2014/2015 Annual Report

Transcription

The Australian Association of the
Children’s Home
Annual Report
2014-2015
Charity Number CH1521
Incorporation Number IA34163
FMN ABN 55 469 493 449
Celebrating 10 Years Raising Children To Be Thriving, Vibrant & Connected To Family, Community & Opportunity
1
President’s Report
Craig Manley
4
CEO’s Report
6
Initiatives
6 Uganda Melissa Faulkner & TCCC
9 India Joanne Heath & LAF
12 Nepal Anju Pun & THIS
16
20
23
25
30
Andrea Nave
Nepal Earthquake Response
Highlights Mangement Committee & Think Tank
Financial Report
Thank You
Dreaming
President’s Report
Craig Manley
I write this year’s President’s Report for the Australian Association of Forget Me Not Inc
from a plane high above the outback on the way to Indonesia with my family for a few days.
As I sit here, I am reminded once again how lucky we are in this great country of ours.
Everyone today on this flight can afford to travel. They can jump freely on an international
flight to an exotic location. They can pass through international borders with ease. I am
lucky enough have my family with me. We take it all for granted don’t we? For many people
in countries less fortunate than we in Australia, including Nepal of course, some or all of
these things we take for granted as Aussies, must seem like a mirage. Something they see or
have heard of but cannot believe is true. We are indeed the lucky country. It’s always good to
give ourselves a jolt every so often to remember that.
Annual Report 2014/15
My last report was written in October 2014. We started this year with our
first Tangled Up In Green event in Eumundi in November, attended by 100
supporters. It was a hugely successful night in many ways. We raised some
$40,000 and introduced Forget Me Not to 50 people who had little or no
contact with us previously. And it was cracking good fun. For the event, we
flew across Diptesh Singh, Director of Lakshya Aakriti Foundation in India.
Dippy gave a passionate presentation on LAFs amazing live changing work
in the Kalyanpuri Slum in New Delhi. We also heard from Mel Peace our
dedicated volunteer on her work in Uganda and our recent visitors to Nepal
Trent Harvison and Ange Takats. Nice to hit 2015 with some momentum!
Our first trip to Nepal in April this year, saw a small group head over for a
monitoring visit and be involved in the FMN girls second reunion. Thanks
to Greg and Robyn Biggs, Margaret and Doug Manning, and Lars Olsen, for
joining CEO Andrea, Kate, little Anouk and Mel, and myself for the week.
We enjoyed presentations from our implementing partner, The Himalayan
Innovative Society (THIS) on the progress of the 13 reunified girls and the
five girls still remaining at Shakti Ghar, our transit home in Kathmandu.
Once again, we came away with the feeling we are teamed up with a truly
professional organisation that cares as much for our girls as we do. They are
inspirational.
We also enjoyed being involved in the three-day reunion program put
together by the girls at Shakti Ghar. They had worked hard to decorate their
home they performed cultural dance routines to entertain and educate us.
They each spoke with great feeling on their own personal journeys from
children cared for by us in a home to children cared for by us in their own
homes with their families. The majority of the girls have been back with
family now for over a year. They continue to be supported by you in their
family’s care and monitored by THIS. It’s the model that has the most chance
of success in reducing child trafficking into Kathmandu and closing down
the hundreds of homes and orphanages still being run illegally or well
below government standards with the aid of foreign donor support. It’s the
model that can see the nearly 8000 kids in these homes that have direct or
indirect family returned with financial support, professional monitoring and
guidance, to their families. It’s the model UNICEF supports. It’s our model.
April 28 2015: The day Nepal will never forget. A day the world sat up
and watched, as one of Asia’s poorest countries was hit by a 7.8 magnitude
earthquake that devastated Kathmandu and surrounding villages. After
shocks lasted for days and world media was filled with pictures and reports of
massive damage to property and of death, injury and personal suffering being
heaped on a country least able to absorb it. We all saw the pictures. We all
saw the news. It’s hard to imagine what it would have been like to be there. In
Kathmandu, families huddled together in tent villages for fear of aftershock
damage for weeks. All of this at the start of monsoon season and in stifling
humidity. Hospitals couldn’t possibly have coped. In many of the remote
regions of the Himalayas tiny villages were simply wiped away. If the village
did survive, livelihoods were lost as stock and pastures were destroyed. The
entire country felt some effect and those effects are ongoing and long term.
Tourism is Nepal’s second biggest contributor to national income. You can
imagine what this event has done to Nepalese tourism. Full recovery will take
many years.
When the quake hit, your committee, led by Andrea Nave our CEO,
immediately started to work to ensure the safety of our children and their
families and that of our team on the ground. I have to mention here the
incredible Anju Pun, our country director in Nepal. Anju and her husband
Manjit run a family guesthouse in Kathmandu where we have stayed for the
past 8 years. This guesthouse is a home to Anju’s immediate and extended
family. And of course it’s their business, a business based entirely on trekking
and travellers income. When the quake hit, the guesthouse
building only two doors away collapsed, totally destroyed. Most
of the buildings in the surrounds suffered total or partial damage.
Many were uninhabitable and still are. Through all this, Anju kept
working with Andrea, together trying to do all they could for our
girls. That Anju could keep going, knowing that her own life was
rocked and was now going to be more difficult in any number
of ways is a testament to her. I, on the behalf of your committee,
offer my profound admiration and thanks to Anju and to
Manjit. Those thanks go just as greatly to Andrea who worked
tirelessly and burned the midnight oil for weeks, constantly
communicating to Anju and our THIS team to ensure FMN was
providing the right assistance from Australia.
It was obvious that fundraising would need to start in earnest.
Over the next two weeks your committee conducted 2 dozen
radio and newspaper interviews as Queensland clambered to
hear what was happening on the ground and how they could
help. Fundraising programs were started by local media. TV ads
were produced and run. A Night in Nepal was organised within
10 days of the quake, supported by 150 local Eumundi residents.
Twenty-five McDonald’s restaurants throughout Qld, ACT and
NSW raised funds during the month of May. In the end we raised
in excess of $150,000 in 6 weeks. The Namaste Nepal Dinner at
FLOCK Lismore amongst many others. There was no marquee
donation. No one wrote a $50k cheque. It was the combined
generosity of thousands of like-minded people all pitching in and
giving what they could.
These funds have been essential in our post-quake assistance to
the people of Kathmandu. Andrea, Anju and THIS worked in
collaboration with the other major international aid agencies
to ensure aid efforts were constructive. Our specialty is child
welfare so our first job was to assist with locating lost children
and reuniting with families. We have since rescued 25 children
from atrocious conditions in illegal orphanages as a flood of
earthquake “orphans” began. These children are now being
assessed counselled and reunited with family, once again under
the guidance of FMN and THIS. Many are traumatised by what
they have seen, the conditions thrust upon them, and how they
were treated. It’s unfortunate that traffickers would see this
disaster as an opportunity to profit, but we knew they would.
We also have sent supplies of tents, bedding emergency shelters
and water for emergency care. I said at the time the funds
were raised, I can confidently say that the money so generously
donated by you all will be used effectively, efficiently and honestly.
It will make a difference to thousands of people.
The Nepalese are stoic people. Beautiful of spirit and kind of
heart. I know that if the shoe were on the other foot, they would
be the first to help in any way they could. They will overcome this.
Your donations help ease the pain a little and assist in the journey
to recovery.
In amongst all this, in early June, we celebrated our 10th
birthday back in the town that started it all - the birthplace of
FMN, Hervey Bay. What a treat to hear the speeches of the three
co-founders Lars Olsen, Mietta Olsen-Wilkins and Kate van
Doore as we came together as one. It’s good every so often on
a long journey to hear once again why it was started at all. The
inspiration of these three young Queenslanders will never be
2
forgotten. Evenings like this take a huge amount of time to prepare and our thanks go out to many
but a special mention to Jan Owen, who despite an already over taxed schedule found the time to
help us out and did such a wonderful job as MC.
In November, a small group will travel back to Kathmandu for our first trip post the earthquake.
We will once again bring the girls together for a chance to share some time, laugh, gossip and
dance with the sisters they lived with for so long until 18 months ago. We will meet with THIS and
check in on the progress of our reunification program. We will also assist the serious business of
rebuilding one of our original forget Me Not children Alisha’s village in Rasuwa, eight hours from
Kathmandu. I know all are excited to be able to see first hand how FMNs work has benefitted those
in need in Nepal and report back to you our supporters on the value the people on the ground are
receiving for funds donated by you to us on behalf of Nepal.
Fundraising continues to be one of our major challenges as it is with most small charities. This task
has been made a little easier by a major mid year win. Congratulations and a huge thankyou to
Kate van Doore on successfully achieving Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status for our charity
after many years of negotiations and paperwork warfare. DGR means you can now donate to FMN
and receive a tax deduction, which you can imagine, is a huge deal for you and for us. Well done
Katy.
In our ongoing efforts to raise cash, we have tried many new ideas in 2015. Christmas appeals,
Text REUNITE to donate, Feel Good Flicks, Home for Life and more. Thanks to David Hay and
the team at Kingfisher Bay Resort hosting the FBRC Chamber of Commerce long lunch, with the
beneficiary being FMN. This event held last year raised over $6,000.
I’d like to once again, congratulate Andrea on her management of our charity again in 2015.
Andrea has put in an extra dose of sleep deprived nights this year as she has led the charge in
Nepal post quake. Her management and support of Anju and the THIS team allows these guys
to do their jobs on the ground effectively and without that conduit between Australia and Nepal,
nothing of worth could happen. As always thanks to Emmalene Travers, Andrea’s valued colleague
who is always there when called upon and has a huge heart to help those around her.
