Exciting Updates!
This is a blog that is a long time coming and I am very excited to share our updates.
In each of our bi-weekly meetings we seem to launch forward, which is very exciting, as our dream is becoming reality. We have been working hard to finalize school plans; we have our project manager, Dave, leading this with our contact in Nepal. Our president Rob will be going with Dave to Nepal in April to sign contracts to begin the work! Construction itself is still a ways away, but Rob making this trip is a huge step forward. We are working with an engineering and construction firm based out of Kathmandu so we are keeping all the money within Nepal. This trip will begin the process of obtaining approvals and permits, having trees cut down along with sand and rock taken from a river in order to make concrete as well as making a trip up to the village.
Another exciting piece of news is that a local filmmaker, Nick Versteeg, has approached us as he is making a follow-up documentary to his ‘Five Weeks in Nepal’ project and wants to do a feature on Another Brick in Nepal. Nick’s documentary can be found on the here, and you can read more about him on the DV Media website. This is a great opportunity to work with a local filmmaker and have our project gain some more exposure. Rob will be working with Nick during the trip in April. We will keep you up to date on the documentary as it gets produced.
Thank you everyone for all your support. Please keep telling people about ABIN.
Alana
One brick at a time…
Last week we setup a table at MARPAC and had the chance to talk to many of the amazing Canadian service men and women who went through the show.
Here’s the table we set up, don’t forget to look for us around at various events in Victoria, BC, this year. We are always happy to talk about Another Brick in Nepal and the plans that are already rolling for the first school this year. We also have some great hats that we are selling for $25 (cost is $13, $12 goes directly to rebuilding a school!), so you can represent and help us raise awareness as well as money!
We will let you know in advance what the next even will be, and hopefully we will see you there 🙂
You can always donate now, and know that our goal is to have a minimum of 90% of all money raised go directly to the communities we are trying to help. All building supplies and labour will be locally sourced. This is about putting money into communities who need it, and making sure their economies get the boost they benefit from as well as the schools the children will build their futures in.
Vlog #2
Randy, one of our board members, talks about the project and his involvement in Another Brick in Nepal.
Making a Dream into Reality
Getting the Another Brick in Nepal non-profit organization up and running has been a non-stop learning curve peppered with really exciting opportunities. I know much more is ahead before we reach our goal of building a school for very deserving people in Nepal.
I remember where I was when I first heard the name, “Another Brick in Nepal”. I was walking with my dad around Thetis Lake in Victoria. He and his friend Rob had thought of an idea to help rebuild in Nepal after the devastating 2015 earthquake. Rob (ABIN President), came up with the name. As soon as I heard it, I knew it had to be used if the project was to happen – the name was so catchy and relevant. It has now been one year since we first met to discuss the idea to build a school in Nepal. At that time I really didn’t know what would be involved in this whole process. We have all learned a lot over the year and momentum is beginning to pick up now that we are registered as a non-profit organization (still waiting on our charitable number), have built a website, appointed board member roles and visited the school site to name a few of many pieces of the plan.
Visiting the school site for me was nothing short of incredible. I remember that night, after we returned to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, I described our time at the village with a Wizard of Oz reference, in that “we are no longer in Kansas, and we must be over the rainbow.” Like many areas of Nepal, the Nuwakot region is stunning. The people and landscapes are extraordinary. Walking up to the village is something I will never forget. Having an entire village wait for your group to arrive is something that is difficult to put into words. I had seen photos of the destroyed village and school, but images on paper don’t quite do it justice. Seeing this with my own two eyes has fueled me to work as hard as I can to ensure we build a school for this rural village. These are people who deserve help. The students are making do with what they have as a makeshift school, that being corrugated metal leaning together with a roof. This isn’t good enough and they deserve a proper school, as they all want an education.
After a meeting in the school, we came outside to have tea, which was heated over an open fire and served to us. The gratitude shown by these people was humbling. I am happy that I was present when their hope for a school to be built was confirmed. People in Nepal are incredibly hard working. On our walk down from the village we hiked through large rice paddy fields. Many women and men harvest the rice, which feeds their families. Unlike myself, these people don’t have the opportunity to go to a large grocery store, pick up fresh fruits and vegetables and pay for them with a bankcard; these people work hard for their food and life in general and for that, I hold so much admiration for them.
I am grateful for the other people on the ABIN board. Everyone is passionate and brings a different strength to the table. I am very excited for the coming months, as our dream is becoming a reality. Our goal is to break ground to begin construction by summer.
Thank you for reading and following along with our progress.
Alana