Fourteen Nepalese orphans in Mangalbare, Dharan may soon be living in a new dorm facility. A University of Colorado graduate and Nepalese resident, Bikram Palikhey is leading the fundraising and a dormitory building project, as part of a campaign for social good.
The dormitory will benefit the 14 orphans, ages 5-14, living in the home of Sita Dewan. Sita Dewan took children, many with special needs into her home out of goodwill, without any sponsors. As her orphanage is not registered as a non-profit in Nepal, she does not receive the benefit of having major sponsors. She has cared for the children by farming and animal husbandry within her small home.
The preliminary plans for the new dormitories have been designed by architect Bikash Palikhey, Bikram's brother. The new dorm facility will allow separate rooms for boys and girls. It will also take the local landscape into consideration - the materials will be locally sourced, windows will take advantage of the area’s wind patterns for cross ventilation, the overhang will reduce moisture from building during the monsoon month, and the roof is designed to stay cool during the summer months with straw thatch over corrugated metal.
Bikram started his personal campaign for social good earlier this year, traveling across Nepal delivering random acts of kindness to the people he meet along the way, in the trip he called ‘The Great Nepalese Road Trip to Inspire Social Good’. The random acts of kindness were documented on a Facebook page he created for the trip, and ranged from school supplies for children to a doctor visit and medicine to treat an ailment. Family, friends, and the Boulder Colorado Nepalese community helped financially back the random acts of kindness through donations, a silent auction, and a music event in February called “Almost Unplugged Concert for Nepal.”
Bikram was inspired to give back to his home country after returning to Nepal in 2011. After being away for fourteen years, during the start of the Maoist insurgency, he found the social landscape had changed drastically. The Nepal from his childhood was a place where kindness came naturally. After the insurgency there was no trust among citizens. Bikram explained that “I thought committing acts of kindness would send a positive message to all citizens; a message that will hopefully inspire people to reconnect with each other again. Hence, I raised funds and started touring around Nepal doing just that.”
The dormitory build can only be completed if the $3000 of building costs can be covered by fundraising. People who wish to make a contribution of any size can do so by visiting the youcaring.com fundraiser. Funds must be raised by August 31st, 2014 in order to move forward with the building plans.
