
support the Milk Crate Theatre
Company in Darlinghurst. This
company presents incredible theatre
that enables people on the street to
tell their stories in a powerful way.
Professional theatre practitioners
work with people that are homeless
and funds go directly to help them
mount valid and entertaining theatre.
We at Cranbrook are fortunate and
blessed to have all the basic needs
that others at home and around the
world do not have.
Michael Orfanos, Year 10

YEAR 10
COMMERCE
MARKET DAY

his term, Year 10 Commerce studied a

unit of work that aimed to develop skills
and techniques as to how to run a
business, as well as how to create and
promote a product to sell. The aim of this project
was to develop a business plan that involved
marketing, operations, human resource
management and finance, giving the Year 10
Commerce group a taste of what its like to run a
business. The culmination of this unit was a Market
Day, where each group sold their product. This
event comprised of the students setting up stalls at
lunchtime to promote a range of businesses
including Red Hot Churros, The Macaroon Menu,
Sangers Snags, Dragons Den and Toasty Kings. The
day was a great successful, with all funds ($2108)
going towards CETOP to support the Nepal
Earthquake Relief, a worthwhile cause to help the
victims of the disaster.
Ben Langsam, Year 10

CETOP Newsletter #19

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The Workout Club

1

he trainers at 'The Workout Club' in Darlinghurst have been generating support and donations
for the past three weeks for the people of Nepal who have been hit by a terrible natural disaster.
They have been wearing red as it is Nepal's national colour, and it indicates the brave spirits of
the Nepalese people.
On June 12 'The Workout Club' hosted a charity auction which Bob Lock came to and spoke about
CETOP; how the organisation began and how they are helping the Nepalese people rebuild after the
earthquake by providing corrugated sheet metal which first provides shelter during the monsoon season
and then recycled for more permanent structures.
The items which were auctioned included concert tickets and music packs donated by 'Frontier Touring',
a dinner voucher donated by 'Radio Cairo', a very nice bottle of red wine donated by 'Best Cellars'.
But what was also up grabs were the trainers of 'The Workout Club' who were put through their paces
for a gruelling ten minute session by their clients who got a little payback, but it was all for a great cause
and they did it with a smile on their faces, they knew ten minutes of struggle would be able to help the
lives of many more people.
'The Workout Club' would like to thank those who donated the great items for the auction, and those
who came on the night and showed their support.
Adrian Fong

CETOP wishes to thank The Workout Club and their

supporters for their kind donation of $1500 to the
Roofs of Raswua Appeal
CAPTIONS
1. The Workout Club

2. Adrian Fong doing his 10 minute workout

3. Back Row: Adrian Fong Front: Bob Lock, Jace Kirk and James Newman
4. Full Group Photo

5. Jace Kirk being put through his paces

6. Jace Kirk, Peter Chorty and Bob Lock

SAVE THE DATE

Our 10 Year Reunion

Friday 13 November 2015 | More details to follow

Page 8

CETOP Newsletter #19

Junior School Report

Nepal | April 2015

atching the clouds surge over the mountains of Nepal like waves, you can easily imagine
yourself alone with nature. So it is surprising that as night falls, the lights of hundreds
of campfires and home hearths light the hillsides, and you can hear singing and laughter echo
through the valleys. As you walk around the spectacular hills of Nepal, through ancient
rhododendron forests and green mountain terraces, it is hard to imagine that it is a country of
28 million people.
As we trekked through villages, the Cranbrook boys played soccer with the local boys (opinion be
divided on who won, but the locals were certainly quick!), shared small gifts, haggled with the street
vendors, and danced as part of elaborate welcoming ceremonies at schools and villages.
...Brent Jackson

