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Yallingup, Western Australia
Email:
viti@bearfruit.com.au
Website:
http://www.bearfruit.com.au
Executive Summary
Hands with Hands
(HwH), is a small non-government organisation based in Nepal. As an
organisation, their intention is to, ‘Provide the opportunity for many hands to join together
creating synergy – for Building Better Futures’.
One of HwH current projects is the
Annapurna Self-Sustaining Children’s Home (ASSCH)
in
Pokhara. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarada Basnet and three additional mothers who run the
children’s home. Their self-sustaining principles apply to organic farming vegetables and milk
production — with any excess sold to local markets to generate additional income for other
essential items. It was during that visit I heard about Sarada and Kira’s vision for building a new
children’s home on a practical and self-sustainable level.
“We are negotiating to buy land nearby and build up our buildings and farm so that
we no longer need to pay rent, thus reducing a major cost. This will give long-term
security. Plus it will allow expansion of our farming and living needs that are not
possible in our current location.”
1
On the 6 September 2011, I received confirmation by email that ASSCH had purchased the first
plot of land for the children’s home and were aiming to purchase a second. The long-term goal is
to purchase enough land and to build a safe eco-friendly environment to support a self-
sustaining lifestyle for children. The buildings would also be multipurpose so that they can
accommodate — a study room for the children, along with areas to facilitate yoga, meditation,
and hold education classes on women’s health and other community education needs.
Solar power generation
is another major HwH project. Kira Kay (Co-founder & International
President of HwH)
2
, Dipendra KC (Co-founder of HwH), CEO Travel De’ Society (P.) Ltd,
3
and
several graduate engineer students, is currently researching innovative, yet commercially viable
ways to introduce solar power generation into Nepal, ‘The first step being to register a company
to progress the project.’
4
In September 2010, Kira Kay requested that during my proposed visit to Nepal in January /
February 2011 that I undertake fieldwork. That work was to take the form of interviews
specifically targeting their microfinance cooperative projects in Jutpani V.D.C.4, Chitwan District,
Nepal. The rationale: to gain a perspective from outside the organisation on the following:
1
Kira Kay, Annapurna Self-Sustaining Children’s Home, ‘Help us with our Next big Step!’, viewed 17th May (2011)
2
4
Kira Kay,
Comprehensive solar power solutions for Nepal seeding paper, viewed 27
th
July 2011