Newsletter December 2018
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A friendly Namaste to all our friends, patrons, members and sponsors Paths are made by walking. Franz Kafka NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2018 Page 1 Gentle reader, I would like to begin this foreword by look- In 2011 we established a practical training pro- ing at the progress we have made since 2011. gram complete with workshops. The aim is to Similar to a magician pulling a dove from a top introduce young adults to the metal and wood hat, a small group of amateurs has pulled out an working trades as well as to the electrical in- elephant. Truly what your donations and our work dustry. On page 29 Unique Rawal a graduate have achieved is amazing. relates how much he enjoyed his time there CONTENTS and how he has remained to help out with the Here are just a few highlights: new students. In this December edition of our newsletter please read Since 2011 the authorities in Nepal have con- To further strengthen the students’ chances on tinually awarded the children‘s village the the job market, we began to offer vocational Foreword page 3 highest rating - an A rating. guidance. Today with help from a partner in Nepal – Career Disha Nepal (CDN) – we prepare A word from Primary Focus Footprints pages 4 -11 Nestled within the grounds of the village an young adults for the Nepalese job market (see Christiane Karsch, elementary school has been established. The page 25). member of the board of About the FNH and FWHC pages 12 –15 primary goal is not only to give a first-rate ed- the FNH since 2012 ucation. More importantly it concentrates on Furthermore members of the FWHC and FNH News from the pages 16 - 23 helping children traumatized from losing their have also made contact with many villagers. Children’s Village parents and often living on the streets. Indi- Together this reconnaissance has given rise to vidual mentoring is part and parcel of this pro- “sustainable footprints.” Scattered across Ne- News from the pages 24 - 30 gram as well as frequent teacher training. This pal are small efforts to help a particular village Youth Hostel year Ingrid Patzsch was again there this year with a specific problem. Detailed in pages four aiding local teachers (see page 23). to eleven are descriptions of some of these Fund-raising efforts pages 31- 33 projects. Increasingly the FWHC and the whole project Information and closure pages 34 - 35 are becoming more independent. More and My wish is that we all keep up the effort and re- more, decisions are made on the ground in main engaged in these valuable projects in Nepal. Photo above and on title page: Nepal. We are thrilled to see that thanks to ini- For me, I am proud and happy at being in so a “Hiking for a better life” (see page 9) tiatives taken from colleagues in the Children’s dynamic caring group of fellow travelers. One that Village and in the Youth Hostel, the standard of spreads good will near and far. This newsletter be- Photo below: living has increased (see page 14). gins with our latest, most recent exciting efforts, In the Children’s village “sustainable footprints.” “Who can hold their breath the longest?” Only half of Nepal has access to electricity. Our solution was to set up a clean photovoltaic Wishing you and your family a healthy, happy and Dear reader, a humble note of caution: system in the village. It provides all the pow- productive new year, we are a non profit, voluntary organization; er needed for living and learning; the village is editorial mishaps may occur. now energy independent. Christiane Karsch Cologne Page 2 Newsletter December 2018 FOREWORD Page 3 Reconstruction, well building, efficient and sustainable agriculture, education – Nepal is in need of FOOTPRINTS them all. The FNH and FWHC DEVELOPMENTAL ASSISTANCE are both on the front STRAIGHT ACROSS NEPAL lines lending a hand in various projects Along with our central two projects in Pokhara and Kathmandu, increasingly we are leaving sustainable footprints across Development cooperation for 2 Nepal. Discussed here are 11 examples and a report of a three schools in the vicinity of “the hostel” sponsored “Hike for a Better Life.” Experience how our former children are now helping to develop The three schools in and around Dukuchhap in far the costs have come to roughly 27,000 Euros. A villages. By giving the villagers hope, they Lalitpur District were partly destroyed from the new roof was installed on the Shree Chanda Devi help prevent migration to a life of earthquake. The Chitra Kumari Primary School School for 13,000 Euros. The roof to the Indra Ka- destitution in Kathmandu. received a completely new building from the FNH mal Primary School needed repairs and this came consisting of prefabricated units. As the school to 1,900 Euros. Instruction has now resumed at all rests on a slope, the latter was strengthened. So of the schools. 