What does Rural Assistance Nepal (RAN) do?

Rural Assistance Nepal (RAN) is a private charity was set up to help advance education and to assist in the provision of healthcare in the rural areas of Nepal. Friends are supporting the salaries of teachers at government schools, and the salary of midwives. RAN has helped to buy land for building more classrooms, set up school libraries, and helped to buy science and other materials for schools and has sponsored training of nurses to work in the hilly areas. RAN encourages volunteers, particularly medics, to come and help in Nepal.

Where does RAN work?

Nepal is a small country sandwiched between China and India. Famous for Mount Everest (Sagarmatha), Sherpas and brave Gurkha soldiers, there is a huge variety and there is much more to the country than just mountains. There are more than sixty ethnic groups, with over a hundred different languages in this tiny Hindu state.

RAN English teacher at Deusa

Deusa, Solukhumbu is a village further to the east, about 185km from Kathmandu, in the lower foothills of the Everest area. Well away from the main trekking routes, this area is very poor and backward, and receives no benefit from tourism in the Everest area a few days' walk north. Until 2013, there was no electricity at this village. The majority of the people here are Thulung Rai who survive mainly on subsistence farming and seasonal work as porters in the Everest area. Ramen is part of Deusa VDC, a poorer hamlet where many homes still do not have any electricity. Deusa Secondary School however now has some electricity in the afternoons and a few computers!

Dev Kumari examining a little
patient

Manthali, Ramechapp is in eastern Nepal, not far from Dolakha on the way to the Everest area. A poor hill district, the communities here have been working at saving credit schemes for the past 30 years or so. The Tamekoshi Cooperative Hospital at Manthali, the district headquarters is supported by the local people and works with the government health services in the district, also providing valuable out-reach services to healthposts and clinics in the more remote areas of the district.

Kathmandu: RAN supports the work of Women's Foundation. Though based in Kathmandu, WF provides women and children from all over Nepal with a shelter from abuse, as well as a running a daycare centre for poor children, a school that children can learn without fear of physical punishment and a wide range of women support services.

What does RAN do?

Checking a medicine order in
Kathmandu, before sending to
Deusa

Nurse: RAN pays the salary of a midwife who is working at a government healthpost in the hill district of Okaldunga

Volunteer at Deusa sub-healthpost
with Dev Kumar Rai

Volunteers: Volunteers have helped in the schools supported by RAN and schools in other areas. Teacher training is especially invaluable and experienced teachers are particularly in demand, providing a much needed and more sustainable contribution that lasts beyond just the time spent at the school.

Medical volunteers including medical students completing their elective, nurses, paramedics, doctors and dentists are very useful. Tamekoshi Cooperative Hospital welcomes medics who can help train local medical staff as well as assist at the hospital, healthposts and health camps. Typically, around 20-30 medical volunteers come each year, spending an average of a month or more volunteering.

Garimudi and computers

Computers for schools: Computers have been donated to the higher secondary school in Bardia, Garimudi Higher Secondary School in Dolakha, Deusa Secondary School and a secondary school in Pyuthan district.

Dev Chandra in Deusa School
Library

School libraries: From kind donations, school libraries have been started at Garimudi, Deusa and a small community school in Rukkum district.

Land for extra classrooms: More teachers at Deusa led to splitting the largest classes but then there was a shortage of classrooms. With help from a school in Adu Dhabi, land beside the school was purchased so that the VDC, District Education Office and Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) could build additional classrooms, a science room and library.