|
MARCH VOL. 1 - 2004
Dear Friends, I am headed back to Asia tomorrow, Tuesday March 30th for Nepal, Sikkim and Ladakh. This is my biannual trip to connect with on going projects and to also investigate new potential partnerships and projects. The need for personal contact with staff and our girls homes twice a year is essential.
My last trip, fall 03 I started to shoot digital video of all our projects. After this spring trip I will be editing the footage and burning DVD's. This will be a wonderful tool for people to better understand the efforts of our work. If you would like to request one of these DVD's please e-mail me and I will get your name on the list.
Please take note of upcoming FUNDRAISERS at the bottom of his e-letter and also our new WISH-LIST. The wish-list gives people a non-cash way to support The dZi Foundation, it is also at the bottom of this e-letter. There are opportunities to donate educational videos and United Air line miles to The dZi Foundation.
In the next two weeks you should be receiving our new brochure in the mail. This is one of two mailings that I do each year, I try to keep it to a minimum. If you do not receive one of our new brochures please e-mail me your snail mail address. I will mail you a brochure when I get home from this trip in early May. Or if you have a friend that you want to introduce to The dZi Foundation please e-mail me their address.
In a effort to keep you informed, below is the abbreviated list of items to be dealt with while on this trip.
KATHMANDU NEPAL:
-Visit the Nutritional Rehabilitation Home in Kathmandu and also travel to remote villages with field staff for medical checkups on released children. Shoot video of severely malnourished children admitted to The NRH and re-shoot the same children 5 weeks later when I leave the country. This will document the radical improvement we commonly see as a result of this wonderful project.
-Kathmandu, The Friendship House, give sponsorship letters to all of the girls, I spend afternoons and dinner's with the girls after school is out. The girls also write letters to their sponsors that I hand carry back and mail upon my return.
-Nuntalla School Board, Solu Khumbu region, funding "Teachers Sponsorship"
-Taksindu & Mira Monastery, funding "Young Monk Sponsorship"-Meeting with the Himalayan Dental Relief project to set up our two dental clinics that are budgeted next fall, one in Ladakh and one in Nepal.-Investigate potential funding of "Indentured Girls Program"
GANGTOK SIKKIM INDIA:
-Gangtok, The Sikkim Happiness Home, give sponsorship letters to all of the girls, I spend afternoons and dinner's with the girls after school is out. The girls also write letters to their sponsors that I hand carry back and mail upon my return.
-Gangtok, Investigate the potential for a sister project in Gangtok similar to The Nutritional Rehabilitation Home in Kathmandu. This is of great interest to The dZi Foundation, the need will be fully assessed before we take on a major commitment such as this. I have meetings scheduled with the local hospitals and the government of Sikkim while in country.
-Investigating trash clean up of major trekking routes in conjunction with setting up infrastructure for maintaining this as an ongoing project.
LADAKH INDIA:
- Leh, Womens Alliance of Ladakh, funding, new retail space in the downtown business district of Leh the capitol of Ladakh. This will be a 4 year project with an exit plan in place from day one. This retail space will allow for 50 women's co-ops with 8 to 12 women per co-op a more visible space to be able to sell their handicrafts. This project helps preserve the culture of the area by maintaining traditional tailoring, weaving and all natural dyeing of the garments to be sold.
-Investigate sister retail space project in Padum, Ladakh
-Investigate establishing a weaving center in Basgo and Wanla
-Investigate potential solar project in the Spiti Valley.
-Saboo, Toilet Project in partnership with Pacific Village Institute. Following up on the community kitchen in Saboo we funded and help build while on a service/trek last fall of 03. This summer we will fund 4 Ladakh dry toilets behind the Community Kitchen. This partnership project will be with Pacific Village Institute, using college students to help construct the toilets.
UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS
Denver, Colorado - May 2nd
Painted Bench and The dZi Foundation Present "MOUNTAINS OF WINE˜ The Sequel
A five-course sit-down dinner with paired wines. (Country and region of wines to be announced)!
Where: The Painted Bench , 20th & Logan, Denver
When: Sunday May 2nd at 6pm
Cost: $75 per person
Phone # 303-863-7473
Jim Nowak, Executive Director of The dZi Foundation, will inspire you with the latest dZi projects in Nepal, Sikkim and Ladakh India. Hear the stories and see slides from "The Mamas Dablam the all women expedition to Ama Dablam in October 2003.
Silent auction including Marmot gear, paintings, photos, and Nepali handicrafts.
All proceeds to go toward the dZi Foundation’s funding of The Nutritional Rehabilitation Home, Kathmandu Nepal.
Call now for your reservations, space is limited.
Boulder Colorado
Outside Magazine brings Timmy O’Neill, "The Urban Ape"
Known as the "Urban Ape" for his occasional exploits scaling city buildings, O’Neill combines stand up comedy with tales of adventure – a program that leaves audiences motivated to get outdoors. The show in Boulder is the finale of a 20 show tour at college’s all over the county. Timmy’s Band will perform for the Boulder Show, not to be missed.
