Dear Friends:
We have had a wonderful 2010 so far. We started the New Year with one of the
most fun (and dare I say craziest) fundraisers dZi Foundation has had to date.
Will Gadd, an accomplished multi-sport mountain athlete, approached dZi with an idea to climb ice, for 24 hours straight, in an effort to raise money for a
good cause. We were delighted he thought of us, and thrilled to be a part
of what turned into The Endless Ascent: 24-hours of climbing a 40-meter pitch
of ice, multiple times.
The event started at noon on January 9, during the Ouray Ice Festival. The
route was the Pick of the Vic in the Ouray Ice Park. Will had 23 belayers
(one for almost every hour), a full-time camera crew (Scott Simper) to capture
footage for the Discovery Channel, and many friends and fans showing their
support throughout the event.
After an impressive effort, Will finished his final lap at noon on January 10. He climbed 194 pitches (25, 414 feet). The event raised roughly $10,000; $3,500 was raised during the last hour of the ascent when three supporters pledged $250 (collectively), per lap, inspiring Will to climb 14 laps! With a matching grant of $10,000 (provided by a long-time donor of dZi) a grand total of $20,000 will go towards dZi's Revitalize A Village (RAV) projects in Eastern
Nepal. RAV helps build the capacity of poor, remote communities through projects that advance education, improve health and hygiene and overall quality of life. Sample projects include: building bridges, sanitary toilets, and
clean drinking water taps; forming parent-teacher associations, hygiene and
sanitation trainings and community groups; and some of the larger projects
include construction of schools and community centers. The community
members themselves determine all projects.
We would like to give a special thanks to the Ouray Ice Park for supporting this event; Faction Media for the amazing website they created (endlessascent.org); Slopeviews for capturing 360 degree video footage (still in production); and James Beissel for donating many incredible photos.
Below is an update from Nepal Country Director, Ben Ayers, on Narkhel, one of the villages we supportthrough our Revitalize A Village program.
Thank you for your continued support.
All the best, JIM
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Narkhel School Given 'Model School' Award
Nepal Country Director - Ben Ayers
The Narkhel primary school in Sotang was presented with a 'model school' award during a ceremony in Sotang on January 6th. The award was sponsored by REED Nepal and presented by the Solukhumbu District Education Office. REED Nepal is an NGO that specializes in providing teacher training, and has been working in Sotang for the past six months.
Narkhel was selected from a field of 31 government schools as the best example of a school that provides a healthy learning environment for its students and has shown the most improvement in student performance.
When we first began our Revitalize A Village program in Sotang, the Narkhel school was literally falling apart, and classes were being held outside. In response, we worked with community members to completely rebuild the Narkhel school in 2007, and then facilitated the formation and training of a Parent Teacher Association.
The new school building and improved management inspired the entire community to invest in the education of their children, and when REED Nepal began a program training local teachers in Sotang, the timing couldn't have been better.
Now, where only three years ago students sat in crowded classrooms without walls or doors, one can find strings with colorful English and Nepali flash cards hanging from the ceiling in bright and airy classrooms. Student drawings, stories, and poems cover the walls, and local parents stop in regularly to observe or even help teach classes.
We would like to congratulate the community of Narkhel for this award, and for making such a dramatic change in such a short time. We would also like to thank all of the donors and supporters that make these sorts of stories possible. On behalf of the Nepal Country Office, we hope that the hard work and dedication of everyone in the dZi family comes to fruition in the New Year as it has, so tangibly, for the teachers, parents, and students in Narkhel.
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Upcoming Events
Photo Exhibition: Impressions of a Country by Bill Keller
February 22 - March 1, 2010
Gallery 111, ICB Building, 480 Gate 5 Road, Sausalito, CA
Info and map: www.icbbuilding.com
(All proceeds to benefit dZi.)
Mountainfilm in Ouray
Friday, March 5 - Saturday, March 6, 2010
Ouray Community Center, Ouray, Colorado
Silent auction items from Nepal and local artists
(All proceeds to benefit dZi.)
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About dZi Foundation
Our work begins with the belief that all people deserve to live healthy, productive lives. The dZi Foundation builds sustainable, locally-driven programs that advance education, improve quality of life and provide hope for poor and forgotten communities in the most remote regions of the Himalaya.