To the 2015 committee Pete Mackay, Michelle Hay and Kate van Doore – thank you for your
support and hard work again this year. No committee.. no charity.. no charity.. no assistance.. then
what’s next?
And thanks also to the Think Tank members Greg and Robyn Biggs, Wade James, Trent Harvison,
Christine Jones and my wife Mel - a group we call on for input and support regularly. They are
always there to help.
Craig Manley - Namaste
CEO’s Report
Andrea Nave
Welcome Forget Me Not’s Annual Report for
2014/2015. This year we celebrated our 10th
anniversary with a gala birthday party event in our
founding hometown of Hervey Bay in Queensland.
With 120 special guests gathered to celebrate, we
looked back with pride at our history and our
change. We took time to honor our 3 founders Lars
Olsen, Kate van Doore and Mietta Olsen-Wilkins
and their courage to begin something great. From
the tiny seed of an idea has grown a vibrant effective
charity that is making huge changes to children’s
lives across 3 nations. It is truly remarkable and I am
proud to be part of a greater good! In February this
year we were also able to achieve tax deductibility for
donations over $2. This will assist us in encouraging
others to make Forget Me Not their charity of choice
now and into the future.
As you read through the details of each program that
we offer in Nepal, India and Uganda, it is important
to me that you understand that it is only with your
commitment of time, effort and finances that we able
to deliver such fine quality innovative and enduring
standards of care to the children we support. You
are the hero here. It is you, our supporters, donors,
ambassadors and well wishers that keep our mighty
Forget Me Not fighting the good fight that brings
brighter futures to children’s lives where before
things were uncertain and hopeless.
Our partnership with Toro Child Care Centre (TCCC) has grown in strength
during the year with the appointment of new Project Manager Mr Patrick
Ruhweza. Patrick comes to us with a wealth of community development
experience. He holds a Bachelor of Development Studies and Masters Degree in
Environmental Education (Environmental and Social Education). Patrick has
worked tirelessly since his appointment to closely evaluate and assess each child’s
situation. He is working carefully with families of the children to help strengthen
bonds and build further parental responsibility with their guardians.
Patrick has been instrumental in bringing together local rural village communities
to work in partnership with identified vulnerable child headed households to
create the ‘Home for Life’ Project which Forget Me Not proudly supports each year.
You can read about the Home for Life project in the Uganda report.
Melissa Faulkner continues to be a champion for children whist holding her full
time teaching appointment in Uganda. Melissa works with Patrick to monitor the
children and their grandmothers as they deliver the beautiful and compassionate
Nanna Project so that children are able to remain at home and continue their
schooling in the love of their family.
This year our senior girl Lydia completed her education and vocational training
with Forget Me Not. Lydia has chosen tailoring and design and is making her way
in the world after many years under the financial support of her sponsors. We wish
Lydia the very best of success as we watch her work her way toward the pride of
self-reliance.
Fiona, Faith, H
el
an
len
My sincere appreciation goes to each of you for
choosing Forge Me Not to deliver your compassion
for children. Your trust and belief in this work is
humbling. As we look toward the new financial year
I again seek your commitment as we stand together
to raise our big voices for little ones!
Uganda
d Abu know t
h
a
t
they
are not alone
4
India
Our partnership in India with Lakshya Aakriti Foundation (LAF) is truly
ground breaking. Under the directorship Mr Diptesh Singh projectHELP
continues to produce incredible change to some of India’s most impoverished
children and their families. Working with the residents of Kalyanpuri Slum
in New Delhi, projectHELP delivers the Brighter Futures Study Centre as
well as income generating initiatives for youth and parents. LAF has created
a community where many are now living with opportunities for health,
nutrition and hygiene where previously these things were not even dreamed
about. To quote Diptesh, ‘Living a life in the slum Ande, there are no dreams
only struggles for survival’ – Diptesh and his team are helping to create daily
dreams and with growing interest and support we are witnessing real change
for real lives.
In early June however we found ourselves fighting for the life of a young
girl who was one of our students at the Brighter Futures Study Centre in
India. Her name was Sanjana. Sanjana contracted Meningeal Tuberculosis
and required brain surgery to have a shunt implanted in her brain to reduce
the swelling. Our call went out to you our mighty Herd and you responded
generously. Raising over $3000 we were able to have Sanjana’s surgery and
provide her with round the clock care and physiotherapy in New Delhi’s
best hospital. Sadly after a long battle and many hopeful moments Sanjana
lost her fight for life. The Forget Me Not family worldwide had held her in
their thoughts and prayers proving that every child matters and each one is
precious. In memory of Sanjana we are working to provide vaccination for
the children of the Brighter Futures Study Centre so that this illness will not
claim another. Forget Me Not volunteer Joanne Heath rallied supporters for
our Saving Sanjana campaign and we thank her for her huge heart and being a
shining light in the darkness for one young girl so far away.
Our children are thriving, vibrant and connected
to family, community and opportunity in...
Nepal
Our INGO Forget Me Not in Nepal under the directorship of Mrs Anju Pun
has become more that ever a voice for children’s rights in Nepal. Working with
the Central Child Welfare Board (CCWB) in Nepal our team has participated
in the rescue and rehabilitation of 37 children from illegal orphanages and
has successfully reconnected and in many cases reintegrated the children back
into family life. 15 of our original 20 girls of Forget Me Not are safe and well at
home with their families and with your support they continue to work hard at
school and make their way in their new lives.
Our in-country partner The Himalayan Innovative Society (THIS) is a
leader in the field of child rights, rescue and rehabilitation. The FMN/THIS
partnership treats each child as an individual and ensures that each one in
our care is offered individual support so that they find their way and have the
opportunity to thrive.
On April 25th a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal. As their world shook so
did ours. We lost all contact with our team and transit home and had no way
of knowing what was happening. The hours dragged by and turned into days.
Eventually we were able to make contact with Anju who shared with us the
devastation first hand. Anju and her family had to run for their lives and had
become residents in one of Kathmandu’s many tent cities.
Our Transit Home Shakti Ghar had been damaged beyond repair and the
children were in a field under a tarpaulin as the earth continued to shake
beneath them. Our team rallied – even in the face of their own family strife and
hardship. Each one went searching and making contact with the children and
families of Forget Me Not. Each mission into the field bought news of another
one safe, and another, and another. How could it be that Nepal had lost over
9000 lives with 23000 reported injuries and yet our Forget Me Not family had
emerged intact and physically unharmed? It was a miracle!
As the days passed the public turned to Forget Me
Not to offer their financial support and disaster
relief. We were quick to structure our aid delivery
toward women and children – unaccompanied
children and temporary shelters for those who had
lost their homes. You can read our Earthquake
Relief Report included for an overview of what your
financial emergency funds provided. Thankyou for
standing with us as we stand with Nepal and help
rebuild lives for children. Forget Me Not was there
long before the ground started to shake and we will
continue in our work long into the future.
As ever my work as CEO with Forget Me Not
continues to be a privilege and one that provides
me with many challenges. I am continually in awe
of the people that I work with. For their forward
thinking and courageous hearts. It takes guts to do
what we do in places that seem irrelevant to most.
In the end I know that even if one young life can be
helped, if one lost child can be reconnected to their
family or if one child can build a dream that takes
flight then Forget Me Not is working wonders!
Yours in service,
Namaste
Andrea
Uganda
Mel Faulkner, FMN Volunteer
& Patrick Ruhweza, Toro Child Care Centre
All our children are in good health and are in school. Our children are performing very well
in class as we make all the effort to improve the teacher-student-parent relationship. We are
proud that we know our children and follow them closely to monitor their wellbeing and
how they are progressing in school. In order to encourage independence and empowerment
our boys and girls who are above 15 years have been encouraged to do their own shopping
as they return to school or to do so with our help. Some parents/guardians of our children
have been part of their shopping as well as visiting them at school. For example, the mother
of Kevin, Jamima, Ian and Samuel as well as the grandmother of Mercy have always been
invited to do shopping at the beginning of the term….they educate their children and we are
supporting them.
We are about to completely achieve a total ownership of the project by the beneficiaries we
can now hear children being referred to as “our children” and not “FMN or Nanna children”.
All the children are encouraged to share with us their dreams and we help them to achieve
these through guidance, mentoring and discussing with their teachers. For example, Hannah
whose dream is to become a fashion designer, after sharing with her teacher and the three
of us discussing her dream many times, the teacher has already made recommendations of
some colleges which she can join after completing her high school.
6
Hannah
d
r
b
e
c
f
o
o
m
s
i ng a
m
ae
Prevention
We operate under a policy of educating children
within an area that is not far from where they are
born unless the schools in that community are not
good. We have managed to encourage guardians to
visit their children at school so that they can monitor
their education as well as creating and strengthening
the bond between them. Parents/guardians are in
close contact with their children and for those who
are living in Homes and without a known parent/
guardian, we play the role of a parent.
eir dreams
a
ro
We support the children with school fees and
scholastic materials, our children are loved at their
homes and this can partly be attributed to the fact
that “they are not a financial burden”. We employ the
services of a counsellor to support our children from
time to time, we interact with our children and show
them love. Today our children have changed from a
state of “tears” to a state of “young boys and girls who
are proud of their lives”. We have provided a home to
homeless children under the Child Headed Household
project in Uganda. We have protected the child, we
have given them hope. “I didn’t know that I will have a
roof for my children, I knew my life was finished when
their father died” – mother to Beatrice.
nd
h
t
e
m
p
l
e
devel
h
to
o
p th
We strive to p
dren
s
t
o
h
f
g
i
o ur c h
r
e
h
t
il
et ct
We
community
Reunification
e
in th
n designer
fashio
or our children
ng f
h
o
v
r
e
d
p
m
h
i
ousi
e
va
Our girl Hellen was able to meet her biological 10yo brother whom she had never seen in her life. We
managed to connect the two after we carried out an assessment last year which gave us links to her
relatives. Hellen didn’t know that she had any relative on earth. We are proud that our girl is not alone.