The dZi Foundation was selected by Timmy to receive 25% of the door proceeds. We are very appreciative to be involved in this outrageous evening at The Boulder Theater. Come out and support Timmy, and The dZi Foundation with an evening to remember.
Where: The Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St Boulder CO 80301
When: May 19th Doors open at 7:30 the show starts at 8p.m
Cost: Tickets are $12 cash at the door and $14 pre sell.
WISH-LIST
This allows for a non-cash way to support The dZi Foundation.
Educational Videos.
As people switch to DVD’s and you are wondering what to do with those old videos that you or your kids don’t watch any more, send them to dZi. I am looking for any educational videos for our two girls homes in Kathmandu, Nepal and Gangtok Sikkim. If you have any National Geographic or documentary videos that are collecting dust send them to the address at the footer of this e-mail. We have girls of all ages so if your kids have outgrown a toddlers video we can use it. If you want a tax credit for the
donation you need to enclose a note with the value of the video’s.
Donate United Airline Miles
Yes you can donate your extra miles to The dZi Foundation. With traveling twice a year to Asia we purchase a domestic and international flight each time. A donation of miles for one of the tickets would be a tremendous help to dZi. There a couple of glitches to know about if you want to go through with this.
-The IRS will not allow a tax credit for a donation of air miles.
-The miles can only be donated at time of ticketing.
-Miles cannot be donated partially they have to be donated to pay for an
entire flight. - Here are the 3 options that United Airlines allows.
International Flight: 80,000 Miles
Domestic Standard Ticket: 40,000 Miles
Domestic Coach Ticket: 25,000 Miles
-This can be done on line with United Airlines at www.ual.com or you can also have a paper ticket issued but it will cost $20.00 that they will only send to you and then you have to send it to me. The IRS does allowed me to give you a tax credit for the 20.00.
-This process is not as easy as it should be but these are the hoops that have to be jumped through with United Airlines to get it accomplished. If you are interested in donating miles please send me an e-mail or call me and we can work the details out.
All The Best, JIM
back to top
JULY VOL. 2 - 2003
Dear Friends,
I am excited to report that I spent all of May in Asia for The dZi Foundation; a week in Kathmandu Nepal and 3 weeks in Sikkim India setting up our new girls home. We are very excited to have The Sikkim Happiness Home up and running. Our staff in Sikkim India are doing a wonderful job and we have a solid program in place. The other major funding project we have taken on is a Nutritional Rehabilitation Home for severally malnourished children in Kathmandu Nepal.
Kathmandu Nepal
Kathmandu was fast and furious below are a few of the highlights of that week.
- Connected with Laurie Mathews of The Himalayan Dental Relief Project. Firmed up our plans for the Dental Project in Sikkim India for 500 children and set the dates for Oct. 24 – 30, 2003.
- Met with the Taksindu and Mira Monastery Committees ( Solu Nepal Region ) and gave them the solar panels and control equipment and LED light bulbs that I had transported to Nepal. These systems will provide efficient, safe and healthy lighting in each of the respective Monastery’s.
- We have been financially supporting some of the young monks at the Taksindu and Mira Monastery’s for education and food. It is always a special event to meet with Lama Rinji Sherpa the head abbot of the Monastery’s. We had lunch and talked over future plans for the Monastery’s and discussed potential participation by The dZi Foundation.
- Met with the Nuntalla School Committee ( Solu Nepal Region ). We had previously committed to supporting another teacher at the Nutalla Secondary School. I met with the committee and handed over the necessary funds for a full year.
- We are proud to announce the opening of the Hewa Teachers House which was completed and opened on May 8th. This 3 room building will provide housing for the teachers and their family’s at the remote village of Hewa, Solu Region Nepal.
- While I was in Kathmandu I had the pleasure of being able to meet Ben Ayers of Porters Progress US. He runs a program that supports porters employed in the trekking industry of Nepal. He is also teaching English along with other empowerment programs that he handles all on his own. He has started rock climbing courses and also teaching the porters rope skills in the hope that they may be able to secure a better job in the trekking industry.
One way that we all could help his efforts is by gathering up your old climbing gear and sending it to me. He is in need of 6 climbing helmets, 6 harnesses, good ropes, carabiners and rock climbing shoes of any size. If you send it to me at I will weed through the gear and get it sent to him this fall. My contact information is at the footer of this e-mail.
Visited twice and investigated, a potential new program to fund, a Nutritional Rehabilitation Home located in Kathmandu.
I had been at this house last year and was quite taken by the efficiency and commitment of the staff and the overall program. Upon my return home The dZi Foundation board of directors have committed to fund half or this program for the remainder of 2003 with the intent of fully funding this program in 2004.
Kathmandu N.Y.O.F. Nutritional Rehabilitation Home.
