Joining Forces for Education

The Vermont chapter of Children of the Earth has recently partnered with the Nepal chapter in the development of a new project initiative titled “help HELP.”  The aim of our project is to support the needs and spread awareness of the Helambu Education Livelihood Project (HELP), an organization created by Nepal chapter leader Jimmy Lama.  This organization works with some of the poorest communities in the region to improve the quality of education by building classrooms and schools, training teachers, sponsoring the education of girls, supplying necessary resources and also encouraging student involvement in arts, sport, games and music.  As a chapter of COE, the efforts HELP is making resonate deeply with us.   We understand the unrivaled importance of education for a community and its citizens as well as its role in the future advancement and independence of a society.

Vermont’s chapter has begun the initial planning of the project and has reached out to our local university, the University of Vermont, to connect and involve our community with this new initiative.  In early March, we were able to set up our first fundraiser in the student center of the University in Burlington, Vermont.  We succeeded in sharing our goals with young adults who responded with encouragement and excitement towards our project.  We hope to use the creativity, ideas and perspectives of university students to further develop our chapter and “help HELP”. 

The development of this project has been an exciting opportunity for two of COE’s chapters to work together for our common goals.  Personally, I find myself focusing on education as one of the most important issues in the world to which our efforts need to be devoted.  Our chapter looks forward to helping address the needs of schools and students in the Helambu region of Nepal in hopes that every child will have access to a strong and fair education.

By Jessie Murray, COE Intern, Burlington, Vermont