Barpak Multimedia Learning Center

Building a multimedia learning center in Barpak

Two summers ago, I traveled to Barpak village (the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit western Nepal in 2015) to build a children's learning center. Many of you generously contributed  to the initiative and I documented my journey in Medium posts here. 

When the Barpak Children’s Learning Center opened its doors in July 2016, it became a place for children to call their own. In the last two years, Sanju, Sita and Keyrani (the high school student-custodians of the learning center) have made it into a welcoming place for children to hang out and read fun books.  

The Barpak Children's Learning Center is ready for a tech upgrade. 


I am returning to Barpak village this summer,  with my sister Tara, and our friends Anuragi and Vedika, to upgrade the learning center with books, educational software, and learning  technology. While we have started to fundraise locally in Virginia, I wanted to start this page for those of you who are out of state/country, but interested in continuing to support the children’s center and to see it turn into a truly multimedia learning space.  

Schools in Barpak are being rebuilt, and the classrooms have basic things -- benches for students and a chair and a blackboard for their teachers. Kids don't have access to science or computer labs, and other educational facilities that we take for granted elsewhere. Barpak's children need opportunities outside of school, beyond rote-learning, and in addition to books they have in their school bags.

With the money we raise, we plan to buy a couple of laptops, a projector, educational software, kid-appropriate movies and Legos. Our goal is to offer kids a chance to open their minds,  and to provide them with creative and language learning opportunities. We believe this will help them get interested in learning, by making it more fun.

Your generous 2016 contributions paid for the building and upkeep of the center, and  salaries of three student custodians through the summer of 2018. This year, we are asking ourselves one more question: How can we help make Barpak Children’s Learning Center self-sufficient in the long run? We know that incorporating a self-sustaining element will help the center become more independent. And we are exploring ideas such as a small fee for movie screenings on Fridays to raise money for the center.  If you have suggestions for us, we would love to hear from you. 
 
In the meantime, please do consider supporting the upgrades at the Barpak Children’s Learning Center, so we can create a multimedia learning space in an area recovering from a devastating earthquake.   

Our commitment to you:
1) All of your contributions will go into the Barpak Children’s Learning Center; we will not be using the money you contribute for our travel, lodging or food.
2) All activities will be carried out in consultation with village elders AND the children of Barpak. We won't introduce "white elephants" to the village!
3) Responsible adults will travel with us and help us ensure that the raised funds get spent wisely and responsibly; we will report on every penny spent.  
4) Email and blog entries will update you about this initiative's progress. You will be sent an email every time I post a new write-up on Medium.  

Thank you so much for your support and have a great summer!
 
Maya