The Nutritional Rehabilitation Home is a residential facility where severely Malnourished kids come to live with their mothers and regain their health.
We are very excited to be able to partner with The Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation and be able to provide one half the funds needed for this facility .
Below is an overview of the Nutritional Rehabilitation Home
- The children come from hospitals where they have been admitted for tuberculosis, lung infections or other diseases that their fragile immune system could not fight off. The root cause is malnutrition.
- They are often discharged from the hospital after the acute illness is controlled by antibiotics, even though they are as vulnerable to disease as when they enter the hospital because the underling problem of malnutrition has not been eliminated.
- The fortunate mother’s and children are referred to the Nutritional Rehabilitation Home.
- While the children are restored to health we train their mothers in good nutritional practice.
- The staff, doctors , a nutritionist, and nurses show the mothers what to feed their children, how to cook food to retain its nutritional value and how to combine grains and other foods for maximum nutritional effect.
- We use only foodstuffs commonly available in Nepal so that the mother’s can follow the regimen once they return home.
- Once the child has gained 80% of it’s weight for it’s age and height the child is released from the house and returns to there village.
- Our Field Staff visit the child and mother one month after the release date and three months after the release date. If the child is healthy and well nourished they are then discharged from the program.
- The hidden benefit of his program is that the mothers are empowered with this education and go back to their respective villages and share this knowledge with the other mothers of the community.
- The house has room for 20 mother / child pair’s. We are budgeting for 180 children to go through the program in 2003.
- Each mother / child stay is on average of 5 weeks and the cost of that stay for the pair is $261.00
HOW YOU CAN HELP
I am looking for people to step up and sponsor 1 child / mother for $261.00 on an annual basis. Our plan is to build a base of returning donations annually so this project can become financially sound. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or phone if you have any questions on this program.
Gangtok Sikkim , India Sikkim Happiness Home
After my week in Kathmandu I flew to Calcutta and the next day you fly to Bagdogra and then the 5 hour jeep ride to Gangtok the capitol of Sikkim. Sikkim is tucked in between Nepal and Bhutan and you fly into Bagdogra which is located in West Bengal just south of Sikkim. West Bengal is known for the famous tea capitol of the world Darjeeling. To the east previously East Bengal and now known as Bangladesh.
The Girls Home
The Sikkim Happiness Home is open and operating wonderfully. The home is a 2300 Sq. Ft. with a large kitchen and dining hall. We have a very large family room for the girls and an enclosed courtyard for outside activities. Kelsang Phuntsok our Project Director over sees the entire project and stays in contact by e-mail. Our house parents Yogesh and Jyote Stubba live on site and handle all of the girls needs. The cook staff Victor and Ganga Rai also live at the house and follow a regimented food program for the best possible nutrition for the girls. The girls follow a structured program each day at the home. All the girls will be placed in school next Feb. and we are tutoring them daily to build up their schooling and their self-esteem. Most of the girls have never been to school or ever seen a doctor or dentist. The Sikkim Happiness Home was only a thought last fall while I walked on a trekking trail in Northern Sikkim. We at The dZi Foundation are extremely proud to have taken this project from the concept to the opening in 6 months.
Daily Program, Until school next year Feb. 2004
06:00 – 06:30 : Wake up, get ready.
06:30 – 07:00 : Morning exercise
07:00 – 07:45 : House Cleaning
07:45 – 08:00 : Wash, brush & change
08:00 – 08:30 : Breakfast
08:30 – 09:30 : Study Time
09:30 - 10:00 : Break
10:00 – 12:00 : Tuition
12:00 - 12:30 : Break
12:30 – 14:00 : Lunch & Leisure
14:00 – 15:00 : Tuition
15:00 – 15:30 : Tea Time
15:30 - 16:30 : Games
16:30 – 17:30 : Study Time
17:30 - 18:00 : Hobby Time
18:00 – 19:00 : Dinner
19:00 – 20:00 : Entertainment Time ( Watching T.V. or a Movie)
20:15 - : Bed Time, Lights Out
The above will be the normal routine. In addition we will teach, cooking, painting, needle work, computers, singing, dancing, playing of instruments and indoor games.
Additional:
Once a month health checks.
Outing to market every other week.
Picnic every other week
Out of town excursion once every 6 months
HOW YOU CAN HELP
I am looking for annual sponsors for the girls of the Sikkim Happiness Home. Sponsorship for one year is $1,700.00. This cost covers everything that the child needs for one year. Medical, dental, tuition, clothing, their portion of the rent, electricity, food. We are able to come up with a realistic and accurate number from our history of running The Friendship House in Kathmandu for 7 years. I will also be instituting a quarterly letter exchange for sponsors to build a personal relationship with the child that you are sponsoring. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a girl at The Sikkim Happiness Home please contact me. We would greatly appreciate your support, our goal is to sponsor all 20 girls annually at the home and attain financial stability like we have been able to achieve in Kathmandu at The Friendship House.
