Dolpo School
Project
In October, 2002, I met Norbu while I was
sipping milk tea in Lotus Gallery in Thamel, Nepal. In the spirit of Nepal,
although we had just met, we drank tea together and introduced ourselves.
When he told me that he had recently started the very first school in
Dolpo, his native village, I saw that we were on similar missions.
Norbu was born in Bantsang, a village in Dolpo, remotely situated in the snowy landscape in Western Nepal. Nestled in the Himalayas at 13,500 feet, Dolpo had seen no Westerners until 1988, when trekkers were first granted permission to traverse the raw terrain in the region. Enveloped in snow for eight months out of the year, the staple diet for the region is tsampa (barley flour), yak butter tea and yak meat.
An accomplished Nepali artist, Norbu talked to me about his childhood. "Through the generations," he said, "my family has passed along the traditional style of art known as Thanka painting. In Dolpo, when I was young, paper and pencil were scarce so I would draw on the sand and the snow."
Norbu's brand new Dolpo school currently has 54 students and two full-time teachers. Supplies are scarce and conditions are rugged. The current operating budget is $6,000.00 a year. Norbu's dream is that one day, his school will expand enough to accommodate the 500 children in the outlying villages.
I was moved by his dedication to providing education to the children of his village. When he showed me his photos of the school and the smiling children dressed in traditional wools, I asked, "How can Unatti help?"
And so, we have made a commitment to support Dolpo School with as much financial backing as possible. This kind of grass roots effort is what Unatti is all about, as we continue to find ways to improve conditions, educate and offer hope to the children of Nepal. Thank you for being part of our family.
Stephanie Waisler
Founder, Unatti Foundation
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