Namaste!!!
Spring is here and I'm feeling excited about the work we have been doing and the new projects we are about to raise funds for. Our next project is the Deupal Borang water supply project, in Kavre. Our team in Nepal is hoping we will continue to raise funds, as they have so much work they would like to complete. Babulal and his team also rely on NSP Canada for their livelihood and inflation in Nepal is very high right now. We would like to keep them working.
Currently, women in this village walk to the river at the bottom of the mountain. It is impure water. It takes 1.5 hours to return to the village with water in containers. You can imagine how the installation of the water taps will greatly enhance daily life and health of the villagers. Water borne diseases are now an issue in this village, particularly with the children.
We have decided to concentrate on providing clean drinking water to the villagers. Sanitation has become a secondary focus. In terms of schools, moving forward, we will be doing repairs on our existing schools.
Deupal Borang Water Project, Kavre:
A description of our most current water project. Picture this:
The clean water source is 4 kilometers up the mountain, above the village. The water is transported through 4 kilometers of plastic pipe, from the upper section of the mountain, by gravity, to a reservoir just above the village. The water is then transported through plastic pipe from the reservoir to a series of taps. Each tap is situated near a few individual households and are scattered over the hillside. 8 taps will supply water to the 40 households in the village. The local school will also have their own tap in order to have access to this drinking water.
All trenches for pipes are dug by hand, by the villagers. The reservoir is constructed by our team and the villagers. All stone for the reservoir is created by the villagers hammering rocks by hand into various sizes of gravel. The land for the reservoir is excavated to accommodate a 10,000 liter tank. The foundation of the reservoir is built using the gravel and rocks created by hand. It is then finished with cement. A wire fence is constructed around it for safety.
The villagers donate the land for the reservoir and NSP provides the expertise. NSP assumes 75% of all costs, mainly in materials and specialized labour. The villagers assume the rest by providing land and labour.
Prior to building, an application must be submitted by NSP Nepal. They must describe the nature of the project and its stakeholders. This information goes to the Social Welfare Council in Kathmandu for approval. It is an involved and time consuming process from start to finish.
As you know fundraising has been difficult lately, so we are changing our format somewhat.
We feel after our current project and after doing some research, that perhaps donors are more interested in donating to specific items as part of a whole. Therefore, we have broken down our newest water project into component segments that you can choose from if you feel more comfortable with this approach. You can also choose to just give an amount as well, without your donation being assigned to a specific item.
In our next fundraising campaign we will be supplying you with the cost of each material used in the process, like the cost of pipe, hardware, taps and cement. The rocks are donated by the villagers and turned into gravel at no charge.
Please think about the benefits these water projects bring to the local villagers and the hardships they endure without clean water. Fresh drinkable water should be a right and not at the whim of the government. These are poor people who need our help. They are also very proud and hardworking people. They sincerely appreciate everything you do for them.
Look for our fundraising campaign in MID MAY!
Thank you in advance.
Cheers
Fran, Terri, Betty, Salina, Marilyn and Karin