We strive to find relatives of our children and work to reunite them because we know that a lonely
human being will live with frustrations and unanswered questions. FMN in partnership with TCCC
Uganda conducted an assessment exercise of all the children under our support which up to now is
being used as a basis for reuniting our children with their relatives. The contacts that we gather and a
brief background of each child has remained an important guide.
Research
st
en
r
o
t
i
s
e
s
r
i
e
h
t
to
We vis
it the
h
o
m
In 2015, we were able to visit Nanna Project
families and gather further information about
each child’s situation and begin to develop action
plans should something happen to their elderly
carers. Understanding the background and future
of these children helps us to support their needs
and continue to encourage further independence
among the families.
es
l
i
d
h
r
c
e
n
r
u
&l
o
of
i
In August 2014, we carried out a fact finding
exercise about our children mainly focussing on
their biological/family background and origin.
This research has helped us to engage the relatives
of our children in nurturing them as well as
connecting our children to their relatives. The
research enabled us to connect Hellen to her
family as well as Abu Mukisa whom the family
thought had died. Some children did not know
any information linking them to anybody that they
could be related to. We are proud that we have
some answers for some very difficult questions that
would come with adolescence.
8
India
Joanne Heath, FMN Volunteer
& Diptesh Singh, Lakshya Aakriti Foundation
2014/15 has been a bitter sweet year for the
children of Kalyanpuri Slum and all those
connected to this very special project in
India. While 100 children continue to relish
the chance to learn and just be kids at the
Brighter Futures Study Centre and great
progress has been on the ground over the last
twelve months, we tragically lost 13 year old
Sanjana on the 8th of August to Meningeal
Tuberculosis.
Sanjana was an abandoned child and at 9
years of age, one of the first children registered
as a beneficiary of projectHELP four years
ago. Contracting TB in June of this year,
Sanjana was admitted to hospital in a coma
a few weeks later due to bacteria from the
disease entering the membranes and fluid
surrounding her brain and spinal cord. An
infection resulting from brain shunt surgery
a few weeks later resulted in Sanjana being
urgently transferred to the intensive care unit
at one of Delhi’s best hospitals for a second
emergency operation.
Given only a 5% chance of making it
through the high risk surgery, Sanjana
remarkably came out the other side of the
ordeal and within days was conscious and
communicating. She showed no signs of
permanent brain damage had been given
the all clear by her doctors to be transferred
to a hospital closer to Kalyanpuri Slum for
observation. A week later she suffered a brain
hemorrhage that proved too much for her frail
body and mind to bear. After such a long and
brave fight, Sanjana passed away in the early
hours of Sunday August the 9th. She was laid
to rest a few days later in a beautiful Hindu
ceremony surrounded by flowers, candles, her
loving grandmother, Aunt, Uncle, cousins,
the children of Kalyanpuri Slum and the LAF
volunteers who had stood vigil by her bedside
for over two months.
Sanjana’s death was felt deeply by those who
knew her and those who didn’t including
Forget Me Not staff and volunteers back in
Australia who raised awareness about her
plight and donors around the world who
contributed emergency funds to ensure she
was able to remain in intensive care.
As a legacy to Sanjana, 100 children have been inoculated
against TB and other life threatening diseases as part of
an ongoing vaccine program. Since Sanjana’s passing,
our Indian partner Lakshya Aakriti Foundation (LAF)
have also developed a good relationship with a nearby
hospital, ensuring that the children be admitted and treated
immediately for any signs of serious illness in the future.
We have also established Sanjana’s Brighter Futures Fund.
We had a very different feeling during those 59 days. We literally
experienced the harsh reality of life and closely observed the thin line
between life and death. Sanjana was brave, she fought like a warrior.
She had incredible willpower; even the doctors and hospital staff
were surprised to see her courage. But at last she has chosen to leave
this world, leave her people, leave us and everyone else who has been
supporting her.
Excerpt from an email from Diptesh Singh
Chairman, Lakshya Aakriti Foundation 12 August 2015
As I sit here on my balcony overlooking large houses, manicured
gardens and spotless streets, the Russian roulette of good luck and the
gift of good fortune become more apparent to me than ever. With
Sanjana’s passing let us reflect on the fragility of life and how truly
lucky we all are; and may the girl from Kalyanpuri Slum’s legacy of
courage prevail long after her ashes have washed away.
Excerpt from ‘The Girl from Kalyanpuri Slum’
written by Joanne Heath, FMN Volunteer
10
The Update
projectHELP – Kalyanpuri Slum, New Delhi
projectHELP is an innovative trade, social security and environmental
initiative born from a partnership instigated four years ago between Forget
Me Not, Australia and Lakshya Aakriti Foundation, India. A community
outreach program in aid of children and their families living in appalling
slum conditions, projectHELP focuses on Health, Education, Livelihoods
and Possibilities as part of a long term plan to employ parents, educate
children and transform Kalyanpuri Slum into a humming economic
market place and highly productive Self Help Group.
Developed in line with the Indian government’s vision of a slum free
India by 2022, projectHELP is a two year pilot project that would involve
partnerships with handicraft companies based in East Delhi and Members
of Parliament to change the destiny of slum dwellers in their constituency
by way of quality education and employment opportunities.
Despite the daily challenges facing the children of Kalyanpuri Slum they
are in good spirits and class attendance has never been higher. Forget Me
Not Australia continue work closely with Lakshya Aakriti Foundation to
provide medical care, food, safe drinking water, clothing, adequate shelter,
learning materials and informal education to 100 children as part of Stage
1 and 2 of projectHELP. Through the Brighter Futures Study Centre we
also continue to provide a place for the children of Kalyanpuri Slum to
learn and a safe haven for vulnerable women, the elderly and disabled to
sleep at night.
Exciting developments have indeed taken place over the twelve
months in India. Firstly, we are thrilled to report that projectHELP
won the Social Entrepreneurship category in the Viridian Ventures
BigB Business Plan Contest as presented by LAF Chairman,
Diptesh Singh at the 2014 Vibrant Gujarat Financial Summit
held in January. US$3000 prize money was awarded to LAF at a
high profile media conference in July providing LAF with a stable
platform and much greater scope to provide real opportunities
and a livelihood for the parents of the children as part of Stage 3 of
projetHELP.
By attaining first position in the Social Entrepreneurship
Category, LAF have also secured a place in the upcoming Viridian
Entrepreneurial Spark program. Due to be launched in Delhi by
the end of the year, this exciting initiative provides a platform for
aspiring and early stage entrepreneurs to access entrepreneurship
support systems through a world class business accelerator
program.
Empowering the parent’s of the children through skills training
and employment so they are in a position to provide basic needs
and a quality education for their children is the clear focus the
India project moving forward. LAF are currently seeking to
obtain government recognised skills training certification to help
successful graduates of the Brighter Futures Training Program
secure permanent jobs as part of Corporate Social Responsibility
Programs in reputable handicraft companies in the future.
Partnering with one or two other NGOs in the area who already
offer vocational training programs outside of the handicrafts sector
is a strategy also being considered in a bid to cater for a wider
range of skills and interests, reduce training costs and build a larger
support network on the ground to successfully implement Stage 3
of projectHELP as soon as possible.
In other news, LAF successfully traced the family of a five year old
girl in July at the request of Lal Bahadur Hospital whose mother
had passed away suddenly whilst admitted. LAF have also been
implementing a child trafficking awareness campaign and advising
the children and their families of precautionary measures to be
taken to minimize the possibility of any of the children from
Kalyanpuri Slum being taken following a series of abductions
recently reported in the East Delhi area.
Prior to Sanjana’s admission into hospital in early June her Uncle,
Devari had been caring for her around the clock for several
months. During this time his small general store suffered and with
6 children of his own to feed, he began showing signs of acute stress
and depression. Since this time, LAF volunteers on the ground have
mobilized a micro finance style loan as seed capital and assisted
Devari in re-establishing and improving his small business inside
Kalyanpuri Slum so he is able to once again support his family.
Our children are thriving, vibrant and
connected to family, community and
opportunity in
Nepal
Anju Pun, FMN Nepal
Visiting the children
of Kalyanpuri Slum
for the first time
changed the way
I perceive my world
forever.
The convention on the rights of the child (1989) outlines the
fundamental rights of children, including the right to be protected
from economic exploitation and harmful work, from all forms of sexual
exploitation and abuse, and from physical or mental violence, as well as
ensuring that children will not be separated from their family against
their will. Two Optional Protocols further refine these rights, one on the
sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and the other
on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Witnessing
the conditions & hardships
these children
and their families
endure on a daily basis
fuelled feelings of
intense discomfort & anger
at the injustice of it all
while at the same time
I felt inspired beyond measure
by their resilience,
strength of character
and open heartedness.
Forget Me Not’s work in Nepal is guided by the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its translation
in Nepal’s Children’s Act 1992, Children Policy 2012, and a 10-year
National Plan of Action for Children, Nepal 2004 – 15.
