Expand Nepal's Kakani Brighter School

Hi, I'm Dennis, fundraising on behalf of the Kakani Brighter School in Nepal. Communities in Nepal have experienced significant challenges in the last decade. Already one of the world's poorest countries, Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake in 2015 and with recovery work still ongoing, the pandemic caused further setbacks. Since 2019, I've been visiting Nepal with groups of like-minded travelers, volunteering and fundraising to help improve education and healthcare infrastructure.

For this project, we're helping the local community expand the school in the village of Kakani, which is an hour and a half north of Kathmandu. The project (read more here) was started in 2024 and much work remains to be done. Education is critically important everywhere, but especially here, where the unemployment rate for young adults is 22% and many youth are forced to seek work abroad. In the existing Kakani school building, which serves Kindergarten through 10th grade, there’s not enough space for the growing student population, so there's no instruction at all offered for the 11th and 12th grade. That's a huge barrier for local kids who want to complete their education, and the new building—with eight classrooms—will help them stay in school.

The beneficiary of this fundraiser is the Mother and Children Art Foundation, a Nepal-based nonprofit that works closely with the Kakani community and is managing the school expansion project. Every donation helps, as US dollars go a long way in Nepal. I will collect the funds donated and send them to Mother and Children Art Foundation, and of course, will provide verification of the transfer.

If you have any questions or would like updates on the project's progress, please send me a message, and if you're interested in volunteering (and trekking) yourself this fall, there are two service trips scheduled: October 11-30 and November 1-21.