In March, 2008, Earth Garden’s publishers, Alan and Judith Gray (left), travelled with the Himalayan Light Foundation (HLF) to a village in eastern Nepal to replace expensive, polluting kerosene lighting (or no lighting!) with small solar power systems donated by the Western visitors the HLF trains to install them. Two systems were installed at a village school and one at the village health post. (Read the full story here - 430kB PDF). The Grays returned to Australia determined to help more Himalayan communities by setting up the Earth Garden Foundation Australia.

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ADAM MERRICK TRAVELS TO NEPAL WITH THE HIMALAYAN LIGHT FOUNDATION

In 2011, after reading about the Himalayan Light Foundation in an article in Earth Garden, Adam Merrick travelled to the remote village of Bhonje located in the Western Himalayas of Nepal. Together with members of the Himalayan Light Foundation he installed solar lighting and assisted with a new computer.

Read more about his trip and see some photos here.

NINTH PROJECT COMPLETED

Basa Health Post

At a site in the Solukhumbu (Everest) district there’s a Health Post in a village called BASA. Recently, with the support from the Nepal Government, a new building has been constructed with thirteen rooms.

The Basa villagers have been requesting solar lights for many years. The total population of the BASA village is about 4500 but the health post receives villagers from the surrounding such as: Beni, Kaku, Juvin, Takshindu and Waku. The Basa solar lighting project was successfully completed on 7 December. As part of the same funding two solar cookers and two fuel-efficient (smoke-free) cooking stoves have also been provided to this village.

Project partner, HLF’s Manager, Yadav Gurung, said: “Thank you so much for supporting the health post with solar lights. Now the lights have made it easier both for the health staff and the patients who come here for treatment. Thank you once again to all EGFA members who have contributed to support this installation.”

This project was partly funded by sales from the following 'Snow Leopard' jackets: numbers 63, 61, 57, 65, 68, 66, 67 and 64. See exactly where your contribution has helped by clicking HERE.

For more photos – click here.

EIGHTH PROJECT COMPLETED

Rumjatar, in the district of Okhalhunga, south of the Everest region, has a population of 6500 people. Rumjatar is the district headquarters, and having the main hospital for the area, people come from all over the region for treatment.

The hospital had been connected to main grid electricity but the power supply was so irregular that sometimes they would receive mains power for only two to three hours per day. The size of the solar requirement was much larger than usual EGFA projects with up to 20 lights and two 120 watt solar panels.

The hospital has 15 rooms, and a daily patient load of 50-60 people. The staff and villagers were very happy with the installation, saying it would make it easier to receive health services anytime throughout the evening.

This project was partly funded by sales from the following 'Snow Leopard' jackets: numbers 32, 34, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42 and43. See exactly where your contribution has helped by clicking HERE.

For more photos – click here.

SEVENTH PROJECT COMPLETED

The Foundation's seventh project involved the installation of solar electrification and solar cooker and stove distribution in the Chaulkharka Health Post in Solukhamabu district. The Helath post is named after the village Chaulakharka, and is the main Health Post serving few surrounding Villages, namely Goli, Bhakanje and few villages of adjoining Dolakha district.

There are 10 staff in the health post and the services provided by the health post include general health services, maternity services, emergency health, family planning, immunisation program for children and health education.

This project was partly funded by sales from the following 'Snow Leopard' jackets: numbers 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 35, 36 and 38. See exactly where your contribution has helped by clicking HERE.

For more photos – click here.

SIXTH PROJECT COMPLETED

The mysterious and beautiful "hidden valley" of Dolpo is situated far to the north of Kathmandu bordering the Tibetan plateau.

The project objective was to offer support of solar lighting systems to six health outposts in the far remote communities of the Amchis (Indigenous Doctors) who are only the source of health care in this area and monasteries where there is a big challenge for other people to just to get to the place with no hope of the national grid ever reaching this area.

The project was hit with delays but was finally completed in late 2010.

For more information and photos – click here.

FIFTH PROJECT COMPLETED

Pokhari Narayanthan Ilaka Health Center was established in 1976 in the village of Pokhari in Kavrepalanchowk District north of Kathmandu valley. A few years back the government supported the health centre in reconstructing its building.

The centre receives many patients every day as it covers many adjoining villages of the area. It receives at least 1-3 patients every night on emergency for maternity, accidents etc. The centre used to ask the patients to bring their own candles for nighttime services.

The centre needed eight lights. In late March the EGFA-funded installation was completed and the health centre now has the lighting it needs.

For more photos – click here.

