On June 3rd, GFF Helps India, Philippines and Nepal team had the honor of welcoming Sir Owen to the CDS Centre, whose generosity powers our initiatives at GFF Helps. It was the first time our representatives had the opportunity to meet him in person. The Nepal team, along with the CDS staff, hosted a small program in his honor, where he interacted with the children and met with mothers from SEEP.s visited Nepal’s partner project, the Child Development Society (CDS), for the first time. Originally established to support children whose mothers worked in brick and carpet factories, CDS now also serves children from low-income families. The center provides these children with care, nutritious meals, basic healthcare, and a variety of toys for playtime.

Visiting CDS and meeting the children evoked deep emotions within us, reaffirming our commitment to empathy and community involvement. The events of that day left a profound impact on all of us, reigniting our passion for our educational tour and strengthening our dedication to the mission of GFF Helps.

Volunteering was a major part of our educational tour. First, we volunteered at the Adult Literacy Program, where many “Ama’s” were excitedly waiting for us. All of them welcomed us with warmth and seemed very much enthusiastic. We helped them with their weekly lessons which was learn English words for each day of the week. Each of them was very attentive and were fully focused. The Ama’s shared their personal experience about how through SEEP and the Adult Literacy program, they have become more empowered which has enabled them to feel more optimistic about the future.

Upon the GFF Helps Nepal & Philippines team’s arrival along with the past volunteers, GFF India conducted a work at the GFF Main Office on 7th of June. Our teachers and coordinators from our Glenn Partner Project – SOGG Learning Centres and the BSA (Bal Suraksha Abhiyan) team also attended the workshop. Tharaka Munidasa former volunteer of Sri Lanka gave the workshop on Project Management while Joe Fisher – former GFF Helps Volunteer and Minket Lepcha – former GFF Helps Nepal Volunteer conducted the workshop on social media.

The workshop was very essential as knowledge about the topics would be very useful for all of us, and which was necessary as well. In addition to being theoretical, the workshop included interactive activities and real-world examples that kept everyone in attendance interested. Learning from each other is the way of exchanging knowledge. This workshop also paved the way for the SOGG Team and GFF Helps Team to make meaningful bonds.

GFF Helps India has been working closely with Debanjan Girls Football Academy since the year 2022. Football is a much-celebrated sport in our region, and men from all age groups partake in it. But nowadays many young girls have also set their foot into this sport and seem to excel in it. Debanjan Girls Football Academy is one of those few spaces where such young girls are taken in and are given proper training in football along with catering to their formal education. GFF Helps India has been supporting and volunteering them during their football matches, along with conducting Mobile Library and Newspaper Project.

On 8th of June, the entire GFF Helps International Team visited the academy. Joe Fisher and Tharaka Munidasa, assisted the girls in their football training and taught them a few tricks and skills of the game. The rest of the volunteers actively observed the sport along with interacting with the girls and listening about their journeys. These students are paving a way for women in sports in the Darjeeling Hills and it was surely a wonderful opportunity for all of us to be a part of it.

The SOGG Learning & Information Centres started in the year 2014, in the three villages of Bong, Chibbo and Pudung. The centres have been successfully providing quality education and guidance to the children of these villages for 10 years. All of us were really looking forward for Sir Owen’s arrival and the SOGG Centres had decided to host a big program at the Kenny Hall. Unfortunately, due to some health complications Sir Owen was unable to visit Kalimpong. We did not let this deter our spirit and rather decided to show the program virtually to Sir Owen.

All the students, teachers, managing committee members from SOGG Centres were present along with our GFF Helps International team. The students from BSA and Sister of Cluny also attended the program. Members from RLCWS (Rongring Lepcha Culture and Welfare Society) were also present. Each of them gave beautiful performances showcasing their talents. We also felicitated the 10th and 12th standard Board Examination Standard students. This year one of the students from Chibbo Learning Centre, Miss Leeom Lepcha has secured the position of district topper, and this wonderful news was also shared with Sir Owen. The program went on for 2 hrs and Sir Owen very patiently sat through it with us. We are extremely grateful to him for his love and support which has helped bring change in the lives of many individuals.

The SOGG Learning & Information Centres are our Glenn Partner Project in India. These centres are situated in the three villages of Kalimpong – Bong, Chibbo and Pudung village. Many children from these villages come to these centres where they receive free tuition classes as access to such guidance and tuitions are rare. The GFF Helps International team first visited the Pudung SOGG Learning Centre, where a fun ice breaking activity was conducted with the students. Later Tharaka also gave a presentation about his travels across South America. The children were awe struck, and his travelogue was a source of inspiration for them to discover and learn about new things.

Later on 15th of June, the volunteers visited the Chibbo and Bong SOGG Learning Centres. The students were very excited to meet our International team. The volunteers gave their respective introductions and insights about their country and its culture. The students and the volunteers interacted amongst themselves and participated in fun activities. Through their volunteer work, our international team was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the work that team India has been doing with our partner Glenn Projects, the SOGG Centres.

On 11th of June, our entire GFF Helps Team and coordinators from the SOGG Centre left for Delhi which is the national capital of India. Our meeting with Sir Owen on 12th of June, began with a purposeful morning as we made our way to the Imperial Hotel. Once inside the meeting room, each team member gave a presentation on the status and impact of their respective projects. It was motivating to see the scope and depth of our combined efforts come to life in front of Sir Owen’s astute eyes. Throughout the day, Sir Owen asked insightful questions to get clarity on methods, results, and future plans. His observations not only demonstrated his in-depth knowledge but also served as a catalyst for improving our approaches. His support and valuable feedback gave us newfound vigour and a feeling of purpose. Sir Owen also generously invited us to have lunch and dinner for which each and every one was us was very grateful. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to be able to meet a man with such profound knowledge, empathy and benevolence.