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| Suman and me at Singe Village |
Accountant turned action hero
Published on 23/8/2011 by Anastasia Karalis of Our World Today
Because of the open-hearted, gentle people of Nepal, with their magical smiles and incredibly happy, positive and grateful attitudes to life, when each and every day is a huge struggle, I found meaning in my life.”Kylie Gilbert, a tax accountant from the Sunshine Coast, surrendered a ‘normal’ existence when she discovered her purpose in life - to better the lives of those less fortunate in Nepal.
An experienced traveller, Ms Gilbert has visited many countries around the world, but she said no place has stolen her heart quite like Nepal.
“There are millions of people in hundreds of countries all over the world that need assistance, but for me personally it is all about Nepal,” she writes in her blog A Hand for Nepal.
After her first trekking holiday to Nepal, she said she fell in love with the country and its people.
“I was deeply moved by the Nepalese people, particularly the children and the fact they have very little yet are so happy and so grateful for the little that they do have” she said.
What makes Ms Gilberts’ story unique is that she once ‘had it all’.
In order to keep visiting the country, she sold her Queensland property and “bailed out of normal life” to work short stints when not living in Nepal.
Historically, there has been prolonged political instability in Nepal, a country working to recover from a ten-year conflict between a Maoist insurgency and the State that killed an estimated 13,000 people. A peace agreement was signed in 2006, but bouts of violence and riots continue, along with a legacy of political manipulation and human rights abuses.
Another challenge to aid organisations is that most of Nepal’s population live in rural areas where there is little access to clean water, healthcare and infrastructure. In terms of education, government schools are often inadequate, overcrowded and extremely underfunded.
Since June 2009, the former full-time accountant has worked (volunteered) as a Promotions Officer with the Nepal Australia Friendship Association (NAFA) to raise funds for individuals and communities in Nepal.
As part of the SunSuper Dreams competition, Ms Gilbert won a $5,000 grant for her dream to build two new classrooms for an impoverished school in a remote rural area of Nepal.
Currently Shree Mahakali Secondary School, in the Kavre district of Nepal, has facilities only up to year eight.
Two new classrooms would mean that the school can also cater for year nines, with a vision to provide quality education up to year ten - the final year before college.
So why Shree Mahakali Secondary School? The school, which caters for 500 students from eight surrounding villages, applied to NAFA for the grant.
“Shree Mahakali School operates with many challenges - it receives very little government funding and the students who attend are from very poor farming families,” Gilbert wrote in her submission.
“[The] majority of these students walk over two hours a day to attend Shree Mahakali School, but they do it happily and willingly in every season as they love learning.”
One particular student, 12-year-old Suman Tamang (pictured above), is sponsored by Ms Gilbert through NAFA.
Suman is one of five children from a poor farming family who Ms Gilbert describes as her “family in Nepal”.
Suman is currently in year eight and will be one of the first students to use the new year nine facilities.
Proceeds from the grant will go towards the materials and skilled labour for the project. However, the main labour force will consist of community volunteers; a task that NAFA believes empowers the community with a sense of pride and ownership, rather than just a mere handout.
Ms Gilbert will be returning to Nepal in early November and will visit Shree Mahakali to observe the progress of the school’s new classrooms.
In developing countries, Ms Gilbert said education is the greatest chance for children to achieve a brighter future and projects like these help bring hope and meaning to those less fortunate.
“The meaning of life is to give life meaning,” she said.
If you would like to find out more about NAFA or how you can help, visit the website at http://www.nafa.org.au/
