Nepal Project: 2008

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Kopan Recycling and Composting Farm

During July, 2008, a volunteer from Engineers Without Borders visited the compost and recycling site in Kopan. His report was very positive and suggested that it might be possible to use this project as an example to other areas in a similar situation.

The greenhouse is protecting the tomato crop from the monsoon rains.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

The recycling project

The farm is producing some vegetables which have been sold for around $600. A new planting of a variety of vegetables took place in April and in around three months time these will be harvested. It was planned to develop a recycling project to produce compost for the farm, but the lack of funds meant that this was postponed until next year. A representative from Engineers without Borders might visit the project to help with some advice about composting.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Farm

The farm has been set up to use the compost produced from the recycling project. It is about 2kms from the library and there are local markets for the vegetables. It is hoped that the local farmers can be educated in the use of compost and organic vegetables.

Recycling Project

The latest project plan is to start a recycling project which will clean up part of the Kopan area. Each day 300 tonnes of rubbish is produced in Kathmandu. About 70% of this is biodgradable and a recycling project could help reduce the amount being sent to landfill.

Artist in Residence

A local artist (NG ) has offered to teach some painting to the card makers and other interested students. He ran an interesting class in simple water colour painting.

Latrobe visit to Nepal

Latrobe University visited Nepal in December, 2007. They worked in various charity organizations as well as the Kopan Library.

The children in the Centre were very keen to practise their English and were delighted to talk to the visit of the Latrobe students.

The maps were from the Australian Embassy and proved to be a useful aid to teaching about Australia.

Latest changes

While I am in Australia, Netra Basnet continues to run Bright Future Community Center. He also oversees Dreamland Computer School.

Report about the developments in Nepal (2010)
This year I felt that real progress is being made with Bright Future Community Center. The local people are more supportive of what is being done and where possible we are encouraging them to have an input.
I had planned to have a baby health centre, but it is evolving as a clinic. The young girls who are teaching in BFCC are passing on knowledge they learn at school. Netra has enlisted the help of some local girls who are attending university and they are making a valuable contribution.
The visits by tourists - Teresa William's trekkers, Rotary Eyes Wide Open and passing tourists - are making a big difference as the children meet people from different cultures. Their spoken English has improved and they are more confident.

Developments at Bright Future Health Clinic (2013)

The teaching of children at the clinic has continued which is important for their general health.
The local Red Cross organized for Doctor Doig and his son (volunteers from Melbourne) to teach general health to the local health workers.

They also monitored the local people for Type 2 diabetes and discovered 25% were in danger of developing diabetes. It is now important to continue educating about the need for improved diet.

Cathy Ryan, a nurse from Horsham, also voluteeredto help with the survey and other health issues.

Aparna, a local health worker, has presented information about women's health problems and we are hoping to continue and expand this work.

The local branch of the Red Cross has run several classes about Earthquake Awareness.

The Sewing School has continued to teach the local ladies some sewing skills. In most cases they are happy to be able to use the machines to produce clothes for their families.

Some goods have been sold in the sewing school shop, but business is very slow.

Some generous donations have made it possible to improve the BFCC building and the clinic (Bright Future Health Clinic). The addition of hand basins at both buildings means we can teach about hand washing with proper demonstrations.

I am hoping to introduce some classes for exercises which help with rehabilitation and Type 2 diabetes. If there are volunteers out there who can help we would love to hear from you.