Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (KRMEF) successfully hosted the World Challenge group from the UK, travelling to Nepal on July 17. KRMEF has been hosting a world challenge group every year and helping them to produce the next leader through sustainable community programs. KRMEF has taught the students about three sustainability spheres: Ecology, Economy and Social inclusion.
World Challenge is incredibly passionate about protecting both people and the planet. These initiatives include working alongside many global organizations such as Re-Think Orphanages, World Animal Protection, Travelers Against Plastic, KRMEF and many more to ensure the highest standard of care for both people and the planet is being met or not throughout their travels.
After the arrival of the World challenge group here at the Foundation, Krishna Gurung gave a short presentation about his past works and initiatives taken at the KRMEF. Krishna gave the introduction at the community hall built by KRMEF, which also features Leela's Eco Cafe. They had a tour of the foundation after the introduction program.
On the first day of the World Challenge group, they got to work on the foundation's handicraft workshop, "Mahila Shakti (women’s power)". They got a chance to work with the local woman from the village in the workshop. The handicraft workshop has been giving employment opportunities to many local women from the village who are in need.
The other day after breakfast, the students and teachers from the world challenge group worked at our organic/biodynamic farm. KRMEF is trying to practice organic/biodynamic farming to sustain the farmer's life and food security in Nepal. KRMEF believes that biodynamic farming is not just a way of farming but also a way of living, thus revitalizing the soil. The students and teachers from the world challenge group worked with our in-house farmers. All the farmers working in the foundation's garden are from the village. The foundation's main aim is also to give employment opportunities to many needy people. With the guidance of the KRMEF World Challenge group actively participated in the farm.
On the last day of the World Challenge group, Krishna took all of them to the Leprosy colony, which is a 40-minute walk from KRMEF. Leprosy, caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae, is curable and can prevent disability with early treatment. But the disease is poorly understood, and signs are often missed in Nepal. The World Health Organization declared leprosy had been eliminated as a global public health problem in 2000, after a fall in international prevalence rates. Nine years later, Nepal's government reported it had reached targets to eliminate the disease as a public health problem nationally. The foundation provides job opportunities, scholarship programs, medical treatments and other basic needs for leprosy-affected people. We are grateful to the World Challenge group for paying a visit to Leprosy Colony.