How It All Began

In 2006, a group of Edmonton friends trekked to the Everest Base Camp and were very impressed with the strength, determination, and resourcefulness of the Nepali farmers working as our porters and guides. They shared about their village and the challenges of living in a subsistence economy, as well as their dreams of a brighter future for their children. When it was time to return home, we knew we wanted to continue our relationship with these exceptional people and partner with them to make a difference for their children and village.

 

While we began by paying the wages for a teacher, it soon became apparent that a new school building was needed. We invited our friends—who invited their friends—to a series of social events, providing the opportunity to help by donating money. We were delighted and humbled by their generosity.

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Since the Society was formed in 2008, our guiding principle has been that the village council of Juving sets the direction for development. With their priority of better education, we provided seed money that enabled them to expand limited local funds to build and run a high-quality school. They developed a plan to build a new school with five classrooms plus a library/office, and it was a delight to see this come to fruition.

 

The original single-room school has been replaced by two buildings housing five classrooms and an office/library. Subsequent trips to Nepal in 2009 and 2011 showed our confidence was justified. The stone buildings were well-constructed and furnished. Using the designs of a Nepali architect, the stone buildings also proved their earthquake resistance during the severe earthquake of 2015.

 

In addition to funds to construct the school buildings, we have supported teachers' wages (beyond the single teacher provided by the government) and have provided a warm winter uniform and backpack for each student each year. Now, all the students in the village can attend grades one through five, and attendance is exemplary.