New lives unfolding new dreams began from April 2014 onwards until
our girls moved to their families and homes by the end of June 2014.
July 2014 saw a new beginning in the lives of innocent souls separated
for years from their families and communities.
Time flies! It’s been more than a year that FMN traced and found the
families of 18 girls among 20. We were fortunate enough to reunite
them with their families after eight years of unnecessary separation.
A new phase of work started in FMNs journey in Nepal – follow-up
and monitoring of our reunified girls to ensure that they are happy, safe,
resilient and going to schools. Our Program and Reintegration Team
travelled miles in 10 districts stretched from central to the far-western
region of Nepal to observe and support the new beginnings of 16 FMN
girls. We spent almost one year monitoring health, education and
wellbeing especially for those children who were rescued in November
2012 from MNBG.
Despite the language barrier
and vast cultural difference
that stands between us
I somehow feel an immediate
connection to everyone
I interact with
every time I visit.
Monitoring is an integral part of reunification process. Our youngest
girl is in grade 5 and our two eldest have completed their grade 12
in Management – we are eagerly awaiting results in Oct-Nov 2015.
One of our girls successfully completed Early Childhood Education
and received her certificate. Another received Secretarial and
Administration training and another passed her SLC in June 2015 with
first division.
The children’s joy is infectious
as we dance, joke around & laugh
while their gratitude
for the relatively small yet
profoundly significant difference
that together we are making
in their lives,
fills me today with an ever present
appreciation for
all that I used to take
for granted in my life.
Five of our reunified girls were awarded distinctions in the Annual
Results in 2015 and have made us all proud by doing so well in their
education and indicating their adjustment in their new lives. Our
highest achieving girls scored: 91.71%, 90.70%, 83.78% and 80%.
During this one year of post reunification, our children have gone
through a roller-coaster rides of emotions, tensions, fear, happiness,
smiles but above all we have watched our children grow individually
and socially, which makes us so proud that words fall short to express
the contentment in our hearts.
All children in FMNs care have showed progress in their health –
both physical and mental wellbeing and the key reason being their
connectedness with their siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents,
communities, friends, teachers and us for sure.
Joanne Heath
12
Prevention
Our team works tirelessly to safeguard both children and families in
the communities especially of rural Nepal who are more vulnerable and
easy prey to child traffickers luring them to provide better education in
Kathmandu and selling dreams.
Our important tools are:
1. Educate children, families and communities through ‘Going Home’ and
messages on post trafficking harms to children, leaving suffering families
and victimised children.
2. Educate children and develop their skills that will help them avoid being
trafficked (e.g., life skills).
3. Inform children not to drop out of school before completing their
compulsory schooling, not to leave home prematurely.
4. Make our children and communities RESILIENT to take charge of their
lives – connect them to social protection schemes, free education schemes
in government schools, emergency toll-free child helpline numbers,
community police, child protection officers, women development offices in
the districts and villages.
5. Provide interactive sessions at the schools where our reunified children
go to study including: child trafficking into institutions, sexual abuse, and
corporal punishment.
6. Engage families in vocational training and give support to start a local
business as a sustainable approach to supporting their family so they may
take care of their children on their own.
Our prevention strategy is to help build empowered lives and resilient
families and communities to protect children. During the reporting period,
FMN financed the education and family support for 23 children including
4 FMN girls living in Shakti Ghar.
FMN invested in 6-months tailoring training for one mother of three
sisters. She proudly started her small business in Balaju, Kathmandu in
February 2015 and is earning NPR 9,000 per month - she is able to save
money for her children.
Our continuous monitoring is to ensure safer reunification and prevent
children from being displaced, trafficked or removed from their families
and communities.
During the transfer of legal responsibility of trafficked children with their
families, we engage the Child Rights Officers as witness in the document.
This helps in creating a link between the family and the CRO. The CRO
counsels the family and children about the harm of living in orphanages,
child trafficking, child marriages, exploitation and abuses.
We have a child care plan to support them financially by providing
educational fees including books and uniform and monthly stipend of NPR
4,000 per child to keep family and children together. To reduce financial
burden, we encourage family to participate in some IGA program. For this,
we try to connect family in some schemes provided by the government.
We also encourage and support family to take some vocational training or
livestock farming.
This is how we encourage family to be financially independent.
FMN provides opportunities to build capacities of its human resources
to enhance their skills and knowledge. Two THIS staff received ‘Effective
Communication and Presentation Skill’ training in February 2015. Four
staff from FMN and THIS staff participated in a study tour to learn from
Bachpan Bachao Andolan and FMN’s partner organisation in Delhi, India.
A clear
bright happiness
was seen in
Santoshi’s face
as I left her
with her father,
her brothers
and sister.
FMN Reintegration Officer
Rescue
Two powerful 7.8 and 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal
on 25 April and 12 May 2015 killing more than 8,000 people,
affecting two million children and displacing 2.8 million
people (according to the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs). The earthquakes severely affected 14
districts in Central Nepal. The country continued to experience
aftershocks recorded over 333 until 28 June 2015 (National
Seismological Centre).
The earthquakes left thousands of children vulnerable and easy
prey to the traffickers luring the families with better education
and selling dreams. The Nepal Government, CCWB and
DCWB started aggressive monitoring of children’s homes and
orphanages.
District Child Welfare Board (DCWB) in Lamjung rescued 10
children from an illegal and abusive orphanage in Lamjung and
FMN received them on 21 May 2015 with open arms and loving
care.
Another rescue operation was conducted by CCWB Kathmandu
in Kathmandu and rescued 8 children from an illegal orphanage
on 18 June 2015.
Reunification
We interviewed the traced families, children, DCWB
and Child Helpline in Lamjung to know the reasons of
unnecessary displacements. The findings and results were
eye opening and evident enough to add on to our mission to
reintegrate vulnerable and displaced children to their families
and communities and continue to be strong advocates for
deinstituionalisation of institution-based care and promote
family preservation.
FMN conducted the inaugural Reunion Program for the girls who grew
up as sisters under FMNs care before being reunified with their families
at all ends of Nepal. The first celebration was held in Kathmandu in
October 2014. The second in April 2015 just before the earthquake hit
us on 25 April 2015. The Reunion Program is a great opportunity for
sharing their happiness and tears, hopes and dreams with each other.
Each child and their family painted a story with a mix of
agony, ignorance, illiteracy, poverty, lack of parenting skills,
zero knowledge on long-term harms of keeping children in an
orphanage or child care homes, dreams of better education in
cities, single mothers, and drug and alcohol addiction.
The Lamjung Rescue of 10 children on 21 May 2015 revealed
the case of operating an illegal childcare home and displacing
the children to another quake-hit district called Lamjung. The
owner attempted to use the children to get aid from the district
government. He was caught with enough evidence to be charged
and jailed under the Human Trafficking and Transportation Act.
The Kathmandu Rescue of 8 children on 18 June 2015 painted
a different aspect of how ignorance turned into a profitable
business of running a children’s home. No matter how hard the
operator defended that she was doing a social deed, the impact
was observed in torn little hearts separated for years and denied
of their birthrights to be raised by their families.
After each rescue, FMN/THIS provided nutritional food,
clothing, health checkups and psychosocial support. Yoga
and meditation sessions, therapies using dance, music and art
were used to release their negative energy and stress and build
trust among staff. Individual counseling and group therapeutic
sessions were provided to children to assist them to recover from
trauma. This helps in next steps to start tracing the families of
children, reconnection and reunification.
Reunion Program - October 2014 and April 2015
Reunification of 9 out of 18 children of May and June 2015 rescues
Our Reintegration Team conducted vigorous family tracing, family
assessment, counseling, support level determination based on family
assessment, and then finally permanent legal responsibility transfer of
each child to their parents/guardians with the respective Child Rights
Officer of DCWB as a witness.
Through tireless days and efficient team coordination, FMN reunified 9
out of 18 children from May and June 2015 rescues, who were displaced
from Kathmandu, Humla, Kapilbastu, Baglung, Dolakha, Gorkha
and Rukkum. FMN reunified 7 Children with biological family and 2
children into family-based foster care. Foster Care Practice is something
new for FMN and was done based on the previous living relationship
and arrangement of two girls with foster families keeping the best
interest of both girls paramount to all decisions which affect their lives.
11yo Gita was among the rescued children from Lamjung district and
was happy to join her foster family and join her previous community
school in her village. We were astonished to see how eager she was to go
back where she belonged. She helped us in tracing her foster family in
Kapilbastu – 9 hours road travel from Kathmandu.
I’m a free-bird now!
One of our girls was all smiles at her farewell celebration on 12
Celebrating 10 Years Raising Children To Be Thriving, Vibrant
Connected
Family,
Community
June&2015
and said,To“I’m
a free-bird
now!” & Opportunity
Advocacy
Research
Mid-term Evaluation of FMN commenced in 25 June 2015. We shared FMN’s
journey of two and half years since December 2012 to mid of 2015 with key
outcomes achieved with our implementing partner organisation – The Himalayan
Innovative Society (THIS). We proudly shared our mission in Nepal and were able
to share the important and necessary work we have been doing which provided
clarity for the perception of government officials towards FMN’s work in Nepal.
FMN contributed to NGNs much awaited report,
“The Paradox of Orphanage Volunteering:
Combating Child Trafficking through Ethical
Voluntourism”. FMN is portrayed as a strong
case study to show the reality of paper-orphans
in Nepal. The report was launched on 11
December 2014. One chapter shines a light on
how Forget Me Not shifted its mission from
institutionalisation to family-based care. The
report has shared FMNs struggle and battle to
help rescue the 20 girls under its care and reunite
them with their families.
