Nepal 'Shelter for Life' 2010

OUR PURPOSE: A green 'Shelter for Life' and a clear air environment and light in each targeted home. 

OUR GOAL: To supply solar lighting and smokeless stoves for every family in our targeted Nepalese village in the North West province of Mugu.

WHY? Only 50% of the children live beyond the age of one and the average life expectancy is 36 years of age.  Ultimately, this project will save lives. The smokeless stoves and solar lighting will also reduce the consumption of firewood by 65% and reduce the ongoing stripping away of the Himalaya forests. 

WHO? A selected team of 5 students and two teacher sponsors from the Leysin American School (LAS) (under the direction of Lou Felo of Beyond Tears Worldwide).[1]

Students:

Teachers:

These students will take a step towards fulfilling their commitment to being compassionate and responsible world citizens and in doing so, their journey will be a meaningful service learning opportunity.

WHERE AND WHEN? In March/April2010, the project is moving even further north to a village that has never received aid. All equipment will be delivered by helicopter to the village weeks before the team arrives. The group will trek two days to get to the project site near Rara Lake which is a national park at 3000 m to the target village of Ruma.

Beyond Tears Worldwide [2] has a staff of 5 that works in the Mugu region and are well loved and respected in the area. Last year the project installed a number of solar panel lighting along with distribution of school materials and clothing for well over 200 children.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are in the process of raising CHF 16'000 for the 2010 March/April project for the purchase of smokeless stoves, solar lighting panels, school supplies, blankets and clothing for children along with transportion to the Ruma village at 3,700m (12,000ft). 

We invite you to make a pledge/donation for the team's success and for the project, and in doing so you will help make small steps towards making the world a more equitable place. Any contribution, however small or large, can aid us in reaching our goal. If you are interested in making a pledge, contact one of the teacher sponsors for the Nepal Shelter for Life 2010 Project:

Laura Sommariva, LSommariva@las.ch

Erin Dobson, edobson@las.ch

[1] Mr. Lou Felo has been a long time resident in Europe, first arriving with his family in 1976. He has a Masters in Family Counseling and is a member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counseling. Originally from New Jersey, Mr. Felo has worked in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and now in Nepal. He mobilizes international teams in the desire to train the next generation to make meaningful impact in the lives of people in need. Mr. Felo believes in the importance of working withthose who suffer, by standing in their plight. He has been a pioneer in establishing charitable organizations whose hallmark characteristics include the notion of serving from the heart and living and working within a troubled area in order to properly understand the dilemma. Mr. Felo and his organization, Beyond Tears, are currently developing a literary center for women in Afghanistan and are in the process of building the Friendship School. Mr. Felo has been in the ministry for over 30 years, has worked on the Administrative team at Black Forest Academy and has directed housing construction and orphanage work in Afghanistan, Nepal, Bosnia, and Kosovo. He has also served others in the war zone that was Croatia from 1991-93. Since arriving in Switzerland in 1997, he has mobilized many schools and their students to be involved in the aftermath of war in both Afghanistan andBosnia.

[2] Beyond Tears Worldwide founded in 2002, Beyond Tears Worldwide was registered in the state of New Jersey, as a non-governmental organization and as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States. Website: http://www.beyondtearsworldwide.org/