FOURTH PROJECT COMPLETED

EGFA's fourth project was completed in January 2010.  This saw an 85 watt solar lighting system with eight lights installed in a newly-built monastery and attached building at the village of Kunikhop in the Solukhumbu region of Eastern Nepal.  The building has two rooms; one is a big hall and the other an office.  In the community building various training and community groups meet.  The village built the community building and monastery by donations, and the solar lighting installation fits in with their self-sufficient approach to village development.

For more photos – click here.

The installation was managed once again by EGFA's program partners, the Himalayan Light Foundation in Kathmandu, whose program manager, Yadav Gurung, sent the following message to EGFA members: 

"I would like to wish all the Foundation Members A VERY HAPPY  and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2010.  And at the same time we look forward to continue working with you in 2010 and beyond.
With best regards,
Yadav Gurung,
Program Manager, Himalayan Light Foundation

ORPHANAGE PROJECT

The EGFA is now also supporting TEAM Nepal, who are planning to open a childrens’ home in Talamarang VDC, about 80km (north-east) of Kathmandu. Talamarang is an extremely beautiful location and with its abundance of fresh air and freedom; an ideal location for raising children. In addition, many street children and beggars on the streets of Kathmandu originally come from this area and move to the valley in the hope of a better future. TEAM Nepal aims to stop this tragedy and prevent these children from being exploited in Kathmandu, by providing support and a home for them.

More info here....

THIRD PROJECT COMPLETED

EGFA's third project saw an 85 watt solar lighting system with eight lights installed in a community building at Sotang village, which is in the eastern side of the Solukhumbu district of Nepal. The area is quite remote and it took the solar technicians 2.5 to 3 days to reach the site from the nearest roadhead.

Sotang village does not have mains electricity.  Some of the villagers have bought small solar lighting systems for their homes.  Many villagers use solar tuki (LED lights) and some use kerosene oil for light.

The community building has six rooms and is used for various community meetings such as: savings, credit and accounting meetings for the 36 women's groups of the district; adult literacy classes; training for teachers, facilitators and midwives etc.  The local village council (VDC) and other groups are planning to use two rooms of the building to establish a library for the villages of the district.

The US$2300 cost of the Sotang installation was met entirely from EGFA membership fees and the installation will be managed once again by the Himalayan Light Foundation in Kathmandu.

Hi Earth Garden Foundation members,
Thank you for supporting in electrification of remote village community center through Himalayan Light Foundation. The groups who are involved in the community centers are very happy and thankful to you all.
Warm regards,
Yadav Gurung
Program Manager, Himalayan Light Foundation, Kathmandu NEPAL

For more photos – click here.

SECOND PROJECT

EGFA’s second project has been completed successfully in the village of Deusa in the Solukhumbu region of eastern Nepal during April 2009.

This second project cost $3600 - all paid by EGFA membership fees - and involved the installation of two solar lighting systems in the village health post (left) by our Nepali project partner, the Himalayan Light Foundation.

The HLF technician who installed the systems also held training sessions so the Deusa people can understand how to install future systems they may fund themselves. This single health post serves thousands of villagers from surrounding areas who previously could not get medical assistance easily after dark.

For more photos – click here.

FIRST PROJECT

Following the launch of the Earth Garden Foundation in September 2008, in October Alan and two of his sons trekked to another remote village (Rabaidanda) in Nepal to install five more solar lighting systems. Each trekker paid for one system, a fourth was paid for by membership fees from the new Earth Garden Foundation Australia, and the fifth was paid for by an elderly pensioner, who heard about the trip on ABC Radio.

Read the full story here - 230kB PDF

Join EGFA today and be assured that every cent of your membership money will go to direct project support via groups like our project partner, the Himalayan Light Foundation (www.hlf.org.np), to help provide solar lighting solutions to remote Himalayan communities.

Since launching in 2008 EGFA has completed 8 solar lighting projects, gained approval from the ATO to be treated as a tax exempt entity and is in the process of obtaining Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) status.

NO ADMINISTRATION COSTS

Earth Garden magazine continues to absorb all administration costs of the Foundation. So every dollar donated gets solar lighting into remote Nepali health posts and other community centres via HLF programs. EGFA's project partners are implementing projects that reflect the long-standing sustainable living ideals of Earth Garden. Help Australia's longest-established sustainable living magazine to help poor families live more sustainably. "

JOIN THE EARTH GARDEN FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA

Just $66 per year for a family or individual membership, sees every cent delivered, via project partners like the Himalayan Light Foundation, to needy Third World communities to implement long-term, sustainable living projects.

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PLEASE NOTE: Donations to Earth Garden Foundation Australia Ltd are not yet tax deductible.
The Foundation is actively seeking approval as a Developing Country Relief Fund which is the first step to obtaining deductible gift recipient status.  This will in no way slow the Foundation’s activities and we will continue to provide updates on the progress of the Foundation’s efforts.