Medical Mission for Children, Cleft Palate Surgical Mission
We are proud to have been able to support this fine effort by the Boston based group. We have funded all of the Anesthesia supplies for their upcoming mission to Qutio Ecuador. The dZi Foundation’s Treasure Dr. Gary Ruggera has been participating in these clinics for the last 3 years. He will be traveling to Quito this August 03 as the teams lead anesthetist.
WELCOME HOME, Annie from Sierra Leone
We want to welcome home The Secretary of The dZi Foundation, Annie Whitehouse. Annie is a Registered Nurse and has been working in Sierra Leone for the last 4 months with Doctors Without Borders.
FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Mamas Dablam Expedition, Fall 20003
On Aug. 24 at the Painted Bench Restaurant in Denver there will be 5 course sit down dinner. ( tickets 303-863-7473) Come and meet the members of the all women’s expedition to climb the south ridge of Ama Dablam. I will present as short slide show on the progress of the Sikkim Happiness Home and a few other projects of The dZi Foundation. The members of this expedition have been raising funds that have been designated for the Sikkim Happiness Home in Gangtok Sikkim India. They have been instrumental in helping The dZi Foundation being able to launch this girls home in Northern India. They have been a model for the rest of the expedition climbing community to see that giving back and climbing in a developing country can and should go hand in hand. We would love to have you join us at this event.
All The Best, JIM
back to top
APRIL VOL. 1 - 2003
Dear Friends,
Projects and fundraising here at The dZi Foundation has been moving at a wonderfully rapid rate. There are 3 fundraisers coming up in April. These events are in the Boulder April1 11th, Vail April 12th, Denver on the 13th. The details are at the bottom of this e-mail update. If you are interested in hosting a slide presentation on The dZi Foundations efforts please contact me and we can set a date.
I would also like to mention that we are now able to take donations on line, go to our web-site <thedzifoundation.com> and click on Pay Pal. It’s quick and easy to set up an account and make a direct donation.
I want to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this e-mail update, as we continue to evolve we have many projects to report on.
PROJECTS
Jim’s trip to Nepal /Sikkim Spring 2003 Arrival in Kathmandu April 17
The Friendship House
I will be leaving for Nepal and Sikkim on April 15th and will be in Kathmandu for one week, the majority of this time will be spent at The Friendship House. The Friendship House is the cornerstone of our work and it is always amazing to spend time with the girls and see their progress. We are always looking to add young girls to our program at the Friendship House, if you are interested in becoming a sponsor and developing a relationship with a child, please feel free to contact me. This program continues to be rock solid in the face of the political issues that have been going on in Nepal. I would like to acknowledge the dedication of Som Paneru the Head Administrator of the Friendship House, his staff, Hem for their excellent work.
Yawa Teacher’s House Opened March 9th 2003
The Yawa Teacher’s House opened on March 9th. We are excited for the Yawa village to have this addition to their community. This building will be home to 3 teachers and their families at this remote school in the Solu region of Nepal. We want to thank Lakpa Sherpa for coordinating this project for The dZi Foundation. Lakpa’s efforts combined with Dawa Sherpa’s guidance, was instrumental in getting this project completed within our projected budget. The teacher’s housing projects have given stability to the educational quality in these communities. We have seen the dramatic results at the Chhulemu Teachers House located in the same region and we plan to continue building these facilities.
Nuntalla Teacher’s House Fall 2003
We now look forward to our next teacher’s housing project, in the village of Nuntalla. The Nuntalla school was completed 4 years ago and has 270 students. This school serves not only Sherpa children but the majority of the students are Rais, Limbus, Tamang, Magars. The dZi Foundation’s Board of Directors has wanted to move out of strictly. Sherpa areas with our projects. This is an attempt to help the other Nepalese Tribes at the lower elevations who have not benefited from the exposure that the Sherpa Tribes have had.
Another Teacher for The Nuntalla School spring 2003
We have had a funding request from the School Board in the village of Nuntalla, Solu Nepal. The have been short a teachers for the last 2 years and we are happy to be able to financially fill this void in their program.
Taksindu and Mira Monastery Solar Projects Spring 2003
I will be transporting two large Solar panels and control equipment to the Taksindu and Mira Monastery’s. This will allow the lamas, monks and nuns to have good, healthy and safe lighting in the main monasteries. They have used kerosene lanterns for years to light these rooms. The kerosene lanterns are loud, toxic, and most of all dangerous since fire is a huge hazard in these buildings. We want to thank Leif Juells and Jill Markel of Alternative Power Enterprises Inc. of Ridgway Colorado, for their generous donation of this solar equipment.
