GIFT OF HOPE FROM THE STONY BROOK LEADERSHIP GROUP TO BE SEND TO NEPAL.

BRANCHBURG — Times have not changed in Nepal, children are still in need of school supplies. This is not new for Dr. Tulsi Maharjan, who grew up in Nepal before coming to the United States in the 1970s. He remembers the excitement of a new pencil for school. Maharjan is now the President of the Branchburg Rotary and Chair of the New Jersey based non-profit group The Asha Project, and will be leading the Rotary’s 2018 humanitarian mission to Nepal from February 12-25, 2018. Before leaving on the mission to assist people in need in Nepal, he is working with local schools and community groups to collect school supplies.

Recently, the leadership group of the fourth and fifth grades of Stony Brook School in Branchburg collected school supplies and wrote messages of HOPE for the schoolchildren in Nepal. They pulled together donations from their class and every member of the student council wrote a message with the Nepali word “ASHA” which means hope. These school supplies will be distributed to schoolchildren in Nepal during the mission.
In addition to the school supplies like notebooks, boxes of crayons, pencils, erasers, and folders, the Branchburg Rotary donated $1000 toward the purchase of new school bags. The Rotary Club of Branchburg has been helping in Nepal for the past 25 years.
“Individuals from all Rotary members also donated a variety of school supplies that the students or the school could not afford,” Maharjan said. “These supplies will help to make a better learning environment for students in Nepal.”
According to Leadership Council Adviser Ms. Toni Lynn, “The Leadership Council piloted this collection, but I am sure next year we can do it on an even larger scale! Although the box may not be big, it is filled with a lot of friendship and love”.
Maharjan believes that the students in Nepal are looking forward to this special gift and students are lucky to receive this special donation. Students from Nepal will SKYPE with the leadership group in Branchburg where the student can have a cultural exchange. He hopes to continue this project for future humanitarian missions.