THE Taunton Vale branch of a women's organisation raised £700 for the charity Himalayan Children last year to help two 12-year-old girls receive an education.
Taunton Vale Inner Wheel (TVIW) has been raising money for Himalayan Children since 2013 and usually raises around £500 per year - making last year's contribution particularly impressive.
The money will be used to sponsor the education of two 12-year-old girls, Rigzin and Kunsang, who live in Ladakh, a region administered by India as a union territory.
Both children come from impoverished families with illiterate parents and live in remote areas where no secondary schooling is available.
They now board at Druk Padma School in Ladakh, which offers them the best opportunity to learn and be supported.
During the pandemic, the school established remote learning and Rigzin and Kunsang maintained good progress in their studies.
If the coronavirus situation allows them to, they will return to the school in March to resume in-person teaching with their classmates.
The annual donation from TVIW does not cover the full cost of their tution and boarding, so Himalayan Children makes up the full amount needed.
Alongside the charity's contributions, TVIW's donations help guarantee the girls' education and offers them improved life chances and opportunities to support the region's development.
The charity's policy is to have one sponsor per child to establish a relationship between them, and the TVIW looks forward to hearing updates about Rigzin and Kunsang.
Ruth Jenkins of TVIW said: "We are only too pleased to be able to support such a worthwhile charity and delighted to hear about the progress that the two girls are making and hope that our sponsorship can help to make a difference to their lives."
TVIW is part of Inner Wheel, an international organisation run by and for women of all ages.
Inner Wheel Great Britain and Ireland is divided into 29 districts - including Inner Wheel of Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset - which are subdivided into clubs.
Inner Wheel's clubs in Somerset include Wellington, Sedgemoor, Chard, Burnham-on-Sea, and Mendip.
For more information about Himalayan Children, visit www.himalayanchildren.co.uk.
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