FMN is part of the Alternative Care Working Group and has shared its
reintegration program with alternative care for children in communities. We are
also represented on the Protection Cluster for Humanitarian Response led by the
Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW).
FMN joined in CCWB led ‘Tracing and Reunification’ sub-cluster under the
Protection Cluster Domain to collectively address child protection issues – and
to protect the children from unnecessary separation from their families, abuse,
violence, exploitation and trafficking post quake period. We have shared the
Lamjung Rescue case with broader Protection Cluster for Humanitarian Response
led by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) and
UNICEF.
ICRC approached FMN to learn about its reintegration work especially for
children trafficked into institutions in Nepal. FMN shared its program with ICRC
Focal Person. When money and donations poured in post quake especially for
orphanages and child care homes in Nepal, FMN provided orientation sessions
for individual foreigners and a group of social activists, journalists and professors
from Hong Kong in June 2015 about orphanage trafficking and warned them
on harms of orphanage volunteering. FMN/THIS Team works closely with 15
Child Rights Officers in District Child Welfare Boards and Women Development
Officers of 15 districts where our children are reunified.
Sunday Times of UK approached FMN Australia and FMN Nepal to investigate
fake orphanage business in Nepal covering FMN’s Lamjung rescue case.
The Lamjung Rescue Case was covered in local online media and FMNs mission
and work in Nepal was also highlighted. News was published on how FMN/THIS
are working to promote and preserve the rights of children and raise community
awareness about the risk of keeping children in orphanages.
The event was attended by the Honorable
Constituent Assembly Member Ms. Ranju
Thakur, Mr. Krishna Prasad Poudyal, Director
General of the Department of Women and
Children, officials from the Central Child Welfare
Board (CCWB), UNICEF, NGN, Nepal Tourism
Board, Embassy of the United States of America,
as well as representatives of the media and
community.
The rescues received by FMN post quake has
provided us with enormous evidence to showcase
the reality of children’s homes and orphanages
where children serve as mere commodities –
separated from their families against their will,
abused, exploited, trafficked, money involved,
and a lack of stringent child protection measures
to punish the perpetrators. 16 out of 18 children
from May and June 2015 have their biological
families alive but were forced into orphanages
with the promise of free education until grade
12. Greedy traffickers sold dreams to poor and
ignorant families.
Children were taught to call the orphanage owner
‘Baba’ (meaning Father) or ‘Aama’ (meaning
mother). The children are well trained to
introduce themselves as orphans. Our research
shows that the majority are single mother
families with enormous economic burden on
her. Our study has flagged the issues of lack of
birth registration of children, which affects ease
of admission for children in schools and later in
obtaining citizenships.
Reunified children are enrolled in government
schools but efforts are needed by Nepal
Government to strengthen the community
schools and raise the bar on the quality of
education and facilities.
Unfortunately many orphanage operators are safe
from investigation or persecution due to political
connections.
Annual
Annual Report
Report 2014/15
2014/15
Our Focus on Child Protection
Forget Me Not has been working in its new capacity in Nepal since 2012 through its partner NGO,
The Himalayan Innovative Society, to reunite and reintegrate children who have been displaced
and/or trafficked into children’s homes and orphanages in Nepal. Forget Me Not strongly supports
the Nepal Government in its deinstitutionalisation plan to reduce the number of children living in
institutions and promote family and community based care in line with the Guidelines for Alternative
Care for Children.
Our Focus on Reintegration
Forget Me Not’s mission is to ensure children are thriving, vibrant and connected to family,
community and opportunity. Reintegration is key. Article 8.15 of Children Policy of Nepal 2012
says, ‘The Orphanage should be used only as a last resort’. 2013 State of Children in Nepal Report by
Central Child welfare Board shows, about 16,000 children are living in about 600 registered Child
Care Homes in Nepal. UNICEF estimates that about 85% of them have both or single living parent.
Article 8.16 of Children Policy of Nepal 2012 says, ‘The state should find out the family of abandoned
and orphaned children. If such families are found, it is encouraged that the children are kept within
the family and the state will search a way to reintegrate children into the family through local
authorities, government and non-government organizations’.
Article 8.14 of Children Policy of Nepal 2069
says, ‘For Children without parents, or children
with only one parent who are not able to look
after their children, the Nepal Government
should keep information in its database. In order
to look after children, sponsorship, foster care,
skill development and livelihood improvement
programs should be promoted to strengthen
families.’
2011 State of Children in Nepal flags that only 10%
of registered children’s homes meet government’s
minimal standards. Nepal signed United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child on 26
Celebrating 10 Years Raising
Toratified
Be Thriving,
& Connected
JanuaryChildren
1990 and
on 14Vibrant
September
1990. To Family, Community & Opportunity
April-June 2015 | 1. Roll Call & Relief | 2. Rescue & Reintegration | 3. Reliability
The earthquake exposed 2 million affected vulnerable children to: higher risks of child trafficking
inside and outside Nepal; unnecessary separation from their families and communities; abuse; and,
exploitation.
Forget Me Not
Nepal Earthquake Response
Two powerful 7.8 and 7.3 magnitude earthquakes hit Nepal on 25 April and 12 May 2015 killing
more than 8,000 people, affecting 2 million children and displacing 2.8 million people (UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). The earthquakes severely affected 14 districts in
Central Nepal. The country is still experiencing aftershocks and has recorded over 333 up to 28 June
2015 (National Seismological Centre). This natural disaster severely impedes development of an
economically poor nation like Nepal still struggling to build its Constitution.
1. Roll Call & Relief
Transit Home
Immediate phone calls were made to find out if the five children
residing at FMN Transit Home (Shakti Ghar – ‘House of Power’)
in Kathmandu were safe. The Shakti Ghar building had cracks in
all rooms, which was further assessed by an engineer and found to
be uninhabitable. The five children and two staff were moved to a
nearby open space into a tent until a new home was secured for them.
FMN moved Shakti Ghar to a new rental property at Mandikataar,
Kathmandu (10 minutes walking distance from FMN office) on 15
May 2015. It was a difficult time for the children but they showed
great resilience through the lows and exercised various coping
mechanisms during this frightful natural disaster and crisis situation.
FMN urgently required quality tents for temporary shelter. On FMN
Nepal’s request, FMN Australia urgently coordinated with its partner
NGO in India to deliver high quality tents. The tents arrived on 30
May 2015 and were immediately put to use providing urgent shelter.
Staff and their Families
All staff including INGO Country Director Anju Pun are fortunate to
be alive and unharmed. The quake flattened the homes of two FMN/
THIS staff in Kavre and Makwanpur. An immediate relief support
request was made by FMN Nepal, which was approved by FMN
Australia. Based on needs assessment, FMN provided NPR 25,000
to both FMN/THIS staff to help build temporary shelters in their
quake-affected villages in Kavre and Makwanpur.
“Everyone was under temporary shelters made out of flex banners
and tarpaulins in open spaces. With every passing day, life became
miserable with fewer resources and continual rains to worsen the
situation. With no toilets and water, minds were gripped with fears
of health epidemic.
The above image is a common shelter; I lived in for a month and I
survived along with my family! I value my life and value each little
thing that surrounds me.
Rural and Remote
Despite personal hardships our team worked tirelessly to search for
the reintegrated children in our care. They searched for and assessed
the situation of six reintegrated children and their families in quakehit districts in Kathmandu, Rasuwa, Kavre, Nuwakot and Dhading.
All children in FMNs care were accounted for except one child in
Rasuwa district. Rasuwa was badly hit by the earthquakes with the
majority of houses destroyed. We coordinated with the District Child
Welfare Board to learn about Goljung village where Alisha lived with
her family. The district authority informed us that Goljung village
was unreachable due to continued landslides and aftershocks.
Immediate action was taken to locate Alisha and her family in
Rasuwa – a highly affected mountainous district, where entire village
of Goljung had lost every home. No helicopters or rescue crews were
able to reach the district. Mr JT Lama (experienced former FMN/
THIS Reintegration Officer) and a volunteer were engaged to conduct
the search and rescue mission. After more than two weeks of trekking
and perseverance they found Alisha and her family safe but their
home was destroyed and livestock buried.
It took more than two weeks time to understand and assess the
individual situations of each reintegrated child in all the quakeaffected districts. An immediate relief support plan was developed by
FMN Nepal, which was approved by FMN Australia and available as
a direct result of FMNs Earthquake Appeal fundraising.
FMN provided NPR 25,000 each to four of the families of FMNs
reintegrated children to build temporary shelters in Kavre, Dhading,
Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts. The need was great as their homes
were all destroyed and monsoon season was fast approaching.
The quake shattered my dream to move to our new home in May
2015. We had built our home with love and hard earned money and
we were choosing wall colors for my 5-year-old daughter for her
room. And the quake hit us shattering our lives and dreams. But I
feel blessed that I am alive with my family to rebuild our dreams
together.” Anju Pun, Country Representative, FMN Nepal
Other Emergency Relief
On May 14, 2015 Rotary Club of Hervey Bay Sunrise donated 31
units of Family Life Straws water purifiers and 33 units of single
Reusable Life Straws. These generous donations have been distributed
to the families of reintegrated children, FMN Transit Home – Shakti
Ghar, into earthquake ready GO BAGS, schools, FMNs partner NGO
in India, a quake-affected girl living in care of FMN Nepal’s Country
Representative and FMN/THIS staff based on need.
