Rural Community Development in Nepal

 
Dear Rotary Clubs 9940.
On behalf of our Stratford Rotary Club Mary Stanley (Peace Fellow) and myself have embarked on a project to assist in Nepal following their massive earthquake. At that time our small Club rallied and provided 3 Emergency Boxes along with most other 9940 Clubs doing their bit!
Mary was in Bhopal, India during November 2014 with many others from around the World commemorating the Union Carbide gas leak which killed many people 30 years previously.
While there she met up with Ram Adhar Kapar from Nepal who is the Executor of an organisation called “Rural Community Development Service Council”. You can Google this or go to their website which is www.rcdsc.org.np
 
 
On arrival back in NZ Mary and I teamed up to see what more we could do to help Ram’s organisation which is dedicated to helping their very poor people and in particular disadvantaged women and child marriages. Please go to the website for more detail! This is ongoing for them and still need our help.To this end we agreed to sell Pashminas (300) and some art works all of which have been spun, woven and dyed in their remote villages as a program to help themselves become more self-sufficient The Pashminas are 70% Cashmere and 30% Silk and much of the artworks are done on homemade paper. We still have approximately 60 Pashminas unsold and a small amount of artworks.  
My request to all our Clubs is are there members who may have a retail business or involved in a large Corporate who is looking for nice Xmas gifts for their staff please contact me for detail or making an offer. My aim is to not have to send any back to Ram!!
As well as selling Pashminas we have embarked on promoting the purchase of hand water pumps which can be installed in Villages or homes for a megger $400 nz each.
So far all Taranaki, Clubs and some individuals have been simple amazing with funding for 20 pumps being provided.
One member of our Stratford Club has provided funding for 4 pumps with attached photos of a Village where two pumps were installed. Ram has orders for 329 pumps so with your Clubs help Mary and I are appealing for your help so let us see if we can swell the numbers to over 60 pumps!!
All Clubs or individuals who donate pumps will receive a photo sent by Ram of its instillation.
Mary and I personally thank DG Martin for pledging his support to this Project and we wish him well during his term.
Please direct all enquiries to Barrie’s email address,  barrie.r.smith@gmail.com  or phone 067655458 or 0276602525. Banking details will be given on enquiry.
Barrie Smith