KARUNAS CURRICULUM WHY SUPPORT GIRLS EDUCATION IN LUMBINI NEPAL?

Girls in Lumbini are often pressured into forced marriages as young as 10 years old. They face a life starting with teenage pregnancy, no education, poverty and forced labor only to perpetuate this cycle. Lumbini is less than one hour by car for the India border and a well known route for human trafficking. UNICEF has identified the Lumbini area in Nepal as one of the most critical zones for girls discrimination and child marriage problems. National education statistics report that only 33% of students in Nepal are girls, but this figure is even lower in Lumbini where the average female literacy rate is one of the lowest in the world at 18%. Girls are often seen as a burden, seen as someone elses daughter to raise. They will be married and forced to live with and take care of the husbands family. Parents have to pay such large dowries, to get their daughters married. The family could be indebted for decades. The younger the girl, the less the dowry; the less time the family needs to provide care for the unwanted child. In poor traditional families, educating girls is seen as wasted time. Help us change this traditional view. The lack of girls education contributes to several systemic problems: lack of basic health; severe malnutrition; family hygiene; ignored medical care and high infant / mother mortality rates. Apart from the English, Math, Science and other academic subjects; their education will include basic life skills such as nutrition, family planning, agriculture, environmental awareness and computer skills to help them all with their future responsibilities. We also offer vocational development training to both the students and local women including tailoring, typing and computers that will help them to find jobs, become financially independent and contribute economically in the future.

Karuna Girls College Lumbini Nepal

(Centre for Womens Liberation)

How Can I Help?

1. BUILDING OF A CLASSROOM
You; your family; your community or social club may like the opportunity to contribute to an everlasting commendable classroom. The classroom would proudly display your name (group name). The cost per a second storey classroom would be $10,000. This would provide ongoing education for approximately 30 Nepali Girls per year. Most of the infrastructure is already in place with washrooms, electricity, and Wi-Fi.

You can change todays world helping underprivileged women educate themselves. They will educate their families and future generations

2. SPONSOR a TEACHER or a STUDENT

Teachers Salary: $ 2,400. / Year ($200. / Month)

3. DONATE A GIRLS BIKE $ 100.

HOW ELSE CAN I GET INVOLVED? 1. Learn more. Visit our websites for information on our projects. 2. Donate. Visit one of our websites where you can make secure online donations. (Tax receipts provided) 3. Volunteer your time to make a difference. We have many projects and fundraisers and could always use your help. If you are planning a trip to Nepal there are many rewarding opportunities for volunteers. 4. Share this brochure with others. WEBSITES Medical Mercy Canada:

Scholarship with lodging: $ 600. / Year ($50. / Month) Tuition Scholarship: $ 120. / Year ($10. / Month)

Note** we can provide you with the name and email address of your sponsored teacher or student to communicate and encourage their progress. Donating a bike for a girl to commute to school is a wonderful motivating gift. The status of their own bicycle in Nepal can make a life changing difference to a young girl. Girls high school dropout rates in Nepal soar after 8th grade in part due to marriage, but also due to lack of educational facilities within a reasonable distance. Providing a girl a bike will provide an opportunity for those girls whose families would otherwise be reluctant to allow walking these distances for safety reasons. A bike is especially helpful for girls of families who can barely spare the money for education, let alone transportation. In other places where this type of program exists, the bike is the girl-childs proudest possession and has given her the courage to dream of even greater things.

Registered Charity BN 86989 0541 RR0001

http://www.medicalmercycanada.org
-designate your donation to: Karuna Girls Schools in NEPAL

Peace Grove Nunnery: www.LumbiniNuns.org Metta School: www.servelumbini.org

CALGARY CONTACT INFORMATION Medical Mercy Canada (MMC)

Vicki James, MMC Administrator 403-717-0933 Trevor Ironside, Director Cell: 403-680-7780