On the farm everything is green and lush, the oranges and lemons are forming nicely, our turmeric is thriving and we have lots of lady fingers and bitter gourd to pluck. Unfortunately the six year old bamboo shelter over the compost fell down in the heavy rain so our team are busy repairing it and protecting the precious worms in the compost from getting too wet.

Sadly last week a cloudburst above Khanyara village and blocked drains caused a torrent of water to flow through the village. Many shops and homes were damaged and poor families lost even their kitchen equipment and bedding. Nishtha is providing aid but also encouraging everyone to respect waterways and keep drains clear of debris in an effort to avoid such disasters.

During the monsoon our environment team are busy keeping our local drains clear so they run smoothly during the heaviest of downpours. They regularly clean the water filters around the village to ensure everyone has access to clean drinking water and stays healthy.

Farid thrilled our children, students and staff by sharing with us his delight in making people laugh and bringing out the very best in them through clowning. We were all enlivened by wearing the smallest of masks – a red nose and learning the power of a smile, a funny walk, or expression to lift the mood and bring about joy. Thank you so much Farid!

After a break when the schools were closed because of the very heavy monsoon rains, we were happy to resume our school nutrition program this week. These picture tell the story of how Arvid went to the wholesale vegetable market early on Monday morning. The team sort and divide the fruit and vegetables for each school and then deliver a crate to each school while the students are busy studying.

Thank you Dr. Kusum for stepping in to keep our outreach clinics in the villages running this month!

We are happy to welcome 8 new admissions to our sponsorship program, bringing the number of students we are helping through college this year to 21. We started this week with computer and dance classes and, until Puja, our English teacher is well, we are planning activities such as presentations and discussions on topics of current interest.

Apples! We are feeling very grateful to have been able to purchase 8 boxes of apples, straight from an organic orchard in Chamba district. Our team distributed 3 fresh juicy apples to each of 176 happy primary school children this week.

We are happy to have Dimple, our MA student physiotherapist working with our team to meet and assess the people living in the villages with disabilities in order that we can assess their needs. Whether they have congenital defects or injuries or strokes many have little or no access to even the special services that might be available to them. The families are often very isolated within the community, dealing with difficult situations in very simple village homes. Thank you to our US donors through Timberline Foundation for enabling us to conduct this survey.

Niklas, our Austrian volunteer is exploring his interest in permaculture. He has revised the map of the Nishtha farm with a view to conducting more rigorous experimentation on land treatment, appropriate species, planting according to the lunar calendar and other valuable strategies. The staff have painted river stones in order to clearly label each plot so that accurate records can be maintained.