Where is Nepal and why are you building there?

One of the first things I've learned in helping my son promote his NGO is, not too many people know about Nepal! First, I've been surprised that some don't even know it's a country, and second, that some have no idea where it is, or third, that it is the home of Mount Everest. If nothing else, our goal to build a school in one of the poorest countries on our Planet has helped spread information about this little known corner of the world. Picture a slice of land about the size of Florida but with much more people and towering mountains along one border-in fact, 10 of the world's largest mountains lined up practically side by side. And then carve a valley somewhere towards the middle and fill it with ancient temples, ancient shrines, predominatly Hindu practicing people of various tribal backgrounds, world travelers converging from all corners and a hearty mix of monks, sahdus, Hindu priests and humanity-that would be Nepal's one large city, Kathmandu, and all around the other edges of the country, plains, desert and jungle where rhino, elephant and tiger live-that is Nepal. It is wedged neatly between India and China, with Bhutan at its foot. It is a political hotbed and a stew of political parties and interests and that's all I want to say about that. Nepal is filled with warm-hearted, caring people who have opened doors and extended heart-breaking hospitality, despite having so little, to us as we've traveled there, and the lovely children greeting you with Namaste will remain in your memories forever.

That is a small reason why we are putting out the effort to build one school, one to begin with, in a remote, somewhat "primitive", to American standards, village in the lap of the Ganesh Himalayas. Our son has volunteered in Nepal for awhile off and on and has grown to know the culture and become good friends with some of the people there. The school is both a product of his desire to do something of benefit to help Nepal, and to practice something the Buddhist call Prajna and bodhisattva action. Simply put, an effort to eliminate suffering.

How can I not be so proud of him and work here at home to help fund his dream? And so as Amma la, I've become the fund raising coordinator of his HANDS in Nepal (HANDS by the way, meaning: Humanitarian Acts in Nepal Developing Schools). The first act of business was to make this official by becoming a "real" NGO (Non-government Organization) and registering as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit. Downloaded copious amounts of reading material through a wide-variety of government sites for non-profits and several months later, we came out of the paperwork quagmire with our official paperwork in hand and officially registered with our official tax ID number for our official status as a nonprofit, even incorporated. It wasn't hard, but it wasn't easy, and I have to say it was the least fun part so far of this adventure. But we did it, and now felt we were officially on our way to making the school and HANDS a reality. The next big order of business-how to raise the money for a school in a part of the world so many knew so little about?