Help us to  help Laxmi

She cannot walk, and her little, unused legs seem so long and thin. She is kept indoors as mental handicap in her community is seen as bad luck. Superstitions can be associated with such an illness, and pressure is put on landlords to move the family. This family has had to move house many times in the past few years.

Nepal is a country with the highest mountains in the world and where the strong are revered as there are few roads and all loads are carried on people's backs. Also superstition and ignorance is rife due to a lack of education and the isolated nature of the country. Mental illness to the community is something to be scared about.

After our trek in Nepal in October 2004, a group of us had gone to visit our guide's house in Kathmandu. We were shocked by the soulless one bedroomed flat where there was barely room for the one bed where they all slept. A piece of plastic sheeting was pinned to the ceiling to protect the bed from the leaking roof. It was obvious that the little girl with the angelic face spent all of her time in this room and that her mother  Meena had to tend to her 24 hours a day when our guide Bhakto would be away on treks. They have since had to move again and Bhakta has very little work due to the downturn in work since the Maoist uprising in Nepal and a shortage of American trekkers due to 9/11.
 

Her parents don't ask for anything but we can't pass by and do nothing

Since then, we have arranged for a foreign financed Cerebral Palsy Clinic to examine Laxmi and to assess her condition and see what can be done.

However, the most important need for Laxmi and her family is a house of their own. This will cost close to €20,000 in Kathmandu.
 

Please help us buy this needy child a basic house

I shall pass this way but once. Any good that I can do, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, I shall not pass this way again.

For a once off Charity, Help us this once. A once off contribution.

If you would like to help, can you please send a donation to one of the following....
 
 

Noel Power Westcot, Oriel Court, Ballincollig,  Co. Cork, Ireland (Chairperson fund committee)

Nora Holland c/o AIB Bank,  25 Main Street Killarney,  Co. Kerry, Ireland (Treasurer)

Frank O'Mahony 63 Meadow Park Road, Ballyvolane,  Cork City, Ireland (Secretary)

Alternatively, you might want to make a donation via your local bank. Fill out a lodgement form like the one shown below.
Just fill in the following details...
Account Name : Teach Fund Raising
Bank Address : A.I.B. Bank, Main Street, Killarney, Co.Kerry
Account No.  : 31893054
Sort Code    : 93 63 32

Dont forget to include your name or e-mail address in the narrative box so that we can thank you.

Wednesday 9th February 2005 - Slide Show.
"I would like to thank very much the great support given to our slide show on our recent Trek in Nepal and particularly the great support for our collection for providing a house for Laxmi a Nepali child with Cerebral Palsy. The collection taken up came to eur 1835 which was fantastic and this brings the total collected to date very close to eur 5000. This is 25% of our target and it is very heartening to us at this early stage.".....Noel Power

Friday 11th March 2005 - "Our fundraising is coming along nicely. Our special congratulations this week to Rose Harris and Monica Hurley who raised close to eur 1000 with a dinner party. Thanks also to the members who lodged money this week. We are now close to eur 8,000 or 40% of our target. Contributions from any members who didn't get around to it yet should be lodged to account Teach Fund raising, AIB, 25 Main Street Killarney: account number 31893054 and sort code 93 63 32. Or send a cheque payable to teach fund raising to me or any committee member. We are having a sponsored walk for all on Easter Sunday. I will lead a B walk to Carrauntoohill while Billy Joyce and Helen Smith will lead a C walk in the Cappagh Glen. Sponsorship cards are now available. We have also organized a Table Quiz for Highfield Rugby Club for Friday April 15th. Spot prizes for our draw on the night would be very welcome".........Noel Power

Sunday 27th March 2005 - Charity Walk. "The organisers wish to thank all who contributed to the success of last week-end's fundraiser. Both walks were a great success and the craic in the Abbey was mighty. All who took part ,  Liam, Gabrielle, Cato and Louis and the choir warmed the hearts of their listeners.  Hopefully Liam was in equally good voice on Thursday night.
The organisers are now anxious to have the sponsorship cards and any monies, returned as soon as possible. Best to lodge the money directly to Teach Fundraising, AIB Bank Killarney A/C no..31893054 Sort code 93 63 32. Lodgement can be made at any AIB branch.  Please put your name in narrative section and add the word" card."  Helen, Billy and Noel will be glad to
collect from people who prefer the personal touch.We need the cards returned even if blank".......Billy.