Jim Arrival in Gangtok, Sikkim, India April 24th. Spring 2003
New Girl’s Home
The Happiness Home
Last, but certainly not least the board has committed funding to open the new Happiness Home in Gangtok, the capitol of Sikkim, India. Sikkim is located just west of Nepal, separated by Kangchenjunga the 3rd highest mountain in the world. Sikkim is about the same size as Vermont. Gangtok meaning "The Hill Made Flat", served as the royal and administrative seat of the Kingdome of Sikkim from 1894 to 1975. Sikkim was formerly a separate kingdom, but was effectively annexed by India in 1975. The word Sikkim is commonly attributed to the Tsong word "Sukkum" meaning new or Happy House. We asked theRimpoche of Pal Zumang Monastery for his suggestion of a name for the new girl’s home and his recommendation was The Happiness Home.
We have rented a house in Gangtok that will be home for 20 girls and the house parents. New paint, plumbing and electric are being checked out. The beds, tables and chairs are being built and will be delivered any day now. Kitchen appliances and cooking equipment are on site.
Our Head Administrator, Kelsang Phuntsok, has been doing a wonderful job coordinating all of these details. Many things have come together to make this opportunity materialize and Kelsang has fit perfectly into the overall formula for working with The dZi Foundation. We were fortunate to work with Kelsang last fall on a 3 week trek in Sikkim. His professionalism working with the Indian red tape was very impressive. Coupled with Kelsang being a Tibetan refugee and raised as an orphan, he is acutely aware of the difficulties these children will face. In his words "I want to give back to these children and complete the karmic circle". He was fully sponsored by English parents and graduated from Collage in New Delhi with a Masters in Business Administration. Kelsang has visited the Friendship House in Kathmandu and fully understands the model in front of him. Kelsang is key in making this project happen: he is educated, honorable, compassionate and extremely committed. We are blessed to have him.
While in Gangtok I will be staying at The Happiness Home. Kelsang has been working on a list of young girls who have fallen into desperate situations in the surrounding area. We will be traveling to remote villages to interview these young girls, as part of the selection process in starting The Happiness Home.
If you have any interest in helping the start up of the Sikkim Girls Home or sponsoring a girl please contact me and I can get you all the information you need.
Mamas Dablem Expedition, Fall 2003
It should be noted that the Mamas Dablam Expedition have been raising funds for our new girl’s home, The Happiness Home in Sikkim India. Their efforts and organization is quite impressive. The dZi Foundation is extremely thankful for the output of energy of this all women’s expedition going to climb the South Ridge of Ama Dablam. Organizing an expedition to Nepal and tacking on fundraising on top of it is a difficult task. We have loved being involved with this professional group and their honorable intentions. For more on the "Mamas Dablam" Expedition check out their web site. <http//www.mamasdablam.org>
FUNDRASERS
We were fortunate to have Mountainfilm of Telluride donate 2 nights of film for an event held in Ouray Colorado on March 7 & 8th. The 2 nights were very successful and the attendees were exposed to wonderful films. On the menu was adventure, political, environmental and cultural films. Our hostess was Diva Berry-Chesoins, her excellent introduction to each film set a wonderful tone for the evenings. If you have never experienced Mountainfilm you are missing something. Over 4 days of films occur Memorial weekend in Telluride May 23-26, you will become profoundly impacted and inspired. Past experiences tell me that it will be the most inspirational weekend of the year for me. Don’t miss it. www.mountainfilm.org We thank Mountainfilm of Telluride for their help and the dZi Foundation hopes to make this an annual event.
Coming up in April we have 4 different fundraisers:
Fri. April 11th ,
Jan Reynolds Slide show as a tribute to Galen Rowell and Ned Gillett.
SILENT AUCTION before SLIDE SHOW
Jan will present an ascent of Mustagata (25,000’) in 1980. Jan and Ned Gillette with Galen Rowell and National Geographic, set altitude skiing records in the Igh Pamir mountain range located in the former Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China when it first opened in 1980. This area is now Kirkistan, situated on the edge of the mountains that we hear so much about in the news associated with the Taliban. This show gives us a chance to see the rare cultural life in these mountains for those who escaped the Taliban rule.
COST: $10.00 at the door
WHEN: APRIL 11TH 7:00 PM
WHERE: AMERICAN MOUNTAINEERING CENTEr, 710 TENTH ST. GOLDEN, CO.
Sat. April 12th ,
Jan Reynolds Slide show as a tribute to Galen Rowell and Ned Gillett.
SILENT AUCTION before SLIDE SHOW
Same slide show information as above ...
COST: $10.00 at the door
WHEN: APRIL 12TH 7:00 PM
WHERE: Vail Racquet Club, Vail Racquet Club Dr. 476-3267
SILENT AUCTION before SLIDE SHOWS: Items from Marmot, Patagonia, Sterling Ropes, OR, Alpinist, Cascade Designs, Atlas, Swiss Army, Mountainsmith, Lowe Alpine, Osprey, Wild Roses, MSR, Black Diamond.