Children living at Shakti Ghar were mobilised as volunteers to join
the group serving foods to more than 500 families in a shelter in
Samakhushi. They felt blessed to be alive and serving others in need.
Based on CCWB’s request, FMN provided baby food for 100 infants
urgently required in two affected villages of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur
districts and mattresses for 100 families.
The FMN/THIS Team headed for a mission in Kavre to deliver relief
food aid to identified 20 families in Kamitole, Anaikot, Kavre and
each family was provided with 30 kilos rice and 2 packets of salt.
2. Rescue & Reintegration
Emergency Reunification
The FMN/THIS Team made rapid assessments at camps and hospitals in
Kathmandu to identify any separated and unaccompanied children due to the
earthquake.
One 14 year old boy was hanging out with friends when the quake hit. He was
severely injured, rescued and brought to Patan Hospital in Lalitpur. A Thai
volunteer contacted the boy’s family living in mid-western Nepal. FMN told his
family about the harms of child trafficking into orphanages and children’s homes.
The family travelled to the hospital to take care of their son and FMN provided
bedding and mattresses. The family was poor and there was a risk that the boy
would be sent to an orphanage in Kathmandu.
“Interestingly, the other patients and their families in the hospital room
listened to the information and it cleared many of their doubts around
orphanages and children’s homes.”
Anju Pun, Country Representative, FMN Nepal
New Rescues
On 21 May 10 children were rescued from an illegal and unregistered orphanage
in Lamjung. After the quake hit 25th April the owner/operator attempted to use
the children to get aid from the district Government. He was caught with enough
evidence to be charged under the Human Trafficking and Transportation Act and
put behind bars.
On 18 June eight children were rescued from a highly profitable ‘Hostel’ in
Kathmandu. Operators and children mostly use the word ‘Hostel’ as there is
less or no stigma associated. No matter how hard the operator defends that she/
he is doing a social deed, the outcome is observed in torn little hearts sad and
separated for years and denied of their birthrights to be raised by their families.
Money, religion and the barter system of goods were used to help boom this illegal
orphanage.
Once families of the children were traced the FMN/THIS Team investigated the
reasons for the their initial displacement. The findings were eye opening. Each
child and their family painted a story with a mix of agony and ignorance, illiteracy
and poverty, lack of parenting skills, zero knowledge of long-term harm of keeping
children in orphanages or child care homes, irresponsibility, substance addicted
parents, and struggling single mothers fueled by dreams of better education for
their children in cities.
To date FMN has traced the families of 15 children out of 18 rescued. All have
been reintegrated with family support as per each family’s needs assessment
undertaken by our Reintegration Team. FMN continues the search for the
families of the remaining 3 children currently being cared for at Shakti Ghar.
Monitoring Visits
The April earthquake did not stop FMN/THIS from
conducting regular monitoring visits to reintegrated
children in central, western and far western Nepal.
These Monitoring Visits provided emotional care and
hope as well as checking safety and protection.
FMN is proud to report excellent educational results.
Ruma achieved first division in her Grade 10 results
published nationally in June 2015. Namrata, Babita
and Jamuna achieved distinctions in their final exam
results.
Communication and Collaboration
During this time the FMN/THIS Team had meetings more
frequently from fortnightly to weekly to track relief work.
FMN continues to work in collaboration with coordinated
efforts closely with CCWB and DCWBs, UNICEF, Next
Generation Nepal, The Umbrella Foundation, Sunrise
Children’s Association and other concerned stakeholders.
FMN is a member of Association of INGOs (AIN) in Nepal
and has been regularly updating the Mapping of AIN
members’ relief work in response to post-quake efforts.
FMNs role includes to assist the Government of Nepal
Child Protection bodies, not to replace them. FMN joined
the Protection Cluster for Humanitarian Response led by
the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and
UNICEF. FMN is an active member of the Central Child
Welfare Board (CCWB) led ‘Tracing and Reunification’
sub-cluster under the Protection Cluster Domain. FMN
works closely with the Government’s authoritative bodies
(CCWB and DCWBs in Lamjung, Kathmandu, Lalitpur,
Dhading, Rasuwa and Nuwakot) to address child protection
issues especially unnecessary and illegal institutionalisation
of children.
In the post quake crisis the Government of Nepal acted
immediately by:
a. suspending inter-country adoption;
b. suspending registration of new Child Care Homes;
c. ordering all new enrolments of children with existing
700 registered Child Care Homes must be approved by
the Central Child Welfare Board (CCWB); and,
d. ordering local authorities to not place children outside
their districts without the CCWBs recommendation.
FMN kept the Government updated on the status of
all children in its care and expressed its continued
commitment to participate in necessary rescues of displaced
and or trafficked, unaccompanied and separated children in
the aftermath of earthquake.
FMN is mentoring Swedish volunteers from Jyoti Lama
Trust Foundation who have been supporting a Children’s
Home for many years. FMN supported their case report
to CCWB indicating that the children in their care were
not orphans and had families. The oldest boy among 17
children is accused of relaying ‘inside information’ to the
donors in Sweden and is not allowed back into the Home.
The FMN/THIS Team has visited him and his mother to
investigate and provide assistance to the boy to report to
CCWB.
Education
More than 100 families were educated and informed of anti-trafficking awareness messages to
key affected villages in Kavre, Dhading and Nuwakot where children have been reintegrated.
Our team distributed and read key messages of Nepal Government for affected communities to
keep children safe with families and beware of the traffickers’ highly active post quake period.
Our team coordinated with Child Rights Officers of quake-affected districts to relay information
on rescued children and to also learn the updates of quake-affected districts. (image: At
Kaamitole, Anaikot, Kavre district)
3. Reliability
Fermi Wong and a team of journalists visited FMN from Hong Kong to understand more about
orphanage trafficking and FMNs work to address the problem. FMN provided an orientation
session on post-quake increase in cases of child trafficking into orphanages and institutions.
FMN will continue to
reintegrate rescued children
with their families and
communities, advocate for
the deinstitutionalisation of
alternative care, and promote
family preservation.
FMN will continue to work
in collaboration with CCWB,
UNICEF and other INGOs
and NGOs focused on child
protection.
FMN is researching the need
to establish Child Friendly
Spaces in quake-ravaged districts.
“
In early April we flew to Kathmandu to celebrate a special reunion with the girls who grew up together at Shakti Ghar. Then the earthquake hit Nepal,
leaving hundreds of thousands of people devastated by loss. After working in Nepal for ten years, our office became a tent. We were overwhelmed by
kindness and generosity from everyday people in Australia and abroad. Our number 1 priority was to find all of our precious children and their families
safe. It took some time but each was eventually accounted for. Some had lost their relatives, homes, crops, animals and livelihoods. We then funded
emergency medical care and helped other children, including those alone and injured in hospitals, be reunited with their families. We packed and
distributed tents, bedding, food relief, water filters and cooking equipment to families living in tents. At the same time we had to find a new, structurally
safe Shakti Ghar Children’s Transit Home, and we did (right). We could then provide shelter, love and care for more frightened malnourished children
rescued from illegal and unregistered orphanages such as the one pictured (left). We have spent countless hours on family tracing and 15 of 18
delightfully magnificent children are being reunited with their families and going home. We could not have done any of this without the support of
our donors, especially our Rescue Crew. We are creating a better world where children are thriving, vibrant and connected to family, community and
opportunity. Our work is not done. Please keep in touch: www.forgetmenot.org.au
Andrea Nave, CEO FMN Australia, July 2015
”
Highlights
Kate van Doore Secretary
What a year it has been for Forget Me Not! This year saw us
celebrate ten years of helping vulnerable children. We also
faced our biggest disaster in the Nepal Earthquake. The Nepal
Earthquake tested our fortitude as an organisation committed to
helping children. The crisis strengthened our resolve and passion
to keep children out of orphanages and in their families. I have
never been prouder of our FMN/THIS team in Nepal than I was in
the aftermath of the earthquake. They were committed and diligent,
and consistently placed the needs of Nepal’s children above their own.
It was inspiring.
Our projects in India and Uganda sparkled as more children and families lives
were bettered through our work. Kids attended school, were vaccinated against
rife disease, had enough food; parents were employed and able to care for their families;
and communities were strengthened all through the work of Forget Me Not and our local partners.
Each day I am part of Forget Me Not, I learn something more about myself; about people; and about the world around
me. Each day, we do better together. I am proud to have been part of Forget Me Not’s beginning, and I am proud
to still call Forget Me Not part of my life. This journey has given far more than it has ever taken from me. Here’s to
knowing more through growing more - I can’t wait for the next ten years.
Pete Mackay Vice President
2015 challenged our hearts and our heads. Some little souls came into our
care, others were lost from it. I often find it’s hard to put in words what
FMN is all about. So I now show people this picture - a moment captured
- where a mother is reunited to her child. This image alone conveys my
feeling of why I’ve been part of this team for so long. This is what we try
to do. And against many obstacles. Namaste
Patrick Ruhweza TCCC
My highlights of 2014/2015 have been: working with adolescents who are
full of dreams and fantasies and carefully listening to them to help them
identify their passion/ambition in life, engaging parents/guardians in the
education of their children as well as creating a partnership with directors
of studies in most schools where our children are attending school. I was
also fascinated by the change in physical appearance of the
people after a house had been built for them.
Mel Faulkner Nanna Project Coordinator
My highlights of 2014/2015 have been: moving to Uganda and being closer to the
Nanna Project children and their families. Being a witness to the personal, social and
academic growth within these children and their families is an incredible privilege.