Friday April 15th 2005 - Table Quiz in Highfield Rugby Club, Model Farm Road. 8 pm sharp.
Spot prizes for our draw on the night would be very welcome. Table for Four for Eur 40.Great prizes and interval raffle, Music. Tables can be booked from Mick Murphy

Friday 6th May 2005 - On behalf of the committee of teach Laxmi I wish to thank all those who helped out and took part in the recent Quiz night. In particular the quiz Master Billy Joyce, Mick Muphy and Theresa and Kate who prepared the questions. Helen and her team of scrutineers and all who helped on the night. The number of prizes for the raffle was most impressive and a special word of thanks to all who donated same. We brought in over eur 1600 euro and the total is now well on track to reach our objective. If there is any money out there collected for the walk or if you intended to make a donation and never got round to it then send it in now and be part of this worthy and successful venture....Thank you again, Noel Power. Chairperson.
 

Wed 7th Sept 2005 - Charity Swim - Hillwalkers Swim for Laxmi. The fund,set up by a group of Cork Hillwalkers, to help build a house for an unfortunate Nepali child, stricken with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy was boosted recently by a novel Fundraiser.
Readers will remember Laxmi and how the walkers adopted the family. A target of 20,000Euro was set to build a house in Kathmandu, for the family of Laxmi and her parents.
Marie Foster Scannell proposed the Galtee Lakes Swim as her contribution to the Fundraising.  A set of Four novelty swimsuits were fashioned by Marie to be used in each of the four Galtee lakes. The suits were  The Polka Dot Bikini, The Beakie, The Swan Lake ensemble and her finale The Mermaid The preparation of the suits brought its own problem but Marie is Marie and all was in order for Sunday August 21st, except a little item called Weather.  Hillwalkers are tough and weather is only to be contended with so the large group assembled at Clydagh Bridge and walked to Lake Curra high in the bosom of Galtee Mor.
Ellie Mc Donald led the Bishopstown walkers to the lake and Marie duly donned firstly her Bikinni followed by the Beakie then the Swan Lake and finally the Mermaid.  Marie assured the onlookers that the water was beautiful but the group preferred the elements to the choppy lake waters, so Marie was left as she deserved ,Solo.
Pakie Fitzes, in Mitchelstown, was the next venue where the flagging spirits were revitalised by injections of food and liquids .
A raffle of a Dinner for Two, kindly donated by the Kingsley Hotel management, was a highlight and when the ticket of Phil Twomey, present at the time, was drawn out of the hat celebrations reached crescendo.
The event boosted the fund by nearly 2,000 Euro thanks to the sposorship of many friends of the walkers. A timely boost in the wake of the purchase of the site for Laxmi,s house.
Marie deserves the thanks of the organisers for her trojan work and her braving of the elements at the Galtee Lakes.  A great day was had by all.
Laxmi will be pleased.
Thank you Marie and Bishopstown Hillwalkers.

30th April 2006

"Progress on the building of the house for Laxmi, the little girl in Nepal suffering from Cerebral Palsy, is now well underway. The site has been bought and paid for and registered jointly in the names of the father, mother and Laxmi. The foundations have been completed and the wall building is progressing. A well has also been dug and it gives a good supply of clean water. It is hoped that the greater part of the work will be completed in 3 to 4 months and the family will move in before the rainy season in late May. The other great news is that Laxmi has a new sister Asma who is now about 10months old and very strong and healthy. Laxmi's parents Bhakta and Meena continue to send their thanks to our club members and the other Cork & Kerry club members and other individuals who's contributions have made their dreams come true. I will keep you posted on future progress. Thanks also again on behalf of the fund raising committee"....... Noel Power. 

If you would like additional information or have any questions, the fund chairperson, Noel Power, can be contacted also by e-mail. His address is
 
For the benefit of our non-Irish visitors, we should point out that the word Teach is the Irish/Gaelic for the English word house. So Teach Laxmi is Laxmi's House. It is pronounced roughly Chock Lax me

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