It’s been several years since the Kelowna-based charity Her International visited Nepal to help build classrooms and schools in what is one of the poorest regions in the world.
The last time the non-profit was able to travel halfway around the world was back in 2018, however, the opportunity is once again a reality.
Kevin Edgecombe, a founding member of Her International has been travelling to Nepal with a group of volunteers since 2013 and is ready to set out again at the end of March.
“This build is a special one that has been years in the making. It will be to build toilets at a local high school. The school, located close to Unako House, our headquarters in Dang, has over 1,500 students but only six toilets that are in very poor condition. This can be a deterrent for menstruating girls to attend school and so the build goal is to build toilets to meet the needs of the student body,” explained Edgecombe.
Edgecombe will be leading the trip and is looking for more volunteers to join him. Besides sitting on the charity board as president for many years, Edgecombe is known for building high-end residential projects throughout the Okanagan, which comes in handy when constructing classrooms.
His passion for Her International started during a visit to Nepal in 2009 where he and his wife Linda travelled to Kathmandu and the Dang region where they met many of the now ‘Her sponsored’ girls and mothers.
In the past, other volunteers, who travelled to Nepal, included a former resident of Karis, a support society for women struggling with addictions and mental health challenges and an Okanagan Rotarian who donated used reading, sun and distance glasses to those in the Dang region.
This year’s trip dates are March 23 – April 9. The cost is $2,000 plus flights. The trip fee includes accommodation, most meals, and all ground transportation.
Participants are responsible to arrange their own flights, vaccinations and travel visa along with travel insurance to and from Kathmandu.
A fundraising initiative through Her International is for a family or group to donate $100 and have a brick installed on the walls of the women’s centre where Her works in Nepal.
A donation of $33 a month to Her International covers admission and exam fees, group tutoring, school uniforms, shoes and socks, school bags, school supplies and personal hygiene products for one girl and her mother will automatically join a savings and life skills group that will support her in becoming self-reliant.
For more information please go to https://herinternational.org/ or email Kevin at kevin@herinternational.org.
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@Jen_zee
jen.zielinski@bpdigital.ca
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