2016

While Maine was volunteering in Nepal (November 2016), she met Tara and Binod, who runs a volunteer and charity organization VCN in Bhaktapur (map). They started the organization after the big earthquake in May 2015. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 and over 30 aftershocks. About 9,000 people died and 23,000 were injured during this earthquake. Large parts of Nepal's population, including many children, were left without food, water and homes. Nearly 900,000 buildings were destroyed or became unusable in the earthquake. Among these were 5,000 schools, and one million children were therefore left without opportunity to education.

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Tara and Binod are committed to improve the conditions of poor children and young people through education, especially the many who grow up in slum and poor districts. In Nepal, many children, including some very young, have to work to support their families, on the fields, brick production or in richer families' homes. We, Maine, Johan, Alexandra, Tara and Binod believe that schools and education can reduce poverty, prevent alcoholism, drug use, prostitution and other poverty-related problems, and improve conditions in Nepal in the long run.