Comolongmo.com
Newsletter 10
Sunday,
21 December 2008
Dear Friends
Merry Christmas
and a Very Happy New Year 2010.
On
behalf of Comolongmo family we would like to thank you very much
for your continued support and it was great to see so many of
you at Comolongmo Fair “Experience the Magic of Nepal”,
which was organised from 24 to 27 October 2009 to raise fair trade
awareness amongst school children and the public at large and
to promote fair trade products from Nepal, including rugs made
in Kumbeshwar Technical School (KTS) (a school for socially and
economically deprived pupils incorporating an income generating
project).
We are pleased
and honoured to write that Spitalfields Traders Market has requested
us to organise the third Comolongmo Fair “Experience the
magic of Nepal” and offered to host it again during the
schools’ midterm break from 28 to 31 October 2010. The Fair
is jointly sponsored by Hammerson plc and British Consultancy
Charitable Trust (BCCT).
This year three
schools (Cator Park School, St Ursula’s Convent School,
and Bow School) in London took part in the Fair. During the Fair
it was estimated that more than 20,000 people visited the market.
The Pre Fair
Exhibition was held at Cator Park School, Kent, on 15 July 09
when four finalist rug designs were chosen by the Judges invited
from all walks of life - weavers, teachers, photographers, and
students. The exhibition was jointly sponsored by Cator Park School
and St Ursula’s Convent School.
The
designs were translated into beautiful rugs. The finalists for
the rug design competition from Cator Park School were Gabriella
Bent and Rio
de Bolla; and from St Ursula’s Convent School were Muriel
Courtney and Fiona
Berry, all aged 12 years old.
The
rugs were displayed at the Fair where visitors witnessed colourful
Nepalese traditions and products. Visitors to the Fair and our
website were also invited to vote for their favourite rug design.
We are pleased to announce and congratulate the winner of Comolongmo
Fair 2009 rug design competition “Rio de Bolla” from
Cator Park School. The rug will be awarded to Ms Bolla shortly.
Also pupils from the participating schools made paper crafts using
Nepalese hand made paper. These too were displayed and sold at
the Fair to raise money for KTS.
For
the Fair, Renu Khadgi and Sandhya Khadgi (KTS graduates from the
rug weaving course, currently both working at KTS) were brought
over from Nepal to demonstrate yarn spinning and rug weaving.
We had many visitors to our stalls to see yarn spinning and the
rug being made. Renu and Sandhya really enjoyed demonstrating
and teaching the traditional skills to pupils and visitors.
After
the Fair, the Nepalese visitors had an enjoyable time relaxing
and sightseeing. Renu said “I am lucky and it is such an
honour for me to be able to come to England for the second time
to take part in Comolongmo Fair and talk to supporters and customers
about our culture and life back in Nepal. I am privileged to demonstrate
and teach yarn spinning and rug weaving to students and visitors
at the Fair. We would like to thank all our supporters and customers
for their continued support.”
Ms
Patricia Mullar, Director of Humanities at St Ursula’s Convent
School, said, “We feel very privileged to have a demonstration
of Nepalese craft by people who live and work in Nepal, meeting
people always has a stronger impact than actually reading about
them. To learn something of the culture of Nepal is interesting
also and will, hopefully, broaden minds and encourage a curiosity
about the country”.
Mrs Sally Kelly, Assistant Head at Cator Park said, "We are
delighted to be involved with this organisation, as we believe
passionately in the fair-trade ideal, as well as understanding
the importance of improving the quality of life through education.
The girls at Cator Park have thoroughly enjoyed being involved
in the project and loved working with the beautiful handmade paper”.
Since the Fair, St Ursula’s Convent School has organised
for Comolongmo representative to return back to the school to
give talks to the students about Nepal and KTS’ work and
generate awareness of Fair Trade. Comolongmo is organising an
event early next year to give prizes and certificates to the schools
and pupils.
VOTE OF THANKS
Comolongmo
family are grateful to Hammerson plc, and we would especially
like to thank Mr Ray Dervin, the Spitalfields Traders Market Manager,
and Spitalfields family Mr Jason Dervin, Mr Reynaldo Cuyson, Ms
Lisa Ispani, Miss Georgina Godart-Brown and Mr Xavier Young for
providing the space, all the help and support and the sponsorship.
