Suzie Schneider, FoN treasurer, and Don Messerschmidt, a FoN member, made a site visit to check on the Legacy Project on behalf of Friends of Nepal last fall. They were impressed with the amount that had been accomplished in a few short months and left convinced that our donations were being well spent. After the visit, Suzie sent the letter below to her hosts.
[flickr-gallery mode=”photoset” photoset=””]
***********************************************************************************
Namaste saathiharu,
Warm Dashain Wishes to all who were involved in the successful visit to Keshvatar and Rumshi.
On behalf of Friends of Nepal it is difficult to put into words the wonderful experience we had during our visit to the ‘wireless’ project. The receptions were warm, welcoming and friendly…as if you were coming home to family and old friends. I have never seen so many gorgeous flowers and so many malas.
The community participation is extraordinary and is to be congratulated for working together. Not only are those living outside of the area continuing their interest/support but also the school teachers, school committee, health post/clinic employees and others have invested a lot of time and energy to create so much dedication and enthusiasm. This has allowed for example the formation of the Amaa group & day care to be successful. It was great to see a functioning library in the school. As fun as it was to watch the children demonstrate their computer skills it was thrilling to watch the women’s computer demonstration. A visit to the health post and a brief tele-med connection was made which will create opportunities for quicker and better health care for the area.
The various projects previously undertaken by the village and now accepting the wireless for education, health, and income/business prospects indicates that there is a supportive environment which encourages all ages to try new and unknown activities which may awaken new interests and develop new skills.
It was a pleasure to see so much excitement and being in the company of Mahabir Pun who also has so much energy, dedication and devotion to this project makes me feel like a rock on the side of the road.
We appreciate the vehicle and monetary support provided to make the trip happen and a smashing success. There are so many people to thank and if anyone is missed by this email, I apologize BUT please extend a hearty thank you!
Friends of Nepal looks forward to reaching our financial commitment and sending the remainder of the funding in the near future. We also would like to be kept in the communication loop regarding how the computers are being used and what milestones are reached (example…successful medical advice from a KTM/Pokhara hospital, business/income generation projects that have benefitted, additional villages connected, etc).
We look forward to viewing Kumar Ale’s video of the visit.
Again many thanks.
Suzie Schneider
Friends of Nepal, Treasurer
Sally Savaglio (my friend who joined us on the visit)