I’m forever proud of each achievement whether it be big or small. Working with
Patrick, our Country Director to support the children has ensured we have a great
team on the ground in Uganda.
20
Michelle Hay Treasurer
The devastating earthquake in Nepal on ANZAC
Day was in every aspect horrific. My highlight however was being
part of the Forget Me Not team that made a real difference to families
in need, days, weeks and months afterwards, made possible by the
assistance of Forget Me Not supporters in communities far and wide.
Indeed this work continues to the present day, long after the film
crews have returned home. Following the disaster we have helped
many children who were facing uncertain futures at the hands of
traffickers who swiftly moved into the ravaged country preying
on vulnerable children. We have been able to provide aid, care,
love, compassion, hope, education and most importantly
reunited many children with their families.
Trent Harvison Think Tank
It was once again an absolute pleasure and a privilege to
be involved with FMN in 2015. Seeing first hand how quickly
management and staff mobilised to assist in the face of the devastating
earthquake in April was awe inspiring. I can’t even begin to comprehend
the suffering on a huge scale that the people of Nepal have endured. But
with the tireless work of our valued partners on the ground in Nepal, we
h a v e
in some way assisted and alleviated the
pain of many children and families. I
continue to be inspired by FMN
and its work, and am excited
about the future direction
of this small, but mighty
organisation.
Wade James Think Tank
The highlight for me was that we found all of our kids and they were
okay. It was quite a stressful period for everyone but to find out they
were all safe after the earthquake was a major relief. It was great to
have everyone’s support helping us help the people in Nepal. The other
highlight is to be celebrating ten years. It’s a big milestone and I’m
pretty proud to be a part of Forget Me Not for most of those years.
Little things like Pride of Australia helps you feel like you’re on
the right path but achieving ten years and having the support
we do along the way means we will be around for another
ten years and more!
Greg Biggs Think Tank
Well, FMN continues to amaze and inspire me
with the relentless work that has once again been
carried out during 2014/15 in what I believe to be our
busiest, most challenging, yet rewarding year!
For Robyn and me here are the highlights during this period.
* Diptesh’s visit to Australia in November for our Tangled In Green
Function. What exceptional work he does
* Receiving Andrea’s regular reports on each of the girls in Nepal as they
adjust back into family life
* Our Remarkable trip back to Nepal in April to be part of the coming
together of the 20 girls
* The total shock of the shear devastation that the Earthquake caused just a
week after we left in April and the sheer relief knowing that all our girls and
their families were found safe
* Being part of FMNs 10 year celebrations at Hervey Bay in May
* The unbelievable work that Anju and THIS continue to do on the ground
given all what has happened with the Earthquake
* To know we are now making a difference in children’s lives with the
rescues that have been done recently
* The continued passion and support that both Craig and Mel Manley
continue to give
* We say it every year, FMN would not be able to achieve any of this
remarkable work without shear passion of Andrea our CEO (ably assisted
by both Kate and Em)
Who knows what 2015/16 will bring to FMN however we are sure that it
will be more of the same, and we look forward to being part of this amazing
journey!
Mel Manley Think Tank
Attending the Reunion in April and
seeing how well the original FMN
girls were assimilating into family
life. The Resiliance and tenacity
of Anju and team THIS under
extremely difficult circumstances
after the first earthquake and the
second and the many tremors that
followed in the months after... The
work never stopped.... No roof over
their heads, no power, no water ,
no fuel no drive able roads...children
were still rescued and reunited ....
Inspirational doesn’t quite cut it....
22
One day a woman was walking along
the beach upon which hundreds of
starfish had been washed up and now
lay stranded on the sand.
As she continued walking, she noticed
a young girl in the distance, picking
something up and gently throwing it
into the ocean.
She approached the girl, and asked,
“What are you doing?”
The girl replied, “Throwing starfish
back into the ocean. The surf is up and
the tide is going out. They need to be in
the water, if I don’t throw them back,
they’ll die.”
“My daughter,” the woman said, “don’t
you realize there are miles and miles
of beach and hundreds of starfish? You
can’t possibly make a difference!”
After listening politely, the girl bent
down, picked up another starfish, and
threw it back into the surf.
Then she looked up, smiled at the
woman, and said:
“I made a difference to that one.”
Carter Cooper Realty | Go Girl | Ainslie House Social Club | Kingfisher Bay Resort | Win News | USQ Women’s Network | Mrs Christensen
| Judy Bloom | Fraser Coast Anglican College | Olivia Hay | Mix FM | Aussie Home Loans | Janet Smith | Marnie Morris | Ellen Wilson |
Tim & Candy van Doore | Fraser Coast Chronicle | Anita Baynes | Annie Mckenzie | Libby McPherson | FLOCK Espresso & Eats | Kate
Rudge | Billy Healy | Ange Takats | Wandering Eye Camps Nepal | Sunni Dawson | Ebony Nave | Diptesh Singh | Anju Pun | Annapurna
Guest House Kathmandu Nepal | The Himalayan innovative Society | Torro Child Care Centre | Patrick Ruhweza | DB Lama | Spill Films
| Brittany Maynard | Lucy Perry | World Bazaar | Beach House Hotel | ABC Radio National | ABC Townsville | Sea FM | Southern Cross
Media | Café Nourish Magnetic Island | Joanne Heath | JT Lama | Imperial Hotel Eumundi | Can you keep a secret? | (minimink) | Valerie
Riches | Stephanie Ring | Christine Jones | Jane Furney | Mark Donnelly | Jo & Dale Stagg-Taylor | Claire Sanders | Kate & Andrew Curry |
Vaughan Saunders | Ciara Shouldice | Rowena Jane | Ann-Marie Power | Joanne Heath | Chris Heath | Pete & Sally Mackay | Sarah Grealy
| Anastasia Michailov | Stuart Redman | Maya Conway | Robyn & Greg Biggs | Rosalie & John Lewis | Cristina Davis | Kylie Bartulis | Dot
Facini | Brendan Papavasiliou | Donna Baynton | Rotary Club of Hervey Bay City | Geoff & Stephanie Andrews | Sarah & Kym | Prezzies by
the Bay | Candice Salkeld | Annette & Illea Cameron | Geoff & Souraya Thomas | Craig & Mel Manley | Justin & Liz Lemberg | Dina & Greg
Jenkinsen | Trudy Schneider | Matt Fox | Sharyn & Graham Ambrey | Ally Schultz | Libby Raymond | Margaret Manning | Janet Venturini
| Trent & Katie Harvison | Chris & Debby Cloran | Grant Vormister | Mel Cornish | Leica Burley | Tanya Stone | Stephanie Evard Williams
| Dugne Family | Andrea Nave | Kate van Doore | Frederique Long | Robyn & Wayne Peach | Jason Wall | Bernard & Corinne Trafford |
Summer Osmond | Aimie Fabris | Lindsay & Jenni Hart | Lynisse Ashford | Kristy Parmenter | Michael Druitt | Trent & Nikki | Ian & Caron
| Gunilla Myren | Phil Wheeler | Bob James | Mel & Mat | Gavin & Jules | Renee | David & Petrina | Sacha | Deborah | Lisa & Ian | Jack & Sam
| Hunter & Annabelle | David & Jan Owen-James | Genevieve de Szoeke | Matthew McCauley | Kathy Paget | Margaret Mackay | Michelle
& David Hay | Joan Flynn | Stacey & Steve Van Der Wegen | Brian Jones | Vivien Downes | Robyn Graham | James Hargreaves | Gramae
Pagel | Dianne Livingstone | David Reynolds | Julie Jarvis | Janardhan Prema Shanti Yoga & Meditation Centre | Bernadette Browning |
Dawn Dwyer | Paula Bell | Bree & Everisto Moyls | Lesley Hunt | Claire & Sasha Saunders | Clarence Wilkins | Robin Sydney | Nicole Wood
| Annabel Deuchar | Alex Pretorius | Amanda Tottle | Matt & Barb Underwood | Michele & Jeremy Harris | O’Brien Family | Heather &
Garth Ussher-Giovannoni | Natasha Cross | Karina & Brad | Charlotte & Justine Blencowe | Joanna Giles | Karen Briggs | Judy Bloom |
Kim Smith | Ros Vickers | Rosalie & John Lewis | Rachael Callan | Nicole Faulkner | Mel Faulkner | Joy Faulkner | Charles Frewen | Cheryl
Kenny | Judy Bunn | Conni Sheen | Helen Singh | Pam Goldsmith | Cate Banks | Lucy Holland | Jeff Tan | Clare Francis | Amy Watling |
Carmel Goldsmith | Brenda Cullen | Verna Walroth | Keegan Travers | Bridget Ady | Lori Boren | Justine Sharman-Selvidge | Audra Bosely
| Amanda Scells | Sarah & Robert Grealy-Harkin | Lucia Tai | Joan McMahon | Sarah Jones | Maggie Hiddle | Helen Fry | Donald Peters |
Katie Noonan | Lilli Forrest | Bronwyn Small | Maureen O’Mara | Marjorie Steinhardt | Laszio | Sheila | Tanya Stone | Patrick Campbell |
Jan Bavaresco | Mark Ridout | Roslyn Fitzgerald | Anne Shepperson | Hannah Visser | Marg & Ken | Michelle Brice | Matt Brice | Emmalene
Travers | Jett Emery | Millie Nave | Didier Nave | Ayumi Ohki | Theodore Cox | Kyna Morice | Margaret Powning | Jessica Hardy | Melissa
& Shane Hunt | Liz Murnane | Suzi Bilton | Jessie Bloom | Kate Reardon | Paris de Guzman | Carmel Sauer | Lilly Bayeh | Anna Empey |
