Our Projects
You can download a PDF with a map and details of our projects: CAN Projects.pdf
Bahrabise
(updated Feb 2012)
People with disabilities face very difficult challenges in Nepal. Unfortunately there is sometimes a social stigma attached to disability and the state provision for care and support is limited.
CAN has been working at Bharabise school for nearly 10 years and has built a large modern school, new toilets and installed a clean water supply. This has been CAN’s most complex and expensive school project todate, providing specialist education and care for 50 students. We are grateful to the Cattanach Trust who have been particularly supportive in funding our work at the school over this time.
In the summer of 2010 the new additional accommodation hostel opened to pupils. The number of bed spaces has been increased by raising the ceiling height and installing bunk beds, rather than single beds. The two photos (April and May 2010) show the various stages in the construction of the entrance to the hostel.
This has become a regional school for deaf children. CAN funds one full time and two part-time teachers, the stationery, teaching materials, has provided additional quilts for dormitories and sports equipment. CAN has also provided the school with four new computers and a colour printer enabling the children to access the internet. Vocational training includes agricultural management on the school’s own land.
CAN nurses visit to provide first aid training, health materials and medicines. The Social Welfare Council has recently observed that the children now regard the school as home.
CAN purchased additional adjoining land for cultivation by staff and pupils. They now produce bananas, coffee, pineapples, mushrooms, potatoes and many other vegetables. There is now sufficient basic food for the school and a surplus which is sold locally to provide additional income for school funds.
Art Project - 'Bahrabise's Got Talent!' Art Exhibition in Chamonix Summer 2010
Andy Parkin, one of the UKs foremost modern climbers, is also an accomplished artist. He has very kindly run an art project for CAN at the school which has led to the discovery of some fabulous artistic talent, an art exhibition in Kathmandu and a Summer 2010 art exhibition of the work at the Tourist Centre in the alpine town of Chamonix, where Andy lives. Projects such as these are not only great fun but also this build great confidence in the pupils.
Bodhe
CAN constructed the two storey Shree Bajramai Lower Secondary School.
CAN funds one science teacher and has provided science equipment.
Bushinga
Clean water project with the local people contributing 50% of the total costs.
Ghunsa (up dated Feb 2012)
CAN built the school and toilets and is now about to build two additional class rooms. CAN purchased the school land and land for the kitchen garden and provided the school water supply. CAN has begun a new Health Post building with the cutting and drying of timber. These were CAN’s first projects built in 1995/6.
CAN funds six teachers, stationery, teaching material and library books. It financed the raising of the school status to secondary level. CAN also funds two nursery teachers and a nursery classroom.
CAN funds two nurses, one helper, medicines and equipment. CAN also promotes health education, first aid training and provides worming treatment. A recent Health Camp was run during which 1297 patients were seen over three days.
In October 2011 the newly refurbished and extended Health Post with an integrated minor surgery room was opened. CAN nurses will now be able to offer an improved health care service to the local community. The photo shows the official opening day. The re-building was generously supported by Dr. Barbara Rushton's fundraising group. Barbara is a previous CAN medical volunteer in Nepal and was a guest of honour along with other fundraisers. Sarah Mulliner expains more "A large crowd gathered to see Dr. Barbara cut the ribbon and we all trooped into the courtyard for a day of speeches and dancing."
CAN has provided support for training in kitchen garden development and fruit cultivation. It has also supported 'lead farmer' training and a ‘group formation and mobilisation’ programme.
Ghyamrang (updated Feb 2012)
CAN's varied work in the Ghamrang area is now well established across education, health and income generation.
SCHOOL
We have recently re-roofed and extended the school and built a large sanitation block. The splendid new school buildings are shown above (right). CAN funds the salaries of two teachers, provides school materials and also supports two nursery teachers, shown below.
HEALTH POST
In 2011 we reached a successful milestone at Ghyamrang Health Post. The HP is now well established and it is able to operate with reduced CAN support, replaced by extra help from the Government. This will fee up scarce CAN resources for other rural areas with no health provision.
CAN built the Health Post, funded the salaries for two nurses and a helper, provided all medicines and equipment/instruments. In 2006 CAN ran a Health Camp seeing approximately 1200 patients in three days. CAN continues to fund staff training and a school based health education programme.
INCOME GENERATION PROJECT
CAN has financed the construction of six looms and Allo [nettle cloth] production training. This has also been supplemented by the community Mother's Group who have researched additional training opportunities and possible markets for the cloth. CAN also supports the development of the Mother's Group. Other areas of support provided by CAN include a kitchen garden programme, fruit cultivation, group formalisation and mobilisation programme, a water mill, black-smith, bee keeping support, 'lead farmer' training.
Gokyo LakesPorter Rescue Shelter (updated Feb 2012) - A special appeal
CAN are currently working hard to raise funds to build a porter shelter at Gokyo, a place well known to trekkers and climbers in the Everest area.
