Dear Friends of TRIFC,
Yesterday afternoon, I took a bumpy, bouncy, jouncy ride out to visit the children at one of our TRIFC project sites and also the recipient of a recent Bellevue Rotary Foundation Matching Grant projects - DNC (Disabled Newlife Centre), home to 32 children with physical disability. TRIFC sends funding through the Rotary Club of Kopundol for so many things like: orthopedic surgeries, prosthetics, higher education, a tutor, physiotherapy and food/nutritional supplement.
Currently, many of the roads here in Kathmandu are in various stages of being widened, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, the pot-holes and craters previously in the roads have been left unfilled and although most Kathmandu roads have never been what you would call 'silky-smooth' anyway, they are now shock-absorber testing obstacle courses! All of the cars trucks and motorcycles seem to be slowly dancing the samba as they work their way across the dance floor/road...left tire here and right tire there, take one step back and one step forward- careful, don't step on your partner! I think I must have had a thorough chiropractic back adjustment by the end of my ride!
But it was definitely worth the effort as I arrived at DNC to see the smiling faces of so many children whom I'd been missing for over a year. I was so pleasantly surprised to see Sunita Dangi whom TRIFC has been sponsoring through her university studies. Sunita lost her legs in a fire when she was 9 months old. However, you wouldn't know it to look at her, she is confident, steady and dedicated to helping others through the education she is receiving. It was a warm reunion and a wonderful afternoon for us all.
DNC has a new building, courtesy of a wonderful organization in the UK - Nepali Children's Trust. Brother and Sister team- Fran and Michael Mc Gowan are the impetus behind the new building and I am proud to call them my friends. My Rotary Club- Bellevue Rotary Club has partnered with the Rotary Club of Kopundol on a matching grant to provide many of the necessary items needed to run this organization including:
beds and bedding, computers, kitchen equipment, dining tables, games and sporting goods and so much more. About $20,000 of goods have been purchased or are in the process of being purchased with the grant funding.
Fran, Michael, RR and I met with the Nepali board of DNC and worked on preparing a detailed budget for the organization so that there can be better planning and implementation of the projects and programs as we go forward. It was a very productive meeting.
See the faces, the smiles, the impact of TRIFC (and Rotary) in action!
With Warm Regards,
-Rob.
Sunita Dangi - DNC graduate currently in her 2nd year of university study
Jiwaka and Bikash
Babulal
Subash with Saraswati
Laxmi
"The Gang"
Beds donated via Rotary Matching Grant
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