Testimonials

First of all, a few words from Officiating Principal Dawa Gyeltshen:

Hope 108 initiative has brought many positive changes in children, physically and emotionally. It has brought bright smiles on the faces of those children. It has given inner strengths, confidence, and emotional support to raise their head equally with other children, participate in activities, and interact with them without any hesitation. 

The financial support received has not only helped them in getting necessary school materials, it has also motivated and encouraged them to put extra interest in academic learning and co-curricular activities. 

Teachers have observed the children as inspired learners with positive behavioural change. They have also seen that the academic performance, attendance, and rate of participation in classroom and co-curricular activities of the children has improved dramatically after receiving the support.

We may be different by boundary, race, colour, taste, and the language that we speak but a willing heart is never bound by differences. 

Thank you so much. 

'Namay Samay Kadrin Che' (Thank you beyond the sky and the Earth)

Dawa Gyeltshen, Sangbaykha Primary School, Haa, Bhutan

We had the absolute pleasure of sponsoring Norbin through Hope 108.

We sponsored him as a family and have taken nothing but joy from him and his journey.

To watch his face light up is food for the soul and we could not be happier to be part of this incredible project.

Dee and Martin are absolutely wonderful and the world is a better place for having them in it.

If you take up the privilege of sponsorship you simply will not regret a second of it. 

Sarah-Jane and Rachel Tilbury, Nina and Anni, Melbourne, Australia

Hope 108 has given me the fabulous opportunity to meet Vijay and to contribute to his education. Basically, for the price of dinner for two with wine £108.00 - every year Vijay receives the essentials he needs to make the most of his education opportunities. 

Through Dee and Martin’s hard work and the huge amounts of time they give to Hope 108, I am able to keep up with Vijay’s progress at school. On learning more about him and receiving some photos, I discovered he loves playing football and was able to send him some football kit, making him Wolves’ first official fan in Bhutan - I hope he finds the experience less stressful than I have these past decades!

The most impressive thing for me however about Hope108 is I know exactly how the money is spent because I send it directly to his school teacher and then receive confirmation back through updates and photos courtesy of Martin and Dee that he has received his school uniform and essentials. It’s reassuring to know that every penny is spent where it’s needed rather than on administration costs and other non-essential items. 

Well done Hope 108. 

Ian Hunt, Worthing, England

We were first introduced to this initiative by Dee and Martin back in March 2018. What instantly struck us was the passion and dedication they both displayed when telling us of their attempts to get the iniative up and running.

Despite knowing very little about Bhutan, we knew straight away that this would be an initiative we would like to become involved with. It was very different to other charities we had previously contributed to, as we would be involved on a much more personal level. We knew Dee and Martin and had absolute faith and trust in them. We were delighted with the kids we could sponsor, and were able to see their various backgrounds and individual circumstances. This really appealed to us, and we decided to sponsor two girls of differing ages.  

Our involvement in Hope 108 has been a very rewarding and positive experience for both of us. We get regular updates, videos and photos from Dee and Martin, who are in direct contact with the teachers back in Bhutan. We love hearing how well they are getting on and how our sponsorship is helping them progress. We especially enjoy receiving personal messages of thanks from the two girls, which we find particularly heart-warming.

We would highly recommend becoming a Hope 108 sponsor. It has allowed us to contribute in a unique and personal way, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with this fantastic initiative.

Majella and Frank Milton, Dublin, Ireland

We regularly tour the countries of Asia and have been considering sponsoring a child or young adult for some time. However we have had reservations about how the schemes are managed and how much of the help you give is actually received by those in need.

We were introduced to this initiative by Dee and Martin and were impressed by the structure of the initiative and also the invaluable knowledge that they have of Bhutan and the people of the country.

Dee and Martin told us about a Bhutanese teenager, Sonam, whose father had recently passed away. She needed financial assistance with her schooling and help at home. 

The initiative allows us to directly transfer money either on an annual basis or at a time  of our choosing via Western Union. This is then held by her school principal. This system is very easy to use and no overheads or operating costs are deducted. Sonam gets the full benefit of our donations which are given to her when she needs assistance. 

Regular updates are sent to us by Dee and Martin on how she is doing with her studies and also photos of her and how our donations have been used.

Our involvement in this initiative has been a very positive, rewarding and enjoyable experience and it allows us to contribute in a way that otherwise would not have been open to us. We can highly recommend it.

Maureen and Stuart Luxton, Javea, Spain

I have been a sponsor with Hope 108 since April 2019. Having visited Bhutan twice I was eager to put something back into this remarkable country.

Hope 108 gives me the opportunity to do this.

I sponsor a child in the Haa region. He is 10 years old & was indentified by the link teacher in his school as a child who would really benefit from some extra financial support to increase his well being. For example this allows him more dignity in not having to always wear cast offs as his family work on the land & they struggle to keep him in school. There was a spin off with improving grades.

The link teacher knows the needs of each sponsored child as they arise & together they shop locally for the items. My money has bought new uniform,warm clothing, new shoes etc as he grows.  Through the link teacher I can identify ways that I can occasionally contribute to the whole class e.g. paying for colouring pencils for each child resulting in a class photograph of the children holding up their gifts.

I regularly receive WhatsApp messages of school progress, photographs & short videos of greetings, events & performances. Whenever I receive a communication it lights up my day.

I feel privileged to be a  Hope 108 sponsor. The whole experience is one of a positive, joyful & developing partnership. 

Suzana Radovic, Falmouth, England