The  Womens’ Empowerment Project (WEP) in Waku VDC, by our partners  Taksindu Social Welfare (TSW) is making amazing progress, see the attached PDF document for pictures and an update.… Great work TSW!

The main results achieved by TSW in the WAKU VDC (eastern Nepal) include:

• Formed active parents Teachers Association in 12 schools.
• Running women adult literary class  for three months.
• Established a livelihood training program for women.

Project Update PDF - WEP Update July 2010

For more information on the Women Empowerment Project in WAKU VDC …

• Market based skill development & micro-credit training
• Project overview matrix -  Womens Empowerment  Project by TSW 2010

The evening included an amazing dinner of great Nepali food, thanks to all the wonderful volunteer cooks from the association.   The night was filled with presentations, dancing, singing and as always lots of kids filling the hall with joy and laughter.  Here are few pictures of the night.

ne of the original kids that Kina supported through secondary school, is now in the last year of  a two-year college teaching  program.

Nawang came to our attention back in 2003 through a partner organization we had been working with in eastern Nepal.  He was the eldest child from a very poor family living off the land, and was having a tough time staying in school since he had to walk almost 3hr every day to the nearest secondary school (class 7-10) and couldn’t afford the hostel fees to stay overnight during the week.

Nawang is in a sense the classic story in this part of the world,  a bright kid who really wants to learn but is torn between contributing to the family’s livelihood (as a child) and getting an education.   This is were Kina stepped in and  provided Nawang education scholarships to cover his school fees, clothes, food, supplies and boarding at the school hostel, allowing him to study hard and take the financial burden off the family.    He did not disappoint, and advanced through to class 10 (achieving his SLC – school leaving certificate) studying during the week and helping his family on the weekends.

It was during this time that Kina shifted the focus of providing education scholarships to girls, in the same manner as Nawang has received.  Nawang turned out to be a great role model for the girls that joined the program, particularly when we held leadership training … he turned out to be a natural leader.  He has also helped our in-country manager  visit the remote villages that the girls live in order to administer the scholarships, as well as attend community development workshops.

Since the day we met Nawang he has always expressed a strong desire to become a teacher at the local primary school.  So we continued providing his scholarship as he  finished the first year of a college level teaching program and is now working hard to finish up the second year.

What is really great about this story is that through his education he was able to land a job on a WWF funded project to bring hydro electric power to his village.  He was trained in electrical generation systems in Kathmandu and was a member on the team to build a mini-hydro electric plant and to string all the power lines through the village.  He is now paid a salary by the community association through the revenue generated, and operates the hydro plant on a part time basis as he continues to finish his college education.

UPDATE, June 14, 2010: His dream of  becoming a teacher in his village school is very near, as he has now been accepted as a teacher and will start teaching in the fall, congratulations to Nawang.