The School is Completed! And a Big Announcement
I am pleased to report that after a long delay due to the monsoon season, the school in Baishakuha was completed in early 2019!
The villagers of Baishakuha continued to build the school after we left in May 2018. Like all buildOn schools, the villagers were empowered to lead this project. The local community contributed land, local materials, and more than 1,095 volunteer workdays. Women served side-by-side with men on the worksite, an especially important achievement in Nepal, where women are often denied the same opportunities as men.
The below pictures show the school before and after!
The following pictures were taken by the buildOn Nepal staff. It is so heartwarming and touching to see everyone in these photographs because I know them personally—they shared their houses and meals with us, and we worked side by side.
The class is in session! The furniture has not been delivered yet, but they could not wait to start learning at their new school. These are the kids who followed us around everywhere and we played together every day!
The furniture was finally delivered! 35 students (15 boys and 20 girls) are attending the school now.
The Adult Literacy Program also started soon after. It is held at the school we built, and 29 women and 1 man joined the program to learn how to read and write. This news is especially exciting to me since this program was brought to this village by the people who donated to my fundraising initiative. The program will run for 2 years and they will learn to read, write, and do basic math through the lens of health, agriculture, and relevant life skills.
I was hoping to obtain some latest pictures of the Adult Literacy Program so that I can share them here. Unfortunately, I only have one photograph taken before the furniture was installed.
What we can do individually may be small, but when we put our efforts together, we can make a big difference. Thank you very much to all those who made contributions to making the gift of an Adult Literacy Program possible for the villagers in Baishakuha.
Acknowledgment:
Building a school in Nepal—this seemingly impossible act has magically unfolded in front of my eyes. Without my visionary friends, I do not think I would have ever thought such a large scale project could be done by individuals. I would like to thank Freelanthropist—Tiffany and Kirstin—for inviting me on this amazing journey, and also buildOn for having important programs to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.
During the preparation and fundraising, I was touched by so many people who have supported my effort to raise funds for me to go to Nepal and also to bring an adult literacy program to the school we are building. Thank you to my two amazing editors, Ish and Erika, for helping me bring this blog to life as a vehicle for readers to virtually take the trek with me.
What one can do may be small, but together we can make a difference
And to my Nepali family and friends in Baishakuha who welcomed this stranger into your community with such open heart and for showing me how people can build deep care and compassion to each other without words the laughter and tears we shared were so pure, and there are no words to describe the love I have for you.
In the power of humanity, I trust. Thank you for taking this journey with me by reading my stories.
And the Big Announcement!
In late September 2019, my trek team will be building a school in Senegal!
Education has the power to transform lives and lifts communities out of poverty. I am looking forward to this new opportunity to build a school for the children in Senegal.
Please join me on this journey by reading my new blog. I will be updating it with stories about Senegal and will post photographs from the trip afterward. https://medium.com/build-a-school-in-senegal-2019
I am also raising funds to cover the cost for me to work in Senegal, and to help buildOn fund future schools around the world. By making a tax-deductible donation, you will enable me to reach my goal and help to bring the gift of education to people who need it most. My fundraising page is here: https://act.buildon.org/KaySenegal2019
Email: kaysenegal2019@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/KaySenegal2019
