I have an interesting story behind this partnership program.
Michael and I had a chance meeting at a bar in Thamel, Kathmandu early last Fall.
We shared a few beers and a conversation about our work. Michael, a Swiss and a lawyer by training, had come to Nepal for vacation to do a little bit of trekking. I had just returned home after spending most of the last 25 years abroad, most of that working as an international science teacher around the world. I had given all of that up only recently to follow my long-held dream of contributing to the education of the next generation of marginalized Nepalese children. To that end, I have been working as COMMITTED’s Education Program Director, tending to the education of children in Thangpalkot.
That chance meeting was all it took to put into motion this Student Sponsorship Program.
Following his trek around the countryside, and while I was also in the mountains, Michael had a follow-up meeting with Jayjeev, my friend and Executive Director of COMMITTED, before he flew back to Switzerland with hopes of starting a pashmina-selling business with a twist—it would have a social dimension to it!
His business would contribute a significant portion of the revenues towards the education of Nepalese children. By that time, Michael had already found a supplier and would have a first run at the Nemira-COMMITTED SSP (Student Sponsorship Program) this winter.
Nemira will be donating US$50.00 from the sale of every single pashmina product to support the education of children from Thangpalkot VDC, COMMITTED’s project site. The VDC has a number of government schools, with Shree Raithane Secondary School being the primary focus of our education-related projects, and sponsorship being just one of them. Nemira joins us as one of the many valuable supporters of the program.
A US$50.00 donation can cover the educational expenses of a child from half a year to a whole year depending on the age of the child.
Links to pages with details of children receiving support, and their supporters, resulting directly from the sale of pashmina products at Nemira will appear here.
We welcome Michael and the rest of Nemira team to COMMITTED’s family and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership in the education of the children of Nepal.
Dorje
January 15, 2014.
A list of students that are already benefiting from this program as of January 15 appears below. Click on the name of the student for their profile and sponsorship details.
- Navraj Basnet
- Motor Shyangbo
- Samir Pariyar
- Samjhana Tamang
- Sanju Pariyar
- Kabita Biswakarma
- Anju Biswakarma (replacement for Samir Pariyar)
