We are delighted to announce that all the students have now successfully passed their theory exams. Ramji scored the highest mark with 97% and was followed by Hari and Shanti (who both scored 88%), and Sarswati who scored 83%. All students are pictured on a staff night out to celebrate at a local Indian restaurant. Their exams were slightly delayed as Rob was forced to go back to the Uk for a couple of weeks in February for health reasons (all sorted now). The students have yet to sit their practical exams, which are scheduled for the end of this month. All are expected to pass but we may not be employing others immediately in Kathmandu as business hasn’t picked up there as fast as we would have liked. Over the next few weeks we will be working hard to better market the new clinic with more signs and leafleting around Thamel.

In February we took Chiran to see Bryan Adams play Kathmandu as part of his world tour. The concert was an unprecedented event in Nepal since Bryan Adams is the first ever international performer to play here – in front of a full moon and a massive crowd of 20,000 crazed, mobile phone waving fans. Pictured are Andre, Susan and Chiran at the concert with a mobile-phone starred background.

Andre returned to volunteer for us in mid February after a short stint in Thailand for some massage training/CPD. Whilst there, he studied a ‘balance ball’ course and brought two balls back to Nepal for the students and therapists to exercise with. These balls have proved a big hit with all, especially Laxmi who is pregnant and so needs to do special exercises. Pictured is Hari ‘on the ball’ in Pokhara. Andre has spent time at both clinics over the last month, refining techniques, bringing in volunteer bodies for the students to practise on and sprucing up the Kathmandu clinic with various painting and cleaning jobs. Pictured is Andre inside our 1000 litre water tank on the roof doing some much needed cleaning!