What We Do
SOW Sowing seeds of opportunity in communities in Nepal and New Zealand.
NURTURE Nurturing development projects within communities.
GROW Growing towards positive sustainable change.
Nepal Earthquake Response
Ankuro are supporting their Nepali partner organisation KRMEF to help rebuild their community following the devastating earthquake on April 25th. All donations to Ankuro will go directly to KRMEF to support their efforts. The following are excerpts from a letter from our friend and KRMEF founder, Krishna Gurung.
Like many villages surrounding Kathmandu City, Khahare (home of KRMEF) has been significantly damaged by the earthquake, with more than 500 homes destroyed. The foundation is taking the initiative to respond to the most urgent needs of our local community. We aim to start with our own village and work outward with a ripple effect as we build our capacity to support those in need. We have begun with a survey of impacts and are organizing families in need into categories based on necessities such as water, food, housing, clothing, health, and safety. One of our first initiatives has been to harvest fresh spring water into tanks for anyone in need, as many of the natural water sources we’ve grown to depend on have either moved or broken. We are also running a generator. Our international volunteers have already started to help the local community build a house for a family who lost their home, and are organizing a “building best practices” workshop to discuss and share tips on earthquake-safe construction techniques as locals start to rebuild. Our vision is not only to provide immediate relief, but to use this event as an opportunity to foster long-term, comprehensive, and sustainable solutions in our community.
KRMEF, established in 2008, has long supported the local community and beyond. The foundation is composed of a variety of community outreach programs including four Waldorf inspired schools, a thriving biodynamic farm, bee hives, a free community health clinic, a handicraft workshop and store, bio-briquette production, and sustainable and natural buildings such as bottle houses. We work in many domains, incorporating sustainable and environmental values in all our activities, and are looking forward to maintaining and expanding our capacity to help those in need with your contribution.
Your donations will go a long way in supporting our mission to assist in rebuilding and revitalizing our villages in a long-term, sustainable way. With our strong roots in the local community and beyond, this financial resource will help to alleviate the suffering of the Nepali community and be the stepping stone to help restore and rebuild the community from the ground up.
Anyone who has visited Nepal knows of the generous nature of the Nepalese, giving even when they have very little. On behalf of the Nepali people, we thank you for your compassionate support. With your contribution, you are joining in the international movement to give back in this great time of need, building together for a better, more sustainable future.
Welcome aboard! We’re glad to have you!
Krishna Gurung
Linking Local and Global Development
Ankuro Community Development Trust was established to support community projects in Nepal and New Zealand. For the last two years, we have partnered with a community project in Khahare village in Nepal. Lead by local leaders, with support from several donors, this village has established an orphanage and kindergarten, extended its women’s employment program and continues to train villagers from throughout Nepal on sustainable farming and building techniques. It is an exciting time as KRMEF adopts new and innovative projects to fulfill their vision: ‘promoting health through a synergy of man and land.’
Using what they have available, the community have created baskets from chip packets, a bus shelter from plastic water bottles and buildings from recycled glass bottles and local clay. Which got us to thinking… what more can WE be doing in our community here in New Zealand. Can we be innovative in creating something ‘new’ from something ‘used?’
In 2014, Ankuro is planning to engage with our own local community here in New Zealand on some new projects; using and recycling our own local resources whilst raising funds and building a closer relationship with our ‘sister village’ Khahare. Our stall at the Lake Tekapo fete featured locally made products and produce, ‘upcycled’ clothing from our local “Merino Makeover’ project, and tasty “Yum Plum” Jams and Sauces from our inaugural Plum Jam drive. An exciting development is a partnership with the NZ Made Lake Tekapo Fete for 2015, developing systems for recycling and working towards a Zero-Waste event. Watch this space for more!
Current Project Partner: Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco-Foundation
Krishna Gurung, one of the co-founders of Shanti Sewa Griha Village (Nepal), founded the KRMEF project with his wife Leela and other friends in memory of their late son, Kevin Rohan Gurung, who tragically passed away in 2008. Their aim is to promote health and the environment through a ‘synergy’ between man and land.
KRMEF Village aims to be eco-friendly where possible, using local manpower and local waste, while educating the local population about the benefits of protecting the environment. The rennovation of the local community centre incorporated an innovative technique using recycled bottles and local clay. The community centre now features a free community health clinic, a community library and is a central meeting place for community meetings, literacy classes and training seminars. The foundation provides employment opportunities for the under privileged, disabled and poor. KRMEF Village has an eco-guest house, a working organic garden, and is working with the local community school.
For further information visit: http://krmecofoundation.org/ or contact us to request a copy of the latest KRMEF progress reports.
View a short documentary on the work of KRMEF http://vimeo.com/27797495
2011-2013 KRMEF Orphanage and Kindergarten
Ankuro responded to a request for assistance to establish an orphanage and day care centre at KRMEF. ‘many children, who other wise have less fortune get chances to get quality of life, thus mother are free to work and be productive.’ The donations to our organisation over 2011-13 helped this project to get underway.
The KREMF kindergarten has grown since it opened in 2013. The class currently holds 22 students with ages ranging from 20 months to 9 years old. Kabita, the kindergarten teacher, has her hands full and works hard to meet the needs of all her students. To help with the work, a local woman, Rohita has been hired as a teacher’s assistant. The children are also enjoying their new playground, wonderfully constructed from bamboo by students and teachers from the Rudolf Steiner School of Lugano Switzerland and by students from United Academy here in Nepal.
2011 Christchurch Earthquake Response
In our own backyard, communities were devastated by the Christchurch Earthquake. It is heart warming to see the compassion and resiliency shown by many communities as they reached out to one another. We encourage you to
support the people of Christchurch in whatever way you can – talking with affected friends and family, offering a place to stay, helping on the ground efforts, or by making a donation to the redcross appeal http://www.redcross.org.nz/donate
2009 Project Focus: Shanti Sewa Greha, Nepal
Ankuro founders, Penny and Isaac Wilson spent two months working at Shanti Sewa Greha in 2006. Shanti was established to provide care, shelter, employment and education to people and families affected by leprosy. Shanti is a great example of ‘community development’ in action – empowerment is key to turning around the lives of people who had been living on the streets begging and ostracised from their communities. Shanti provides the opportunity for these disadvantaged people to earn a living from cultivating crops or craft workshops and as a result regain their health and dignity within a caring and supportive community.
Shanti provide a number of key services to support the rehabilitation of community members including:
- Medical clinic – an on-site medical clinic is tasked with meeting the day-to-day medical requirements of the community.
- Malnutrition centre – providing nourishing food to young children orphaned, abandoned, or whose families are so poor they are unable to feed them.
- Community school – providing a vibrant and thriving place for the children to learn.
Shanti are always seeking new ways of working; and use, where possible, sustainable methods of cultivating crops, composting, recycling and generating power.
For further information on Shanti please see links below: