Current Projects
Sponsorship of Schooling for Children
Vinayak Shiksha Niketan School was started in 1989 by Surendra Bikram Prajapati, http://www.vinayak.edu.np as he was concerned about the lack of a good education in Government schools and the high fees charged by private schools. The school aims to provide education for local children at an affordable cost. It offers some scholarships to gifted children. International sponsorships have enabled some of the poorest children in the area to attend school.
The Nepal Australia Friendship Association (Queensland) Inc. (NAFA) – sponsorship program was started when an Australian volunteer, Sharon Thrupp (Director of Ekno Experience) sponsored a child in the school. When she went home she told her friends about the school and others gave donations to the school or sponsored individual children. NAFA took over the program in 2003.
Sponsorship allows a child to be educated in English, Maths, Science, Computer Studies and the local language of Nepali to class ten level, ie to School Leaving Certificate Level. Some of our sponsored children have already completed high school education and are studying medicine, engineering, nursing, teaching and management skills.
It only costs A$200-400 per year to sponsor a child depending on the class level. This amount covers uniforms, tuition and exam fees and all their books for one year. By supporting this sponsorship program, you know exactly where your money goes- every cent goes to the sponsored child's education. In Australia sponsorship fees are fully tax-deductible.
Ekno Experience has taken an active interest and role in sponsorship of children by assisting in the collection of funds. You can help by sponsoring a child by contacting us at info@eknoexperience.com
School Building Project
Vinayak Shiksha Niketan co-education school established in 1989 and registered with the District education office Bhaktapur, ministry of education HMG Nepal, aims to combine the best of their traditions and cultures with the best of current educational practices. This School is a charitable and a non-Profit making foundation. Funding comes from fees and endowments, not from government. The school is genuinely independent and free to decide what is in the best educational interests of the pupils. Due to the rapid increase of student numbers at over past years has meant much over-crowding in the small rented premises. The school has been undergoing an expansion project on nearby acquired land, and a 4-wing, 4-storey building is under construction. More than half the classrooms are already occupied. Funding for the building project has come entirely from overseas donations, but more donations are needed to complete the project, hopefully within the next 2 years. The old rented premises will still be used for lower grades, see http://www.experiencenepal.org/building.html The Director of Ekno Experience is a supporter of this project and if you wish to contribute to this fund, please contact us as info@eknoexperience.com
Goat Project
The Goat Project was started by the Eco Club of Vinayak School five years ago when a volunteer form Australia, Brenda Hazelwood gave $50 to assist poor people in the area.
Initially, a pair of goats was given to a poor family in a rural area on condition that when they had kids two would be given to a further family. This number has increased and there are now 4 and a half pairs of goats. The families have a contract with the Placement Agency and promise to give a pair of goats that they have reared to a further family, therefore enlarging the herds.
All students from the VSN School, Thimi are monitoring the goats. These members have the responsibility of evaluating the grazing areas, the physical condition of the goats and commitment of the families.
The families benefit greatly from the project as they use the milk, make cheese and eat goat meat. The children themselves are often in charge of the animals' grazing taking them to the areas they know to be fertile pastures. http://www.vinayak.edu.np/ecoclub.html
Ekno Experience has taken an active interest and role in this project by assisting in the collection of funds on behalf of the project. You can help in purchasing a goat by contacting us at info@eknoexperience.com
Proposed Projects
For the local inhabitants of Thimi Nepal, sustainable tourism is a long-term goal. Thimi is a special place, famous for its unique brand of pottery combined with ancient buildings of heritage significance unlike any other place and as such could become a significant tourist destination.
It is these special qualities or values of places that underpin marketing, interpretation and creating a satisfying experience for the visitor.
We are endeavouring to build a productive and lasting partnership between heritage and tourism.
Our vision is to provide a framework for sustainable tourism initiatives that help manage and protect these key natural and cultural heritage assets. This will be used to develop new and existing tourism opportunities in an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable manner.
The identified projects are
-
Recycling of the local waste materials along with collection and disposal.
There is no organized rubbish collection in the village. Rubbish is currently dumped in and around local housing and on the outskirts of the village by its local inhabitants. There are no organized areas and there are piles of rubbish laying around which local animals eat and distribute the rubbish further.
It is envisaged that permission be sought from the local Municipal Council to designate land for a rubbish disposal area for its local inhabitants. Help is required to managed disposal as well as create a collection to local residences and disposal to the area. It is envisaged that a recycling process can also be managed.
-
Build and maintain a public toilet building according to local needs.
There are no public toilets in the town and locals are forced to use the streets or nearby fields. As there is still a high proportion of houses in the village that do not have running water and toilet facilities, local inhabitants are forced to use the nearby fields on a daily basis. These public toilets can then also be used for the local people who do not these facilities.
As there are no public conveniences, visitors to the area are not able to make use of public conveniences when visiting the village.
-
Development and maintenance of a Sustainable Health Post for the Thimi community.
A permanent health post to be established, identification of equipment needed as well as having an ongoing supply of medicines available.
Program for enough resources and to maintain effectively the clinic and develop and train a future local health care worker to educate and work in the community.
As an initial step, a volunteer would be recruited to identify the following:
Identify the needs of the clinic – the feasibility of having a permanent health post, equipment needed as well as having an ongoing supply of medicines available
Policies and Procedures – develop policies and procedures for the Health Care clinic (working procedures and timetable for the local health care worker)
Identification of health needs within the community – home visits and surveys of family members of school children and carpet factory workers
Budgets – Identification of local care needs targeting the workers of Carpet Factory and parents of local school children and community at large. Prepare budget and presentation to NGO, Experience Nepal
Resources - Build up resources and identify needs for the Health Care clinic
Training Program – Develop and train a future local health care worker to educate and work in the local community
Community Education Program – develop and implement program that includes hygiene, first aid, nutriution, female and children’s health.
Health Care manual for the clinic – a manual to be used by health care worker, staff members and other volunteers.
Contacts and Referrals list – list of local hospitals and services for community health. This may include specialist care available through foreign funding agencies.
Proposal writing and networking with other NGOs for the purposes of fundraising to ensure the sustainability of the health care post.
-
Promotion of local craftsmanship - pottery, mask making, painting, paper crafts, etc.
The town has a unique product of having local craftsman visible in the local town squares and courtyards working on their products. Tourists can visit and view these craftsman at work however the craftsmen have to continue to work to earn their livelihoods. As there is no set workshop which is set up for tourists to visit and have hands on experience of the local products for e.g. there could be demonstrations where tourists can try all aspects of the local pottery from kneading, spinning and firing the clay. Traditional craftsmanship is a dying art as such there will be little or no tourism value for the town if there is no local craftsmanship to produce the pottery, mask making and paper crafts.
It is envisaged that a training program be set up for unemployed youth to learn the traditional crafts of paper crafts, wood carving and pottery. In addition they could also be trained in cooking, sewing, and learn trades of beautician and hairdressing. (Nepal currently has an unemployment rate of approximately 42%).
-
Promotion and preservation of local art and culture - festivals, dress and custom, traditional dances, instruments, music
Nepal has a rich culture of festivals and colourful holidays which occur all year round and as such a program is required to continue to develop and maintain local customs, dances, theatre. This would be through theatre programs to be performed in Kathmandu in national dance and song competitions.
A local theatre company comprising of residents and children and mentored by older residents of the community to be set up to preserve and condition the rich customs and traditions of the Newar culture.
