Back to school for your grandchildren and a child in Nepal
For those grandparents who help out with childcare, the summer holidays can feel long. They’ve kept the children occupied and entertained, and maybe juggled work with childcare, not to mention navigating frustrations, tears, joy, and those inevitable rainy days. Parents who have the pleasure of senior help will be grateful.
Come September, many of us can be forgiven for breathing a little sign of relief when the schools re-open their doors, but did you know that as well as your own children or grandchildren, you can also send a less fortunate child to school too?
Founded in Nepal in 2003, Sherpa Adventure Gear has made it its mission to educate the children of Nepal and give employment to their parents. Working with the charity Room To Read’s Nepal Education Programme to implement a literacy programme aimed at improving and empowering the lives of children who are at a higher risk of dropping out of school due to cultural bias, a lack of educational resources and for girls, pressures to marry.
Education is precious in Nepal, where:
- 56% of girls are illiterate with 159,000 primary school age children out of school
- The rate of girls dropping out of school is higher than boys as their education isn’t seen as important
- Children are often forced to drop out of school to help labour on family farms from as young as 5 years old
- Child marriage is also relatively common, with 37% of girls marrying before they are 18 and 7% before they are 15
So, if you’re looking for a little late summer holiday wardrobe treat, make it a wardrobe staple with meaning as every Sherpa item sold means you’ll be sending a Nepali child to school! The beautifully made Sherpa collection with its signature endless knot symbol includes sustainably made tees, tops, shorts, fleeces, dresses, roomy shopping totes or yoga/hike tights.
You’ll also be helping Sherpa achieve its commitment to providing 10 million school days by 2030!
Just so you know, Sherpa kindly sent us a tote bag and the Salijo Capri trousers to try out for ourselves. First look is that the trousers are incredibly lightweight, and flexible enough to allow plenty of movement. The fit is good and they are short enough to be useful to a below average height person. We can see an everyday use for these just because they’re not going to get soaked and heavy in the rain and will be fast to dry.