Sun. April 13th
Mamas Dablam and The Painted Bench Restaurant Present: Mountains of Wine
COST: $75.00 Per person, RSVP, 303-863-7473
WHEN: 6:00 PM
WHERE: The Painted Bench Restaurant, Boulder, CO
A wine and cheese extravaganza! Come and meet the Mamas Dablam Expedition team and enjoy wine from different mountain regions of the world, Slide show on The dZi Foundation by Executive Director Jim Nowak , Live and silent gear auction and raffle.
Sunday August 24
Mamas Dablam and The Painted Bench Restaurant Present: A 5 Course sit-down dinner
COST: $100.00 / per person. RSVP 303-863-7473
WHEN: 6:00 PM
WHERE: The Painted Bench Restaurant, Boulder, CO
Enjoy a Tasty, 5 course sit-down dinner and complementary wine selection. Menu to be announced
Thanks for your patience in weeding through the past and upcoming fundraisers. It is important to acknowledge these organizations and individuals. Their efforts are exactly what The dZi Foundation hopes to inspire: spending time for the betterment of people who are not as fortunate as the vast majority of us in this country. Please look forward to the next dZi Foundation e-mail newsletter when I return from Asia in late May.
ALL THE BEST JIM
back to top
DECEMBER VOL. 4 - 2002
Dear Friends,
With the end of the year in sight and the inevitable rush toward the holidays, I hope it has been an exciting and personally productive year for you. From those of us at the dZi Foundation we wish you a truly successful and Happy New Year.
The dust is finally beginning to settle after our return from Sikkim and Nepal, 4 weeks ago. As usual it was a fascinating trip to a part of the world that continues to hold a tight grip on our hearts. As I sit down to reflect on the trip and all that has transpired over the last year I am constantly amazed and heartened.
A considerable amount of time this year was spent on setting up a solid
infrastructure at the dZi Foundation. Developing a web site and brochure material has been a tremendous help in allowing the public to understand what are efforts are about.
Our work in Nepal has progressed wonderfully. And, in light of the political unrest that the country has been going through it seems all the more necessary. Our projects continue to move along at the same steady pace. Solid and reliable transfer of funds coupled with competent and caring staff in Nepal, make our efforts succeed.
The girls at The Friendship House are continuing to mature and grow into young women. The statement that children are the true mark of time is so accurate. It seems like the girls are growing by leaps and bounds. On this years visit we could not believe our eyes, Manuka had grown 8 inches in one year, we hardly recognized her. What it truly speaks of is the fine nutritional balance that the girls are receiving. Maybe this is the start of a Nepali women’s basketball dynasty.
With 4 of the girls off to college it is time to start planning the transition of successfully educated young women out into the world. Who would of thought that our early efforts of just trying to raise enough money to feed the girls and get them into school would of lead to all of this? As the older girls move out of the house and the program expands for younger girls to take their place, the commitment is bigger than ever.
Dawa Sherpa was the project manager of the last teacher’s house we built next to the Chhulemu School, fall 2002. He reports that being able to house the teacher’s full time at the school site has resulted in the schoolyard becoming an anchor for the entire community. The children are showing up to the school early to practice their English or to have their homework checked before class. And with the guidance of the teachers the children stay after class and play games and sports. All in all it has worked better for the community than we could have ever planned and we are looking forward to the completion of the Yawa Teachers House.
The Yawa Teachers House project is moving along rapidly. Lakpa Sherpa, our project manager, is going to Kathmandu this week to purchase the metal roof and glass for the windows. The roofing then goes by truck, one day to get to the trail head and a 4 day walk, carried by porters to get to the building site in Yawa. The villagers of Yawa and the teachers are very excited and looking forward to the completion of the teachers house by Jan 15th, 2003.
Last but not least we have a new project that we are considering in 2003. We want to start another girl’s house similar to The Friendship House in Gangtok the capitol of Sikkim located in the eastern India Himalayan. There are many girls at risk here and we feel that we will be able to be of service in this new location. Kelsang Phuntsok will head up the house for the dZi Foundation in Gangtok. Kelsang himself, a Tibetan refugee and orphan whose education was sponsored by western donations is a sterling example of what we hope to achieve in Gangtok. We are in the process of raising start up funds and looking for sponsors for girls at the new house. We hope to have this up and running by the spring of 2003. If you have any interest in helping the start up of the Sikkim Girls House or sponsoring a girl please contact me and I can get you all the information you need.
As we close out the year, we feel it imperative to ask for help from our friends. Many of you have sponsored girls, helped with building projects and furthered our efforts here at The dZi Foundation. This is a reminder to all of you that tax time is nearing and we hope that you will continue your support before the end of the year. This is also a call to those of you who have been on the fence. The reality of what we do can not be done without your help. As a non-profit we are in the business of moving money to projects for people in great need, plain and simple. We need your help. Its time. We appreciated it.
