Thare Machi Education

technology bringing knowledge and hope

February News Update

  • We have had a text message from Jack Griffiths and Nigel Feaver who are touring Africa and have reached Livingstone in Zambia; they have been joined by a third friend David who travelled with them from Malawi. Happily, it coincides with a visit there from Jane Kay-Bailey, an Associate from Leamington, who runs projects in the Livingston area through an organisation called The Butterfly Tree. Jane has already arranged for some translations into Zambian languages and the lads are going to have a go at recording the sound tracks before up-loading them to us to make the discs.

  • During 2007, we had contact with Dianne Lang - a South African living in London. Dianne has supported projects in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and her colleagues there have done some translations of our lessons. We recently sent them two portable DVD players and they have emailed the following:
    "I am very impressed with the dvd's and training material that you sponsored. It is really helping us a lot in educating the people this side. I am currently busy with a stay teen project and are using the stuff during my lecturers and believe me the youth are enjoying it very much. I already visited a few schools and also had lecturers with the youths of different churches and the dvds I showed them really opened their minds and they were very interested. Our youth here needs that kind of education as we are living in a country where the youth has got no self respect anymore and their morals are getting worse each day. Thank you so much for making it possible to uplift the spirits and morals of our people here by sponsoring the dvd players and material".

  • Cambodia Update - Bev Pettle has recently returned from a successful 2 week trip to Cambodia, during which, 9 new lessons were recorded in Khmer bringing the total lessons now available in Khmer to 28 (running neck and neck with English!). We're also very excited that we should soon have our first 2 lessons in Brao. This is one of the marginalised hill tribe languages from the northeast and our partners in Ratanakiri are very keen to supplement their village educational programme with our interactive DVDs. Bev visited several of our existing partners in Phnom Penh, as well as meeting some prospective new partners, including a centre for mentally and physically disabled children.

  • The other major news from Cambodia is that as a trial over the next year Noel Matthews, a development consultant based in Phnom Penh, will work with us to develop ways of distributing our DVD lessons more widely throughout the country.


    • Sister Dory from the Don Bosco Nuns using the DVDs at a school outside Phnom Penh

  • The Duchess of Norfolk, one of our Patrons, invited us to attend a reception in support of the DePaul Foundation, which looks after homeless people in Eastern Europe. The DePaul Foundation appears to have retained staff with a passion for their work in spite of having grown to an £11 million turnover. This is unusual and their model of growth may have relevance to tme as we develop. In addition, it is possible that the foundation could use our resources in the various countries where they work.

  • Anna Morris, a medical student at Warwick has been equipped with discs and a recording device for use in her elective during March and April in India. Anna is hoping to record some soundtracks in Tamil for us during her stay.

  • Tony Pillow, a Financial Advisor from Kent who has connections to South Africa has suggested holding a seminar to explore possible ways of distributing and marketing the growing library of titles. As a result, some of our supporters with business experience will meet together on 16th April with the aim of working out how to supply widely different groups with our discs.

  • Steve was invited to address the National conference of "SKIP" an organisation run by medical students for the benefit of children around the world. This generated a lot of interest in the DVDs and some of the students are aiming to use them during their electives in various countries later in the year. Bob Arnott, the sub-Dean of Birmingham University medical school, where the conference was held has offered to help with translations into Punjabi for use at a hospital in India with which he is connected.

  • Jeff Burgess, Leamington based Associate, went on a private visit to Vietnam during January and took some sample DVDs as well as a portable player. An order of Roman Catholic Nuns in Darnang has shown great interest as a result and we hope to be able to supply them with appropriate discs in the months ahead.

  • Penny Smith who lives in Leamington has offered to help us with re-drafting our publicity materials. During February, we met with Penny to make plans for a new brochure and some briefing materials for people attending the marketing seminar in April.