‘REAL Nepal’ is a residential educational and preparatory training center for students with blindness in Panauti, Nepal. TRIFC/ADSoN are providing some of the most essential things that are critically needed for their life and schooling: School Uniforms, Shoes, Jackets, Musical Instruments, Food & Nutrition, Braille slates and stylus, Braille paper, White canes, Audio support devices and much more.
We partner locally with the Rotary Club of Kavre-Banepa with whom I’ve had a long history of Rotary matching grants and major initiatives supporting people with disabilities in this community. Specifically, Rotarian Hira Sharma has been so helpful over our many years of projects together. RC Kavre-Banepa administers our program and provides financial oversight. They also are personally involved with the children and provide other local donations and support.
This day, Nirmala (Executive Director- ADSoN, TRIFC’s implementing partner) brought along a ‘Hooray for Braille’ bag of tactile educational tools like the ‘ABC touch and scratch/sniff’ cards! The kids (and staff) were amazed that you could read the letter in Braille, read an English word associated with that letter AND them scratch and sniff these multi-sensory cards! Particularly interesting was the letter ‘I’ for ‘ice-cream’ and the sweet smell associated with it!
You might notice that the kids are wearing some knitted items which would normally be a bit strange for this time of year when it’s plenty warm most days. Residents of Evergreen Court Retirement home knitted these items to be brought and donated in Nepal. My mom, Arlene Rose helped with this project as did residents Marlene and Carley!
Our involvement with this organization and these kids isn’t a major earth-shaking amount of support, financially, but I can tell you unequivocally, our involvement will forever change the trajectory of these children’s lives. Our visits, our meetings with local supporters and Rotarians shines a light on them, bringing them out of obscurity in their community. Local involvement is the magic key to sustainability, understanding and tolerance.
Reporting from Nepal – Rob Rose