The Gokyo Lakes area ranges in altitude from 4,500 - 5,500 m. At these altitudes the body may struggle to adjust to the lack of oxygen. Altitude sickness and exposure to extreme weather can affect anyone, including Nepali porters. In response to this CAN and the IPPG are building a porter shelter at Gokyo. These have shown there value at Marchermo, where previous to the Marchermo shelter on average 10 to 12 porter boys and girls died each year.
In these remote regions all the building work must be done by hand and materials must be carried in over testing terrain. The estimated cost for the shelter is £50,000. The shelter provide affordable food, drink and accomodation for less than £1 per person/night. The money raised helps maintain the shelter. Volunteer western doctors give free medical support to porters and help raise funds by treating trekkers for a small fee. This helps make the shelters sustainable.
If you'd like to support this important work please send donations to the CAN office, marking them for the Gokyo Porter Shelter Appeal.
Gorak Shep
(updated Feb 2012)
The new porter shelter at Gorak Shep is providing shelter and accomodation for porters working in the Everest region. Gorak Shep is at 5140 metres and sits just below Everest Base Camp and Kala Pattar - the goal of so many trekkers in the Khumbu region. This means there are large numbers of porters working in the area and at this altitude shelter it is even more vital for their welfare and safety.
The shelter is proving very popular and is looked after by local lodge owners on a rota basis. Porters can stay for free and can buy meals from the lodge managing the shelter.
The Gorak Shep and Machhermo shelters provide appoximately 13,500 bed nights during the spring and autumn trekking seasons, saving lives and creating better conditions for porters in the Khumbu. If you're trekking in the area please do call in and say hello!
%2009.09.08.JPG "Gorak Shep porter shelter - with a dusting of snow")
Karki Danda
Karki Danda School Sanitation Block. The school later on part collapsed through subsidence. CAN will, in the near future, help out with this problem.
Kutumsang
(updated 2012)
The Kutumsang community has worked with CAN in both health and education projects over a number of years.
CAN has built the Health Post, put in a water supply and built two new class rooms at the Himalayan School and installed a new roof at the Birendra School. At Kakani school CAN has provided a much needed sanitation block. The Himalayan and Birendra shchools are also supported with books and teaching materials.
At the Health Post we financially support two nurses and a helper as well as providing equipment and medicines. Health camps have now been run at the village, attracting patients from the surrounding areas. The nurses provide important health education to three local schools and also a worming programmes and first aid training.
CAN has made a donation to the Gompa restoration programme.
The CAN Community Motivator has provided kitchen garden support, fruit cultivation and 'lead farmer' training.
The Mother's Group have also received group formation and mobilisation training.
Langtang & Mundu
(updated Feb 2012)
In 2011 a new community fundraising project started in the Langtang, where local communities are knitting fleece lined wool hats which CAN (UK) is selling at Doug Scott's lectures in the UK. These hand crafted garments will hopefully be a great seller.
CAN / Surgery in Nepal Health Camp 2010
The remote Langtang area has very sparse health provision and is two days walk to the nearest road and transport to better facilities. To assist in this situation CAN, working with Surgery in Nepal (a partner UK charity), ran a health camp at Langtang on 9 - 10 April 2010 based at Langtang Primary School.
The medical team were able to offer opthalmic, gynecological, minor surgey, health education, dental and GP services to villagers from Sindum, Mundu, Langtang and Gumba. In total 325 patients were seen, which included 149 eye and 51 gynecolgical referals.
CAN built the secondary school in Langtang village and Lower Primary in nearby Mundu village. It also provided funds for repositioning the hydro-electric station.
CAN is hoping to send in teacher support and help improve the health and general well-being of this impoverished area.
Lapcha
CAN built the Upper Primary School and nursery class-room.
CAN funds two teachers, teaching materials and stationery. It financed the building of the nursery school and funds two nursery teachers.
CAN nurses from Ghunsa provide a health education and a worming programme.
LiHi Gaun
(updated Feb 2012)
Close to the Tibetan border LiHi Gaun is one of CAN most remote projects. However, we have assisted the local community by building a new school, which has proved so popular that the villagers have already requested an extension to the school!. Generous funding from the Zurich Trust and ICTOPUS has made this possible. A government teacher supplements CAN's staff at this popular school.
The CAN health post now offers a completely new and innovative service to the local population, buy offering medicines, acupuncture and traditional Tibetan herbal remedies, provided by the monks form the nearby monastery. This 'multiple treatment' approach has seen patient numbers increase.
Our two CAN provide health education, a worming programme, first aid training to the Mother's Group and the existing school community.
CAN has also funded a telephone service based in the health post. Finance generated from this facility will provide a percentage of the profit towards the up keep of the Health Post.
An income generation in which CAN provided a fruit cultivation programme and 'lead farmer' training is helping village sustainability.
Machhermo
High in the Khumbu near Mount Everest the Machhermo Porter Shelter and Rescue Post opened in October 2006 and was the IPPG (International Porter Protection Group) and CAN's first such shelter. These buildings provide a vital, lifesaving function in the harsh landscape and extreme climate at high altitude. Altitude sickness and hypothermia can affect anyone and mountain porters are particularly vunerable if they have only a boulder to shelter under overnight. The photos below show the opening ceremony.