Page 9

CETOP Newsletter #19

Elephant bathing in Chitwan National Park

n the April school holidays, seven Year 6 boys, parents,

and teachers, Emma McNelley and Christian Bonnet were
lucky to be able to spend a few short weeks with the
wonderful people of Nepal as part of the CETOP
experience.
In Term 1, the Nepal team (consisting of Year 6 boys, their
parents and the teachers going on the trip) raised over
$10,000. Several duffle bags of clothing, knitted toys and
dental supplies were collected with the collaborative
efforts and support of the Junior School staff and the
Cranbook community. This $10,000 target was achieved
through many different fundraising events that were
organised and coordinated by both the boys and their
parents. Each boy who was part of the trip this year was a
passionate and enthusiastic fundraiser and should be
congratulated on the effort they put in to raising these
much needed funds.
Amidst the extraordinary cultural experiences, the boys

Trekking

came to Nepal with a purpose, and that purpose was to

provide assistance to the communities we visited during
our time in Nepal and help CETOP continue the wonderful
and inspiring work that they do. During our time, we
visited three schools and provided them with much
needed supplies. We were so overwhelmed by the
generosity and hospitality of the people at each school
location. They provided us with entertainment and gifts as
a token of their appreciation.
Each school we visited had basic infrastructure, eager
students, and passionate teachers, but clearly needed the
textbooks, world maps and globes, sports gear and
supplies that we were able to bring thanks to the
generosity of the Cranbrook community. It was wonderful
to see so many of the young school children there
wearing their knits from previous years. Thanks to the
hard work of Margaret Wilson and the knitting team we
were able to provide more wonderful knitted toys and
clothes to the Nepalese students again this year.

Trekking out of our final camp in Jhib Jhibe

Page 10

CETOP Newsletter #19

One of the proudest days on our trip was the day we

visited the CETOP sponsored Dental Camp in Jhib Jhibe.
Through funds raised prior to our trip, the Dental Camp,
comprised of three highly-skilled dentists, was able to
provide over 600 dental packs and treat up to 130
people a day!
The earthquakes that shook Nepal so soon after our
departure affected us all immensely. Homes we had
visited had been destroyed, wonderful world heritage
sites condemned, and people we know and who
welcomed us so warmly were shaken or injured. We
were very glad to hear that our Nepalese team and
those we had met along the way were ok, but how do
you replace the homes that people have lived in for 30
years or more?
We also understood how hard it would be for aid to
reach people. The area we spent the majority of our
trip in was approximately 80km for Kathmandu yet it
took several hours to get there on our bus due to the
condition of the roads and the terrain.

When we heard of the devastation in Nepal following

the earthquakes, we knew that we had to do something
to raise funds to help the beautiful people of Nepal. The
entire team sprang into action and in a short space of
time put together Namaste: A Photographic Exhibition.
Comprising of photographs taken on our trip, Namaste:
A Photographic Exhibition featured both online and on
display in the Cranbrook Junior School iCentre. Each
photograph was for sale and all proceeds were to
benefit CETOP and their efforts post-earthquake. The
exhibition raised over $10,000 to provide much-needed
building supplies to rebuild homes and other
devastated buildings in the Rasuwa district.
The Nepal trip gave our students and their parents the
opportunity to explore and reflect in an authentic,
challenging and supported way. Each boy, upon his
return, has commented on how the trip has changed
him and changed his perspective on the world that he
lives in.
Emma McNelly

Handing out knitting and school supplies to Lokil Primary School

Kalchit Primary School

The glorious mountains of Nepal

Students at Kalchit Primary School

Lokil Primary School welcome

CETOP Newsletter #19

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Dental Camp opening in Jhib Jhibe

The warm smiles of the local people

will remain my favourite memory of
Nepal.

I landed on the rugged runway in Kathmandu. As we were

driving on the bus through the city, I realised how much they
needed our help.

