Today is my cousin Amanda’s birthday. She is one of the most selfless, loving, and giving people I know in this world. Although we don’t see each other often, when we do we pick up right where we left off. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing Amanda in NYC for a lovely dinner with her college friends. We spent most of the evening huddled together, chatting about family, travel, and the future. I cherished these brief hours together since our visits are so infrequent.
I was captivated listening to Amanda’s latest project. Some people set goals to launch a new website or travel to a foreign country in the near future. Not Amanda! Her latest project is building a school… in Nepal. Amanda first traveled to Nepal as an undergrad student. Since then, she has traveled back many times and even launched Nepal Trek and Trail, a company that organizes yearly treks to Nepal. Since Nepal holds such a dear place in her heart, Amanda decided she wanted to give back to this endearing country by building a school in a remote Nepali village that does not have one. I am amazed by her passion and drive to complete this project. I hope one day to travel to Nepal and have Amanda by my side as I visit her school for the very first time. I am sure it will be an emotional, life-changing journey!
In honor of Amanda’s birthday, I invite you to read below to learn more about her Maure Village School expansion as well as donate to her project.
Maure Village School Expansion
What is The Issue?
Maure is a rural village in Northeastern Nepal with a student population of over 300. Currently, there is no schooling locally available to children after eighth grade because there is no school building. Therefore, high school age students have a two hour round trip walk to school every day. The distance makes it difficult for children to attend school in this agricultural community, where a typical day involves a great deal of work in the fields and many home chores in addition to school. As a result, the drop off rate is very high once children reach high school because the walk is to far or they leave for the main city of Kathmandu where many children often find their way into the slums or sex trade, an increasingly large problem in Nepal. The village needs to build a school so that children can obtain an education locally, increasing the overall completion rate of school beyond eighth grade which will help to increase the intellectual capital of both the village and Nepal.What is Our Solution?
The future of Nepal is in the hands of the children of Maure and other villages in the country. The Maure School Project endeavors to complete repairs on the existing secondary school to improve the quality of the school. The project will also procure land and build a high school as well as start a fund to help support teachers and students. The effort is a partnership between an American, who first studied in Nepal in 1999 and now guides an annual cultural tour for westerners and travels extensively, and a Nepali family that includes the former Mayor of Maure, all whom are highly committed to the project.What is The Long-term Impact?
Once built, the school in Maure will provide opportunity to over 300 children to obtain education locally. Once established, the project endeavors to provide the right level of support to the Nepali staff as they design curriculums that work for the children and give them an the tools they need to take advantage of opportunities in Nepal and create a positive future for themselves, their families in a country that desperately needs strong leaders.Project Message:
“There are few opportunities in life where you can make a difference in the lives of hundreds of children with one donation. The Maure School Build will change the lives of hundreds of children for years to come and provide much needed opportunity for the children who are the future of Nepal. Whether you’ve visited Nepal or you will someday visit and fall in love with country, spread the love (maya), make magic (jadu) happen and please consider donating today. We seek to raise $30,000 which equates to $100 per child. Consider it, do it, pass it on.”
Please consider donation to the Maure Village School expansion project today.