The shelter provides affordable food, drink and accomodation for less than £1 per person/night. The money raised helps maintain the shelter. Volunteer western doctors give free medical support to porters and help raise funds by treating trekkers for a small fee. This helps make the shelters sustainable.
The Gorak Shep and Machhermo shelters provide appoximately 13,500 bed nights during the spring and autumn trekking seasons, saving lives and creating better conditions for porters in the Khumbu. If you're trekking in the area please do call in and say hello!
Melamchigaun
(Updated Feb 2012))
CAN has developed strong links with the Melamchigaun community over recent years.We built the secondary school, provided the roof for the community funded Health Clinic and improved the water supply.
SCHOOL
Our most recent project was to build a new the school accomodation hostel. Many children are faced with a 2-3 hour walk to and from school at the end of each day, which unfortunately means children often miss school days.Through the tremendous efforts of West Yorkshire Scout Leaders, who raised the funds for the build and spent October 2008 working in Melamchi with local tradesman to build the dormitory, more children are now able to access full time education. CAN and the Melamchi community are greatly indebted to Graeme and Julie Earnshaw and their Scout Leader colleagues.
Melamchi School continues to acheive very high academic results and this will be further helped by the efforts of King's School Grantham Lower Sixth. The boys have rasied over £7,500 for CAN and have provided scientific equipment (donated by Labaid). The photos below show the boys on trek near Annapurna and the science equipment at Melamchi School.
HEALTH POST
CAN operates a local Health Clinic run by the nurses based at the Milarepa Health Post. It also provides health education, a worming programme and first aid training. A nurse is now permanently based at Melamchigaun and in January 2011 our new Health Post was opened was opened in partnership with Surgery Nepal, which will greatly improve the health care in around the the village. Doug and Trish Scott officially opened the HP in 2011.
CAN has helped extend the kitchen garden, developed fruit cultivation, goat raising and vegetable cultivation programmes. It has also provided the community with group formation and mobilisation support.
CAN funds two teachers, teaching materials, musical instruments, training in the use of these instruments and library books.
CAN supported the purchase of cultural musical instruments and training for the school. CAN has also help refurbish the Gompa and also the Community Centre the nearby Nukote village.
Milareppa
(updated Feb 2012)
Over two years ago in 2009 the CAN school at the village was very badly damaged by landslides and a flood. We are therefore pleased to report that the school is now being re-built on higher ground on the opposite side of the river, below the CAN Health Post. Work is progressing well and we would particularly like to thank Aiglon School, in Switzerland and ex- staff member Bill O'Connor who raised a magnificent $3000 to support this rebuilding.
CAN built the Health Post. CAN also repainted the Milarepa rock carvings. CAN funded the construction of a fish-farm which was recently washed away in a monsoon flood so violent it also took out two government bridges, part of the school and three houses. Thankfully no-one was injured in the incident.
CAN funds two nurses and a helper at the Health Post, and a previous health camp at Milareppa saw 550 patients.
CAN has supported kitchen garden development, fruit cultivation, and soil testing programme. It has also supported a water mill, fish farming, lodge development, adult education, bee keeping, and lead farmer training. The Mother's Group have received group formation and mobilisation training.
Purano Duwar (updated 25 April 2012)
'The keys to the door' of a new hostel at Jaya Devi School were handed over to the local community on 25th April 2012. Tej Tamang and Gobinda Shama from CAN were delighted to attend the opening ceremony of this much needed hostel.
CAN built the school and sanitation block. It also put in a 12 kilometre water pipe to provide clean water.
CAN financially supports two teachers, stationary, teaching materials and the supply of library books.
Although CAN does not have a Health Post in Purano Duwar health staff do visit the community to provide health education and a worming programme. Small general health camps have been run for the community.
CAN Community Motivator has provided the training for fruit and bamboo production and kitchen garden development and 'lead farmer' training.
Riban
Large sanitation block at Riban school.
Rohi Gaun
CAN provided a new school roof.
CAN funds one teacher, the stationery and teaching material costs at the school and has funded maintenance work on the school.
CAN nurses from Ghyamrang provide health education and a worming programme.
Walung
(updated Feb 2012)
CAN's work at Walung has covered all areas of our work from health, education, community development and heritage. The Health Post has been generously supported by The Frank Davies Family Trust for many years and they have recently increased their financial commitment to this valuable work. The local community got their chance to thank their funders when Cate and Ben Davies visited for the first time in autumn 2011.
CAN built the Health Post, the Gompa and installed pipes (three kilometres) for clean water.
CAN financed and oversaw the building of the large Gompa and its on-going maintenance.
CAN runs adult education classes in the Gompa and supports the Mother’s Group.
CAN funds two nurses, a helper, provides the medicines, instruments/equipment and first aid training.
CAN supported the community to develop a telephone service based in the Health Post which is now generating a steady income to help sustain CAN village infrastructure.