The Adara Group believes that each and every person should have access to quality health, education, and other essential services, no matter where they live. Adara has expertise in maternal, newborn and child health, and remote community development. Each year they directly reach more than 50,000 people living in poverty, as well as countless others through knowledge sharing. Moose is proud to support Adara's remote community development work. Adara has worked hand in hand with remote communities since 1998. Primarily, this work has taken place in Humla, a remote mountainous region of Nepal, home to over 60,000 people. Together with Adara, our focus in Humla is on long term sustainable support to improve health and education for the region.
75.5% increase in enrollments at Adara-supported schools in Humla since 2011
997 students enrolled in eight Adara-supported schools in Humla
471 scholarships provided to marginalized students in Humla
54% of students across Adara-supported schools in Humla are girls
Adara recently launched their 2020 Operations Report, which is full of stories that showcase the unwavering dedication of their teams, partners and supporters during a year of upheaval and turmoil. Thanks to supporters such as Moose Toys, Adara were able to bring total focus to doing their best work in the toughest times. With all the challenges of 2020 and COVID-19, Adara maintained essential service delivery, kept their teams safe and touched the lives of tens of thousands more people than they ever have before.
By leveraging their expertise in maternal, newborn and child health, remote community development and business for purpose, Adara continued supporting communities living in poverty during the global crisis that COVID-19 created. They also built on their work in knowledge sharing to amplify their impact.
Sarita is the youngest of eight children, and her parents have always encouraged her in her studies. The youngest of her seven brothers just completed his Secondary Education Examination from the Shree Ghyangfedi School in Ghyangfedi, and he loves mentoring his sister.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Sarita has been learning remotely for the past three months. More than anything, Sarita misses going to school to see her friends and play games. But even though schools are closed, she has been busy focusing on her studies and writing poems. Sarita was thrilled to receive a delivery of new schoolbooks from Adara recently and can’t wait to go through them page by page.
Sunita lives high in the Himalayas in a small isolated village in Humla, Nepal. Sunita’s parents encourage Sunita to attend her local school, despite the custom of keeping daughters at home to help with the chores. Sunita studies hard and wants to pursue nursing when she finishes her school exams. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nepal, the government shut down all schools – even in remote locations like Humla. Sunita’s exams were postponed indefinitely.
Adara launched a distance learning project which includes the distribution of home learning kits, and radio lessons. Adara is running four classes a day, six days a week, which are broadcast over two local radio stations. Students can even call the radio station and talk to the teachers if they have questions. Every Saturday, Adara also runs non-curriculum-based radio programs on topics like COVID-19, girls education, gender equality, child trafficking, food security, and greenhouses.
Due to Adara’s support, I have been able to send all my children to school,” says Kalu. “Without it, I would not be able to afford to educate all of them, even though the school is right next to my house. Some of my children would have to go look after the cattle or work in the field.”
Adara helps families like Kalu’s by improving the quality of education in the remote region of Humla, Nepal. Adara provides scholarships in the form of school uniforms, shoes, and a bag containing essential school supplies – often it is the lack of these items that prevent children from going to school.
“Adara’s support has been very impactful,” says Nirpa Bahadur Shahi. “Today we have 121 students at our school, but without Adara, I don’t think we would have had more than 30 students. Without Adara, our school may not even be here today.”
Adara supports schools in remote Humla, Nepal with teacher training, school helpers, new classrooms, learning materials, school uniforms, and basic supplies, so that even children in the most isolated areas can access quality education.
The impact of COVID-19 is widespread and likely to be especially devastating in developing countries and vulnerable communities. We’re proud to partner with Adara Development, who reach some of the most isolated communities in Nepal with health and education services. Their work is more important than ever, as they turn their attention to preparing communities to face the pandemic
Their big dreams for the community have uplifted the lives of many of the 50,000 people who call it home. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Nepali Himalayas in Humla, “Big Mountains, Big Dreams” is a 30-minute documentary of collaboration, transformation, and hope. It charts how lives have changed in this incredibly remote district, where the Adara Group began its work in 1998. Scroll down to see the link to watch! It's a must-see.
“I have been blown away by Moose Toys’ commitment to and support of Adara. It has underpinned our work with vulnerable children in extremely remote communities. Manny Stul and the team at Moose Toys have a total commitment to the wellbeing of children – no matter where they live. The impact of our partnership is astonishing, and a shining example of what is possible when businesses have purpose embedded at their core”.
Audette Exel – Founder and Chair, The Adara Group.
