Children in the foothills of the Himalayas and their counterparts at an Aberdeen school have formed a long-distance bond – thanks to an excess of school jumpers.
When teachers at Cornhill Primary discovered they had a surplus of clothes following a school badge redesign, they wanted to make sure they went to a good cause.
They took advice from Alan Pirie, international convener for the Rotary Club of Aberdeen and St Machar, who told them about the branch’s long-running efforts to supply aid to children in the impoverished region of Bandipur – a hilltop settlement in Nepal’s Tanahu District.
The project has helped to improve equipment, buildings and classrooms, as well as providing teacher training, at five schools in the area.
Rotarians also have future plans to establish a social enterprise in Bandipur, through a coffee house and bed and breakfast.
Mr Pirie, 65, said he was the 15 black bags full of jumpers from Cornhill Primary would be much appreciated in Nepal.
“We’re talking very deprived areas, they have got next to nothing, so the jumpers will go down quite well over there because it’s pretty damn cold,” he said.
“We’re delighted that the jumpers are going to serve a purpose and the kids are keen to do email exchanges.
“The kids over there have been made aware too, and they have started to send letters back and forth.”
The exchange is all the more meaningful because Cornhill Primary has a number of Nepalese children on its roll.
Mr Pirie added: “There are quite a number of Nepalese kids there, so hopefully we have started a link between the two that will last.”