Power of Passion Project

Trip leaders Carla and Lars from the Power of Passion Project are partnering with REACH for Nepal (RFN) and the Rotary Club of Hervey Bay Sunrise and Dhulikhel Nepal for this year's projects. Lars and Carla have been travelling to Nepal since 2004 and 2006 as volunteers, ultra-running, Annapurna and Everest trek leading all with different teams focused on giving back and exploring the beauty of Nepal.

After the Earthquakes of 2015 Lars took a team to Nepal for a life straw project delivering over 2.5million litres of drinkable water in the form of lifestraws to rural communities that had no access to clean drinking water. In 2017 a combined rotary project took on the construction of 20 Biogas units within the Earthquake ravaged areas.  In 2019 Lars and Carla decided to include their 4 children in the ‘giving back experience’.  Travelling with a team of Rotarians they were able to provide a further 20 Bio-Gas units and facilitate a positive women’s hygiene initiative in ‘Days for Girls’.

In May this year Carla and Lars will be delivering 3 projects in the village of Harpan, approx 1.5 hours southwest of Pokhara in the Kaski District that suffered great hardship from the 2015 Earthquakes.

Project 1: 'Lets Build it Together'  Power of Passion will be teaming up with REACH for Nepal Foundation and the Rotary Club of Hervey Bay Sunrise to fundraise for an earthquake safe school building in Harpan village.

REACH for Nepal Foundation (RFN) provides aid in Gandaki Province of Western Nepal – delivering both infrastructure developments and humanitarian aid projects.

In 2023, RFN started building Earthquake Resilient Classrooms (ERC’s) in Nepal. The ERC design won a category in the recent Good Design Awards in Australia.

These classrooms are not only safer for the children but also are built to last for generations.

Janasiddha Basic School is in the picturesque village of Harpan, approximately 1.5 hours southwest of Pokhara, in the Kaski District. The school and community have been beneficiaries of REACH for Nepal's support over recent years, with previous projects including the employment of an English teacher, the construction of four amenity blocks, and the erection of a protective perimeter fence to ensure the safety of the school children.

The school's buildings are old and damaged with some classrooms requiring urgent renovation. The devastating earthquake in 2015 highlighted the critical need for reinvestment in safe and resilient school infrastructure.

RFN together with the School Management Committee and Village Management Committee have mutually agreed to address the issue by demolishing a section of the school building that is in a state of disrepair. 
  
The primary goal of this project is to rebuild classrooms at Janasiddha Basic School. The provision of safe, comfortable, and a favourable learning environment will reignite hope in the village and convey a positive message of the community's commitment to ongoing education and development.  As such, the Janasiddha School Classroom Rebuild project is a crucial step in preserving and enhancing educational infrastructure in the school and the region.

Here is a link to a YouTube for a classroom that was fundraised and built in another district which gives a good indication of what it will look like. https://youtu.be/HhQG-wLYbLs?si=BcfCdEyb309D_jjx

By providing improved learning environments, the foundation aims to empower future generations and foster a sense of hope and progress among the villagers. We believe that education is the key to a brighter future, and this project aligns perfectly with our objectives, which is to Rebuild, Educate, Assist, Children/Communities (giving) Hope (REACH) for Nepal.  

Please be aware that all donations to the RFN Foundation fund projects in Nepal with the organisation here in Australia run entirely by volunteers.  You can help this vulnerable community rebuild their classrooms with all donations above $2 being tax deductible.