All the Best JIM
back to top
SEPTEMBER VOL. 3 - 2002
Dear Friends,
I recently read a newsletter that was written in April of 1998 by Som Paneru our Executive Director in Nepal. The Friendship House girls had just moved to a new house closer to a boys house also under Som's direction. The new house was larger, had better cooking facilities and was closer to better schools. Also in this newsletter was a picture of all the girls who had made this transition....they all look so small and it feels so long ago.
A lot has transpired, not the least of which, the girls grew up, amazing. We have moved into a new phase of our program, we have 3 girls now old enough that they are going to collage and living on there own. We still fully fund their housing, tuition and medical, but they are becoming self educated on how to exist on there own. They are now young women with incredible success stories. Where they have come from and what they have accomplished still boggles my mind.
Let me paint a picture for you. Some of these girl were living and sleeping on the streets. When I am in Kathmandu I see kids sleeping in a doorway,not an uncommon site at all. They run in groups of 4,5,6 and sleep together for warmth, like a pile of puppy's, not quite that cute. One of our girls was working and sleeping in the doorway of a restaurant. She has been at The Friendship House for 5 years. She is healthy, enrolled in private school, blossoming as a young women, and loved.
If that is not enough, try to wrap your head around this: Recently, Som Paneru had dinner at our house in Ridgway Colorado. He is traveling around the U.S. for a month with a friend and they came to visit. He told about this same young girl and that she had done exceptionally well on her most recent final exam. For acknowledgement of her effort on her exams he took her out to dinner at the same restaurant where she use to work and sleep. They had dinner and Som made her pay the check with money he had given her. Much to the amazement of the restaurant staff, who hardly recognized her!
Som said that the self-esteem that she has developed in the last 5 years can not be described. The courage it took her to have dinner in that restaurant and pay for the meal, was an incredible boost for her confidence. He said that she was on top of the world for day's! Som reinforced that these girls know the exactly what kind of opportunity they are receiving at The Friendship House and do not take this for granted. This appreciation is also passed along to the younger girls at the house, as they grow up.
The new phase that I mentioned earlier, is that for the first time we can take more girls into the house. We now have 3 empty beds and I am actively seeking 3 new sponsors. If this interests you please contact me and I can go over the details concerning the responsibility of becoming a sponsor.
On another note we have a sister climb going to climb Ama Dablam in Nepal inthe fall of 2003. Ama Dablam is considered by many to be the most beautiful mountain in the world. At an elevation of 22,500 feet, and it is situated 7 miles south of Mount Everest. The team is attempting the South Ridge, a striking and beautiful route. This all female team are all Chicks with Picks, alumni/ guides. Chicks With Picks is an all women's ice climbing clinic held in Ouray Colorado and North Conway New Hampshire. The clinic is run by my wife Kim Reynolds, she is also a dZi Foundation board member.
The team will be raising money for both the expedition and The dZi Foundation. This idea was inspired by a similar effort back in 1998 when Kim and I (my second attempt) went to try to complete the still unclimbed West Ridge of Pumori. (3 miles west of Everest). In all honesty, when Kim and I took on this fundraising idea coupled with the Pumori climb we were rather clueless. Nonetheless, it is where this all started, one small step after another. We managed to raise $40,000.00 and which helped move the girls into a better house and put them on more sound financial ground. Five years later, we are still at it.
We truly respect and admire these women's intentions and effort to support The dZi Foundation through their Ama Dablam climb. I will keep you posted on their progress and if you would like to contact them directly you can e-mail them at, Angela Hawse, <anghawse@ascentdesigns.com>
In other news, the Hewa Teachers House in the Solu region of Nepal has been started. Funds have been sent for wood, rock and roofing material. We will hand deliver additional funds this fall. Kim and I leave on Oct 7th to go to Sikkim India to trek and look for additional projects for The dZi Foundation. We look forward to investigation a couple of projects all ready underway in Sikkim. After, we will go to Kathmandu on November 2nd to visit The Friendship House and visit our projects in the mountains. We look forward to seeing the progress of the Hewa Teachers House while we are there.
Finally I am excited to tell you that while you are reading this news letter we have partnered with a dental project for all 110 children in the 4 houses of the Friendship House and Happy Home in Kathmandu. We were contacted by the Himalayan Dental Relief Project last month. This group organizes dentist's to go to Asia for service projects to work on children's teeth. They wanted to partner with us because of our long term connection with The Friendship House and Happy Home. This project will take place from Sept.10th to the 20th, 2002. They will chart all 110 children and will fully treat all of the children in that time period. They also commit to coming back every 2 years to do follow up work. We wish them well and look forward to additional projects together.
Thank you for your support,
Executive Director
Jim Nowak
back to top
JULY VOL. 2 - 2002
Dear Friends,
I received an e-mail from Som Paneru about a week ago, he is the Executive Director of The Friendship House in Katmandu Nepal. One of the girls at The Friendship House Neelam passed the SLC, Student Learning Certificate. On top of that she passed in the first division, and with her results it turns out she is in the top 5% of the 152,000 students who took the exam. With this success she is now looking at different options of what subject to choose to study, she is interested in Science. We are now looking for new sponsorship for this wonderful child, if you are interested please contact me and I can inform you of all the details.
