A CHARITY which cares for thousands of needy children in Nepal is hoping residents will support their cause at a fundraising event next week.

Organised by the Kathmandu Kids Club, Namaste: An Evening in Nepal, will feature a showcase of Nepalese culture, the highlight of which will be an auction of authentic arts, crafts and textiles.

"We are hoping that people want to buy early for Christmas," said Club chairman Kim Carter, "and if they do, they'll have the most unusual presents under the tree for sure."

Mr. Carter recently returned from Kathmandu, where he spent three weeks working as an ISIS volunteer.

" 'Namaste' is a traditional Nepali greeting meaning 'the spirit in me meets the spirit in you'," Mr. Carter explained. "It's a wonderful greeting and is accompanied by hands raised in prayer - regardless of your religion. It makes people focus on the positive when they first meet."

The ISIS Foundation cares for thousands of children in need in Uganda and Nepal. The Kathmandu Kids Club works in partnership with the Foundation, raising the necessary cash to aid its Nepalese projects.

The ISIS Foundation primarily aims to improve health and educational programmes for children in the developing world. Current projects include maintaining ten homes for children who have escaped from the war in the mountains to Kathmandu and providing solar power and pit latrines for families living in villages 12,000 feet up the Himalayas.

Thursday night's event will offer a host of information on the Club's projects. Items available for sale include rugs and jewellery, as well as pashminas and scarves made by women who have benefited from one of ISIS' partner organisations, the Women's Foundation.

"We really want people to come and understand what we're doing," said Leonie Exel, president of the Kathmandu Club and general manager of the ISIS Foundation. "There is this incredible thing occurring between Nepal and Bermuda that many people aren't aware of. There are now thousands of people in Nepal who are being supported by hundreds of Bermudians through the ISIS Foundation and the Kathmandu Kids Club. It's quite extraordinary and we're hoping that people will come to the event and want to become part of this amazing sponsorship of a community by a community."

The event will be held at the Bermuda National Gallery between 5.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 28. Complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be available. Tickets for non-Club members are $10, and available from the ISIS Foundation office, located in the Crow Lane Bakery building, or at the door. For more information on the Kathmandu Kids Club and the ISIS Foundation, visit their web sites ? www.kathmandukidsclub.com and www.isis.bm.