-Brent Jackson

I really enjoyed playing volleyball with

the local school kids and getting to know
my own classmates better.
-Jack Jackson

When I think back to my time in Nepal, the experience that

stands out in my mind the most is visiting the temples and the
landscape. The temples were lit in bright colours, draped in flowers
and prayer wheels. The landscape looked like a picture.
While I was in Nepal I felt rushed, all the streets were so busy.
On the other hand, at night when we camped it felt so peaceful.
The Nepalese people were so kind, even though we spoke different
languages we were able to understand each other.
Since the earthquake there has been so much damage. Places we
stood are no longer there, I hope to go back and volunteer again. I
think I could help them like they helped us.
-Nicolo Polese

Jhib Jhibe

In June 2005, a group of Cranbrook parents and teachers joined with interested members of the Ladakhi community of North West India
to improve the educational, social and developmental opportunities for the children of the Ladakh region. CETOP (Cranbrook Ex plorers &
Travellers Overseas Partnership) was born.
From this meeting emerged our first project to fund the construction of a nursery school in the Shara district of Ladakh. As highlighted
from our new friends from SEWA (Shara Educational & Welfare Association), this school would address the lack of fundamental and
basic educational services available to pre-school children of this area.
With a committed, willing and enthusiastic group of members, the funds to build the school were raised quickly and within 12 months,
the building work had begun. In October 2007, with many of the original CETOP trekkers in attendance, the official opening of the
school took place. In March 2008, the school opened its doors to 40 pre-schoolers.
Today, the future of CETOP depends fully upon the generosity of its past and present members and trekkers. Our annual members hip
fee has been waived in the hope that you may choose to direct a donation into one of the many ongoing projects as listed below.
As a CETOP member you are regularly updated via newsletter on our various activities and invited to attend various events.

Projects to date and beyond

2005 2007
Acquisition of land, building of pre-school, and purchase of school bus.
2007
Involvement with building of school community building in the Solomon Islands.
2008
Nepal - Two medical camps with supplies and team of doctors/nurses and
helpers from Australia and Nepal.
2009
Refurbishment of hospital in Deurali, Nepal after Maoist insurgency.
2010
Chamsen womens self-help group in Ladakh. Construction of factory for
processing sea buckthorn juice with proceeds going back into health and
education in the area.
Shara pre-school compound wall and gates project, water bore and teacher
in-servicing.
2011
Support to three burns victims in Nepal covering operation and rehabilitation.
Dental camp and school hand washing and electrical lighting project.
2012
Junior School dental camp covering eight schools in Nepal. Donation to Bittang
monastery for Mandala painting, school infrastructure projects including hand
washing and lighting projects.
Teacher in-servicing at pre-school in Shara. Funding for rebuilding of twenty-five
houses in Hanu (NW Ladakh) destroyed in 2010. Funding for school bus shelter
and kitchen upgrade.

2013
REED Nepal teacher training of 4 schools over 3 years in Rasuwa District Nepal.
Free outreach dental camp for 3 villages at Shara, Ladakh.
Construction of Jeremy Madin/ Kalchitt Primary School, Rasuwa District, Nepal.
2014
Biannual teacher in-servicing at Shara Nursery School, Ladakh.
Layout of playground at Shara Nursery School, Ladakh.
2015
Scholastic supplies and furniture donated to Lokil Primary School and Shree
Gormu School, Rasuwa.
Scholastic supplies donated to Jeremy Madin Kalchitt School.
Financial donation to upgrade the chorten between Jhib Jhibe and Sarseu
villages.
Funding and supplies for running dental camps at Jhib Jhibe and Apchur
villages.
Kniting and clothing donations to Lokil, Gormu and Kalchitt school communities.
Nepal Earthquake relief.

Your donation goes a long way to

assisting communities in need

Donations can be made directly into CETOPs bank account:

Westpac Rose Bay
BSB 032-058 | Account: 207190 | Swiftcode: WPACAU2S | Account Name: CETOP
Please make note of particular project or general contribution in the Reference Box

OR

Cheque made payable to:

CETOP
C/- R. Lock | Cranbrook School
5 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill NSW 2023

If you are interested in becoming a member please email your contact details to:
Bob Lock: rlock@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au or Anna George: ageorge@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au