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Club President Loida Lumanlan with Ramesh Neupane This week we were pleased to hear from a Rotarian who has come all the way from Nepal to attend the International Conference who came to our club to tell us about some of the projects that his club in Kathmandu, Nepal has been involved with. Ramesh told us that Nepal is a small region with a very high density of population. It ranges from densely populated large cities to small isolated villages. He said that their club, founded in 2003, currently has thirty six members, but from what he told us about their projects they have a very busy, hard working membership. They also have two Rotaract clubs and one Interact club that they sponsor. He said that he joined this club five years ago and is the outgoing club Secretary and will be club Treasurer next year. Their club currently has several Rotary Global Fund Projects that they oversee as the host club: The Damgade Drinking Water Project in Bagmati Province,Thaha Municipality which is two years old and ongoing, a Damgade Biogas Project in Bagmati Province, Thaha Municipality which is has just been applied for and is under review, A Medical Equipment Project for the Kumari Community Hospital in Badaban, Chhedagad Municipality which is coming to a close after six years and a Wheel Chair and Walking Aids project in Kathmandu in conjunction with the LDS Charities in Nepal and is ongoing. The drinking water project aims to supply clean fresh water to about 160 households ( about through building a pipeline, storage tanks and pumping stations that will deliver water uphill to water tap stands 24/7 in each household fourteen kilometers uphill from a year round stream. Prior to this these people captured rainwater in large cement jars and when that ran out they walked long distances daily to collect water from springs and carry it back to their homes. The local government is collaborating by covering the cost of electricity, building an access road and a community hall and covering cash shortfalls. The local people are supplying labor to dig the trench and building other related works. The Damgade Biogas project aims to supply about one hundred and fifty households in seven communities with clean methane gas produced locally in biodigesters from manure and maintained by trained local people. There will be one biodigester per household. It will also supply gas burning cooking stoves to replace the current wood stoves. This will greatly improve the lives of the local women who currently must collect firewood and cook over smoky wood fires. The Wheelchair project aims to supply three hundred and forty wheelchairs across Nepal through local Rotary Clubs and social organizations. They are also working on a planned new project to provide training on organic farming methods, improved cowsheds and poly houses, business and market training. It sounds like their club is working hard to make the lives of other people better and to spread the Magic of Rotary, We would like to thank Ramesh for his very inspiring presentation. |
