KET talk at U3A

KET CEO Sylvia May was invited to give a talk about the Trust to her local branch of the U3A at Wantage and Grove.  KET is always very grateful for the opportunity to talk about the educational work that the Trust does in Kohima and more widely in Nagaland.  Sylvia was very pleased to meet the members and really appreciated the warm welcome, including the wonderful Naga music that the branch had taken time to search for, and which was playing on her arrival! 

The members of Wantage and Grove were kind enough to show great interest in the aims of the Trust, and asked lots of detailed questions:

- Does KET gives talks in schools? - Yes we do!  We have taken Naga clothing and even a spear to show, which really fascinated the children! We would love to do more. 

- Is the Battle of Kohima on the UK school curriculum? - This is a very good question and one we have worked on - the battle is not currently part of the core curriculum, but KET trustee Dr Ronald Clayton has done some work with the Cambridge exam board which resulted in the battle being included for "additional reading" - a good start, but we'd love to achieve wider recognition of this part of history. 

- What happens to the medical kits when the batteries run out in the Accu-Chek devices that test blood sugar? (which the Trust provides as part of a basic medical kit given during our Mind your Health workshops - find out more HERE ) - Fortunately, batteries for these devices are fairly widely available and can be bought in the main towns in Nagaland, and we believe even in the more remote village of Pangsha too.

- What sport do the girls play?  All students play a variety of sports in schools.  One of the projects that KET supported was the building of a basketball court (photo below) in the remote village of Phek.  It was funded by Ray Jackson, a downed pilot who wanted to give back to those villagers who rescued him and kept him safe during the battle. Following Ray’s death in 2016, his family continues to support KET, enabling the Trust to continue carrying out general maintenance and repairs. 

- Does KET have evidence of how the scholarships that we provide are changing lives? - Yes we do. We know of one student who went on to become a lawyer in Delhi, and we know of several who have become teachers.  Find out more about our sholarships here.

KET would like to thank the U3A branch of Wantage and Grove most warmly for the kindness of their welcome, their interest and participation in the talk, and for the generous donations received.  All donations, large or small, make a difference to the work we are able to do in Nagaland and we are very grateful.