9 4 8 7 Retaining wall for the 10 6 3 5 Mangala Devi school in Bhode 11 1 2 On recommandation of Dewan Rai, the request of the protective fence, voracious goats and cows are 3 the Mangala Devi School in the Danakuta Ditsrict prevented from eating off the young shoots. In ad- reached us to stop the soil erosion at their school. dition our funds enabled a large rainwater collec- We have actively financed a large retaining wall as tion tank and drinking water supply for the school. well as the planting of fruit trees with a protec- Alexander Schmidt visited the project last year. tive fence around the school grounds. Thanks to © OpenStreetMap, openstreetmap.org Succesful village development 4 1 Helping to develop the in Singdi mountainous village Padgaunbeshi Many years ago we started to develop the village connected to Pokhara via a road and new hous- After the latest earthquake in Nepal, nine homes Schmidt was in Nepal as the earthquake hit and Singdi in Lamjung district. With hydropower gen- es are being built The village wirh 2400 habitants were flattened in this village in the district of Kavre shortly after he visited the village. In addition to erating 40 kilowatts, with toilets and showers in received 5,000 Euros from the FNH last year for Palanchowk. Each of these home owners received rebuilding homes, the school Sarawoti Elementary all the houses, a health-post, a computer lab in another water supply. Singdi has become a suc- a princely sum of 2,000 Euros to rebuit. The vil- School received 500 Euros for new teaching ma- the school, the village has become more attractive cessful village development project. lagers’ response was overwhelming. Alexander terial. and has been growing ever since. Now Singdi is Page 4 Newsletter December 2018 FOOTPRINTS Page 5 Tapping a spring and channeling the water 6 km to a water tank secures a self-sufficient existence. 5 Village development Water project 6 in the Makalu Region in a mountain village That a power supply and education are existen- heavy turbine for that 8 KW hydroelectric power What do you do without water? In 2015 the earth- We took up the necessary construction and repair tial can be seen in what transpired in the village of devisce had to be flown in with a helicopter. 8 KW quake cut off the water supply of a village in costs in order to ensure the villagers could take Ropesa and Tashigaun in the Sankuwasabha Dis- should provide enough power for both villages. Sindhupalchwok district, a village high up in the care of themselves. Agriculture here is traditional: trict in Makalu. Work on the micro-grid continues; the initial bill mountains. Nothing was left, the spring, the 6 oxen yoked to wooden plow, women following be- for transportation and initial grid work has cost km channel and the water tank on the other end. hind sowing seed. For 15,000 Euros we were able to rebuild the pri- 25,000 Euros. Surprisingly, villagers have commit- Without water, farming was no longer possible. mary school. Shortly afterwards, there were al- ted themselves to covering 25% of the expenses most twice as many pupils as before. The school is themselves. Either they’ve rolled up their sleeves in Ropesa, the village that Alexander Schmidt had and offered their labor, or donated material, or visited two years ago.It so far from any roads that helped with fundraising. By making it their project, logistics pretty much came to a standstill. Instead a village becomes more attractive, and more im- school furniture had to be constructed in situ. The portantly young adults are more motivated to stay. Over 100 pupils are Villagers are contented in their new completely involved in classrooms rebuilding the school. Reconstruction and development of the The children are 7 happy and grateful. elementary school in the mountain village Ramche With a new school many more children Of all the districts struck by the earthquake, it was fall of 2015. In this district the village Ramche had come to lessons. Gorkha that was damaged the most. Alexander its elementary school flattened. With 15,000 Euros Schmidt and Chandra Sunar, former healthcare the FNH got the school up and running; over 100 assistant at the children’s village, were there in the pupils attend. Women of the BPW Club pass over a donation for toys and other material Full-day kindergarten 8 in Pokhara’s industrial park One challenge facing working mothers in Nepal is out. Toys, mattresses, a TV, clothes, furniture and what to do with their toddlers. In Pokhara’s indus- dishware – the 1,000 Euros the FNH donated went trial zone the local Business Professional Women a long way.