Times have not changed in Nepal, many families can not offered to purchase 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 Council 4th and 5th grade students of the Stony Brook School in Branchburg decided to send their love and show their compassion by collecting 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 in Nepali language. These school supplies will be distributed to schoolchildren in Nepal during our mission trip in mid February 2018.
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 said that students in Nepal are always anxious to receive these gifts of love as he used to be when he was a young student in Nepal. Students from Nepal will SKYPE with the leadership group in Branchburg where students will have opportunity to exchange stories and broaden their international understanding, explore NEW CULTURE, build enduring friendships, establish a foundation for peace and greater understanding and learn about a region’s people, food, languages, customs, and history.
He hopes to continue this project with many other schools to promote Peace and understanding. If you are interested in participating in this program contact us at trm7510@gmail.com or visit http://www.theashaproject.org.
The Asha Project 