White Chalk

An uplifting story of Courage, Compassion and Hope

In the spring of 2009 John Matthews was a 45-year-old Finance Director living a comfortable life in Dubai. All that changed forever when he took a trekking holiday to Nepal with a group of friends. Moved by the poverty and the appalling plight of the nations children, he decided to help. By-passing the increasingly bloated and self perpetuating aid industry, he established his own charity- Children of the Mountain - and spent the next decade building schools and educating children in Nepal.

Corruption, civil unrest and foul weather all played their part in Johns remarkable journey. So, too, did the people-parents, teachers, and especially children, whose lives, hopes dreams and struggles are described here with honesty, respect and humor. Tough decisions are made, difficult issues are grappled with, from caste discrimination to child marriage and alcoholism. Giving, caring and fighting all take their toil on the author, physically and emotionally, especially when an earthquake threatens to undo years of hard work. Yet he perseveres and his work continues to impact lives.