We want to welcome our Secretary, Annie Whitehouse, back to the country. Annie well known for her climbing and adventuring skills in addition is a registered nurse. Annie was working with Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Boarders (MSF/DWB) on a TB assignment in Abkhazia for the last six months.
The Abkhazia Tuberculosis (TB)Control Program is run conjointly by the Abkhazian Ministry of Health and MSF/DWB. The goal is to reduce the transmission of TB in Abkhazia by detecting and treating at least 70 % of the active TB cases.
Abkhazia declared its independence from Georgia in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The country covers 3,300 square miles between the eastern shores of the Black Sea and the crestline of the main Caucasus range. 74% of Abkhazia is mountainous.
Unfortunately, the health, education and welfare of these hearty mountain people is direly threatened by political and economic blockades, as well as the effects of a recent civil war, and ongoing conflict, between Abkhazia and Georgia.
We are glad to have Annie back with us. She has brought a couple of project ideas from Abkhazia that the dZi board is presently reviewing.
Our Board Chair Bill Liske has recently returned from Sikkim India. Bill has been working with Sterling Collage students for the last 3 springs. He has been the cultural expert for the Collage on their 2 month, fully accredited treks in Nepal and Sikkim. Bill by his own modest estimates has been to Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir on ruffle 75 treks. He has been instrumental in connecting dZi with the Kunpheling Tibetan settlement, in Sikkim, India. Another board member, my wife Kim Reynolds and I will be traveling this fall to Sikkim and doing a service trek at this Tibetan settlement school.
The dZi Foundation has started to fund the Yawa Teachers House Project. The Chhulemu Teachers house was completed last year and the board has approved an identical project in a neighboring village of Yawa. The teachers in Yawa currently live in a converted schoolroom. All three teachers and two of their children live in the 150 square foot room and cook outside in a metal shack the size of and outhouse. The teachers come from Kathmandu and it is very difficulty to find housing, this project will allow three teachers and their family’s to live at the school fulltime.
We are very proud to announce that we have a new brochure explaining our current projects hot off the press. We have been mailing these out to Friends of The dZi Foundation. If you would like to have one of these beautiful brochures sent to you please
e-mail me your address. If you would like to introduce a friend to The dZi Foundation please ask for 2 brochures to be sent to you.
Thank you for your support,
Executive Director
Jim Nowak
back to top
APRIL VOL. 1 - 2002
Dear Friends,
We are excited to send out our first e-mail newsletter. Things have been moving along at a rapid rate in the first quarter of 2002. We have received our official 501(c)(3) Approval from the Internal Revenue Service. This was a lengthy process and we have persevered with minimal brain damage. This approval has been a great catalyst to move our projects and The dZi Foundation to the next level. Coupled with this, we have formed a dynamic board with a rich history and understanding of Nepal. All of the board members bios and our current projects are listed on our new web site. We are very excited about our web page and worked hard to keep the site clean and user friendly. We will also be posting these newsletters on the web site as reference pieces. www.thedzifoundation.com
The Friendship House is the cornerstone of our foundation and it continues to blossom. The girls are doing better than ever and continue to excel in school. One of our girls, Rita, has had phenomenal success and is ranked 9th out of 425 children, on her nursing acceptance exam. Rita has been expressing that she wanted to become a nurse and go back and help the people of her village ever since she came to the House 5 years ago. She now lives at the Nursing Academy during the week and comes home on the weekends to be with her sisters at The Friendship House.
Sponsorship at The Friendship House has gone well and we have a very committed core of supporters here in the United States. Since the September 11th fall-out, we have lost a few sponsors and we still have 4 girls who need full sponsorship funding.
The most pressing issue for The dZi Foundation at this juncture is the Maoist aggressive action s in Nepal and more specifically in the Solu Region. Our projects have been based around the Taksindu Monastery. The Monastery is somewhat insulated from the Maoist in that it is still considered sacred grounds by the Maoist and they have had a hands off attitude. Our Sponsorship of the Young Monks the Long House Project and the Mural Paintings of the Mira Monastery are on tract and moving ahead. The Yawa Teachers House project is a little more suspect. Yawa village is very remote and the Maoist use this as a staging area, move in and out of the Jungle to avoid detection from the government troops. The Yawa Teachers House is the most tenuous project on our list we will continue to evaluate and move slowly ahead.
Despite the current political unrest in Nepal we feel that The dZi Foundation has a thoroughly reliable infrastructure in place for money flow and coordination of all our projects. We have always made a point of keeping a low profile & low overhead and this will continue to serve us well in our efforts in Nepal. Our group is firmly committed to helping the people of Nepal. Not just in the good times but especially, now when times are tough.
Thank You for your support,
Executive Director
Jim Nowak
|