Also, we would
like to thank all the schools - Cator Park School, St Ursula’s
Convent School and Bow School for their participation, hard work
and support. We hope more schools will join hands with us and
take part in our forth coming Fair during October 2010 mid team
break.
We
would also like to thank London based Nepalese organisations,
in particular Cultural Fusion Nepal, Pasa Pusa and Nepali Samaj
for their kind help and support. Especially we would like to thank
Mr Anjan Bhudathoki and the team from Cultural Fusion Nepal, for
playing wonderful Nepalese music with special Nepalese music instruments,
Sarangi and Madal; Mr
Binod Chipalu and the team for the lovely Newari Lakhi (devil
dance) dance.
Also we would
like to thank all the Nepalese Traders who took part in the Fair.
Also, I would
like to thank Zoe Holloway, who, after graduating from UEL, did
three months’ work placement at KTS and some other places
in Nepal. Zoe took wonderful photos of KTS and Nepal which she
kindly let us use for the Fair posters. She has developed lovely
calendars of her photos and experience in Nepal in aid of KTS.
Please click the link http://zoe-holloway.blogspot.com/ if you
would like to buy calendar and her photos.
We would like
to thank the Fair committee and our friends without whose tireless
effort, dedication, help and support it would never have been
possible to organise the Fair. We are in debt and grateful.
Finally, huge
thank you to my wife Mai for her continued support, hard work
and patience. This work would be impossible without her.
Once again
may I wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best wishes
for the New Year 2010.
On
behalf of Comolongmo family we would like to thank you very much
for your continued support and it was great to see so many of
you at Comolongmo Fair “Experience the Magic of Nepal”,
which was organised from 24 to 27 October 2009 to raise fair trade
awareness amongst school children and the public at large and
to promote fair trade products from Nepal, including rugs made
in Kumbeshwar Technical School (KTS) (a school for socially and
economically deprived pupils incorporating an income generating
project).
The
designs were translated into beautiful rugs. The finalists for
the rug design competition from Cator Park School were 
The
rugs were displayed at the Fair where visitors witnessed colourful
Nepalese traditions and products. Visitors to the Fair and our
website were also invited to vote for their favourite rug design.
We are pleased to announce and congratulate the winner of Comolongmo
Fair 2009 rug design competition “Rio de Bolla” from
Cator Park School. The rug will be awarded to Ms Bolla shortly.
For
the Fair, Renu Khadgi and Sandhya Khadgi (KTS graduates from the
rug weaving course, currently both working at KTS) were brought
over from Nepal to demonstrate yarn spinning and rug weaving.
We had many visitors to our stalls to see yarn spinning and the
rug being made. Renu and Sandhya really enjoyed demonstrating
and teaching the traditional skills to pupils and visitors.
After
the Fair, the Nepalese visitors had an enjoyable time relaxing
and sightseeing. Renu said “I am lucky and it is such an
honour for me to be able to come to England for the second time
to take part in Comolongmo Fair and talk to supporters and customers
about our culture and life back in Nepal. I am privileged to demonstrate
and teach yarn spinning and rug weaving to students and visitors
at the Fair. We would like to thank all our supporters and customers
for their continued support.”
Ms
Patricia Mullar, Director of Humanities at St Ursula’s Convent
School, said, “We feel very privileged to have a demonstration
of Nepalese craft by people who live and work in Nepal, meeting
people always has a stronger impact than actually reading about
them. To learn something of the culture of Nepal is interesting
also and will, hopefully, broaden minds and encourage a curiosity
about the country”.
We
would also like to thank London based Nepalese organisations,
in particular Cultural Fusion Nepal, Pasa Pusa and Nepali Samaj
for their kind help and support. Especially we would like to thank
Mr Anjan Bhudathoki and the team from Cultural Fusion Nepal, for
playing wonderful Nepalese music with special Nepalese music instruments,
Sarangi and Madal; 
Mr
Binod Chipalu and the team for the lovely Newari Lakhi (devil
dance) dance.