Jo Evans | Therese Wilson | Alison Greenslade | Jane Muller | Jan Smolenaers | Greg Molen | Emma Cook | Anne-Maree Mahon | Amy
Mazzarol | Adam & Hanne Kovarik | Dianna Dawson | Emma Smolenaers | Tracie Seagrott | Suzannah D’Juliet | Monique Bilsborough |
Laurette van Doore | Paul & Lisa Nugent | Max van Doore | Riley Downie | Sue Hansen | Tim Kent | PnK Sawer | Les Hancock | Alistair
Ping | Adam McKinnon | Todd Vickery | Wade James | Clive McKerr | Chris Dellit | Nicole Loeffler | Michelle Flynn | Cathy Russo | Stephan
Onn | Karl Brosnan | Joseph Kirk | Paul Beck | Ellen Schuhart | Kelly Sivewright | Ray & Mary Langler | Shaun Rose | Troy Jennings | Nicole
Modini | Peter Marshall | Sophie Hoffnan | Anouk | Buddie Henry | Brooke Holden | Katrina & Brian Moss | Anne Mackay | Astrid Wehling
| Rhona Lawson | Abby Begeta | Tara Junghenn | Robyn McCracken | Leanne Wiseman | Georgie White | Susie Trumble | Krista Holmes
| Deborah Brennan | Franki Birrell | Katie Ellis | Billie White | Alison O’Brien | David O’Neill | Elkie Hogg | Lucy Perry | Mark Wright |
Sandra Kapfer | Saroth Am | Riannah Roach | Fiona Law | Deb Jeacle | Amie Fabtis | Geoff Thomas | Alexandra Economou | Rayna Morris
| Timothy Axsentieff | Maxine Jones | Cherilyn Hewish | John Lewis | Alisha Cooper | Fairlie Delbridge | Anton Koutny | Matt Noonan |
Anna Ferris | Wendy Steward | Susan Foster | Kathy Ferris | Hope de la Rosa | Jamie Sharkey | Jennifer McLean | Amanda Fuller | Lisa Bailie
| Emma Isaacs | Gabe Sciarretta | Stephen Mazzella | Leslie Lyndon | Ray Miles | Rosie Peart | Victoria Hale | Tanya Potter | Susanna Dahl
| Tony Bai | Larry Osmond | Greg Cooper | Jess Blomfield | Noel Browne | Jane Burns | Connor Browne | Jourdan Fairchild | Kim RyallManley | Noah Yavit | Mark & Kelly Roberts | Camille Watkins | Andrew Parish | Josh Green | Paul Nugent | Jason Berther | Sue Hansen |
Greg Smith | Lisa Corfield | Emma Craig | Sally Turner | Susan Harrison | Robyn Peach | Ronald Simpson | Christian Bright | Joyce Turnbull
| Jason Powning | P&J Carlon | Evelyn Green | Tony Spinks | Christine Potter | Kelly Rodder | David Andrews | Sharon Chant | Sarah
Wettenhall | Sean Hunt | Kevin Komsthoeft | Peter Senior | Chris Biden | Margaret Butler | James Harris | Jade Smith | Tommasino Burgo |
Nicholette Ambrose | Doreen Wright | Todd Vickery | Paul Rissman | Chris Baker | Gayle & Jim Allen | Tamara Piller | Denise Orr | Helen
McTaggart | David Garland | Emma Robinson | Emma Cook | Robert Hazan | Tau & Nychelle Hanlon | Melea Lewis | Leah Steinberg | Jane
Thorrold | Angus Grant | Janelle MacGinley | Sharelle Simpson | Peter Peterson | Judith Ronan | Cristine Davis | Gayle Bereskin | Joanne
Taylor | Geradine Heath | Andrea Ehry | Nadia Young | Diptesh Singh | Peggy Druit | Dina Jenkinson | Sytara Anekamai | Laura Purnell
| Jane Muller | Tino Reindl | Melissa Luton | Michelle Briggs | Linda Hellmuth | John Dowling | Shonette Bayson | Bradley Wall | Pauline
Southerwood | Kyrena Ashford | Karen McBride | Bradley Murnane | Allan Adamson | Nicole Modini | Natalie Banner | Glen Thompson
| Anna Webster | Melanie Cole | Helen Baker | Gary & Sue Smith | Damian Mullins | David Manley | Beate Stenner | Hunny Churcher |
Mara Staffieri | Brian Reader | Lawrence Cremin | Linda Bland | Trish Costello | Lions Ladies | Amanda Price | Michele Button | Alec &
Debbie Munn | Kerry McGuffie | William Laznovsky | Troy Jennings | Dermagraphic Impressions | Thanks to you all & so so many more…
Thank You
24
Financial Report
26
With respect, courage and commitment, Forget Me Not honours the rights of
every child and, works to ensure children are thriving, vibrant and connected
to family, community and opportunity.
We exist to prevent children and young people around the world from being
displaced through investing in innovative initiatives that keep children within
their families and communities.
We grow our impact through leveraging local partnerships on the ground incountry, raising community awareness and advocating for change as we learn.
28
Dreaming
Andrea Nave CEO
In my dream the children of Forget Me Not are growing not only in the physical but in confidence. Each of the children in my dream have a healthy life that
is free from the ravages of constant illness, suffering and insecurity. I see children
waking up from nightmares and being comforted by their families. I see each of
them daring to voice their own dreams and with our support they are painting their
own rainbows.
Michelle Hay Treasurer
I am dreaming of a world where children throughout the world are as worry free as my own. I dream of a world where all children
enjoy safety, good health, security, unconditional love, a right to education and to freely pursue dreams. I dream of world where
children are not persecuted, traded, mistreated and separated from their families against their will. I dream of a world where children
are loved and nurtured as they all deserve to be.
Patrick Ruhweza TCCC
Am dreaming of children who are successful in life regardless of their background. Children who have developed self confidence and
children who are treated with dignity. This is a dream that I cherish to strive for and to achieve as am serving with Forget Me Not. I
dream of children who have used the sponsorship that they have received to better their lives. My pledge is to help the children aspire
for the best and to make their support a meaningful gift that will not only help them today but also even in their adult life. In my
dream, we are building a complete human being where support goes beyond finances.
Mel Faulkner Nanna Project Coordinator
I am dreaming of a future where parents stay alive and children are safe and content. I am dreaming of a future where all children
receive quality and continuous education. I am dreaming of a future where children can dream BIG and where there is hope and
where BIG dreams are attainable. I am dreaming of a future where the suffering of others is suffering of our own and we join together
in humanity to care for and support each other. I am dreaming of a future where there are no earthquakes, fires, floods, droughts or
disease, where human kind can flourish and nourish their own. I am dreaming of a future that is brighter, where children are connected, safe and thriving...
Wade James Think Tank
My dream would certainly be to look back and celebrate year twenty! One of the first things I heard when I got involved with Forget
Me Not was that it’s a lifetime journey – there are times when you can put in more and times when you can’t… but it can’t be a part
time commitment. Watching the organisation evolve and find better ways to look after these children and better ways to bring more
people along with us to fund these things will help us get there. Changing as we learn more and more about our world and how we can
contribute to making it better. I love watching and learning and hearing about it and helping wherever I can.
Greg & Robyn
Think Tank
We dream that all the
children in Nepal, and
around the world that
have been separated
from their family are
re-united.
Emmalene Travers Program Officer
One of my top 3 favourite musicals of all-time is ‘Matilda’ by Tim Minchin.
I first heard the song ‘When I grow up’ during preparations for FMNs 10th
Birthday Party in Hervey Bay. The ever fabulous, supremely talented and
incredibly generous Gunilla Myren worked with 40+ children from local
schools to perform ‘When I grow up’ to open the celebrations (with special
guest ARIA Award-winning Katie Noonan as Miss Honey!). The song calls
for being smart, strong and brave. My dreams of a smart, strong, brave Herd
working together to raise children to be thriving, vibrant and connected to
family, community and opportunity IS our current reality.
Thanks to the incredible and inspiring efforts of philanthropic foodies (like
Grant, Mel, Matt, Sarah, Kym and Kylee), singers (like Gunilla, Katie, Mark
and Andrea), dancers (like Judy and Junita), hosts (like Kate and Jane)
and yogis (like Jo and Rowena) – and other outstanding fundraisers and
greatest supporters. Thanks to our Herd on the ground in Uganda, India and
Nepal – Mel and Patrick, Anju and DB, Dippy and Puja and their extremely
capable teams working with loving kindness and advocating for child
focused change. Thanks to our Herd in Australia with great leadership and
mentoring from compassionate and wise women (like Andrea, Kate, Mel,
Jan, Michelle and Robyn) and men (like Craig, Pete, Wade, Greg and Trent).
And more than anything, thanks to people like YOU who believe every child
matters! We are in good company Herd. Namaste. Onwards…
When I Grow Up
Just because you find that life’s not fair
It doesn’t mean that you just have to grin and bear it
If you always take it on the chin and wear it
Nothing will change
(When I grow up)
Just because I find myself in this story
It doesn’t mean that everything is written for me
If I think the ending is fixed already
I might as well be saying I think that it’s ok
And that’s not right
Music & Lyrics by Tim Minchin
Matilda the Musical
30
Online www.forgetmenot.org.au
Email [email protected]
Phone +61 412 739 114
Post PO Box 245 Corinda Q Australia 4075

2014/2015 Annual Report

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