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‘Live your dream, don’t dream your life!’
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BEYOND THE SMILE – Documentary and Lura literacy project
see latest developments at bottom of page!!!
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Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world. Within Nepal, there are significant gender, caste, ethnic and geographic disparities. Nearly 40% of the total population lives under the poverty line.Lura is a small village near Salleri in the Solu. Solu is the area located below the Everest region. There is no electricity yet, no running water in Lura. Children who go to school join either the local government school, which provides minimal education, or one of the privately run schools on the other side of the valley. Lura is a subsistence farming community. Men in the village get whatever paying work they can get, overseas or as trekking and climbing guides. Women work the fields, gather fodder and wood in the forest, look after the children and the animals. Women in the village cannot read or write in Nepali. This means no access to written information, no power to make decisions or to read letters while their husbands are away.
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Objectives
The project’s overall objectives are two-fold:1- To contribute to the alleviation of poverty and poor health through the empowerment of the Lura women. This will be achieved by improving literacy and through it, health education and sustainable livelihood activities and by strengthening their development capacities.The training will be provided by a local employed by The Young Star Club, which was established in 1980. The YSC is a Nepali NGO with a long experience in conducting literacy classes. Please see http://www.ysc.org.np for full details on YSC. The establishment of a literacy program was discussed with both the village women and the YSC representative, Ngima Tamang Pakhrin (Solukhumbu Edu-Communication Project), and its conception is a result of these discussions. YSC is happy to contribute its literacy model to the project, while funding for the project has to be found in Australia.
2- To document the literacy program through the personal story of the film maker and the families involved in the development and realisation of the idea. Brigitte Muir visits the area every year to work, stay and film Lakpa Tamang and his family. Through this Lura family story, filmed over many years, the life of the project and its consequences on the people involved in its realization will be given a long term insight.
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Please contact me for details.brigitte_muir@hotmail.com
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Documentary Synopsis As an Everest and Himalayan climber and guide, I have had the chance to work with climbing sherpas for many years. Sherpas are well known in the Western world as tough, always smiling beasts of burden. But who are they once the expedition is over and they go home to their families and communities? Since 2007 I have been staying every year with Lakpa, his wife Pemba and their five children. This personal experience of discovery led to the bigger issues that affect the area: the very low level of literacy in trekking guides’ families and villages, waterways pollution, low retention rate of young people in the country side. Beyond the Smile is a story about friendship, sharing and discovering what difference a friendship growing over mountains, cultures and continents will make to the lives of the people touched by it.
Funding required
For the documentary and Stage Two of the literacy program AUD 21,000.00 are required. This will cover 6 months of lessons for 20 women and the cost of production for completion of filming ( March to December 2010 ). Donations made to the documentary are tax deductible. Please go to http://www.documentaryaustralia.com.au/da/foundation/make.php to make a tax deductible donation.
World Expeditions started the ball rolling with a 100.00 donation to the literacy fund. You too can help by transferring as little as 20.00 now to Bendigo Bank Horsham B. Muir Literacy BSB 633000 Account 137358883. Ref your name. Please email me your details as well if you want to be kept in the loop
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Ph: 0353 871530 |
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Update : thanks to the support of you many generous people, Stage One started in December 2009. 25 women are busy learning the alphabet in Lura! Rachel and Michael, who helped raise money for the project visited in January and here is what they have to say:
We had the honour of visiting Lura in January this year and staying with Lhakpa and his wonderful family. Whilst staying in Lura we were able to see first-hand the women’s literacy program in action. The day starts early with the women arriving before 6.30am each morning (except Saturday) to spend over 2 hours learning to read and write the Nepali alphabet before heading home for the days work in the fields, collecting wood from the forest and minding their children and animals. The classes involved lots of laughter and hard work with the women concentrating intently as they are lead through basic language and writing skills by their two teachers...
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...We were struck by the womens dedication and commitment and look forward to returning to experience first-hand their progress. This is a wonderful project which we will continue to support and we congratulate Brigitte on moving forward Beyond the Smile to set up such a valuable program.
Rachel Callahan and Michael Furlong
5 February 2010
Stage 2 funding is now needed for the challenging task of learning how to read and write..
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