We have two Facebook accounts.
The Manjushri Educational Project:
https://www.facebook.com/manjushrieducational/
MEP #RebuildNepal:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/manjushrieducational/
Please join us there for regular updates on this meaningful project.
We started the Manjushri Education Project in 2012 with the aim to empower the lives of children in Nepal through education. Since then, our project has touched 75 lives.
The above would not have been achieved without the support of Firefly Mission, a humanitarian organisation based in Singapore. This tremendously charitable organization has supported MEP to build two more blocks of reinforced concrete hostels and a block of two adjacent classrooms for MEP. The construction was completed in April 2016 and a opening ceremony was held on April 2. With the extension of the blocks, we are able to sponsor up to 100 children.
There have been many challenges along the way. One of them included the 7.8 magnitude earthquake last year which killed over 8,000 people and injured more than 21,000. Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened across many districts of the country.
Since the earthquake last year, MEP has also partnered with Firefly Mission to carry out the critical relief work, which included the provision of temporary shelters, freshly cooked food, temporary schooling, gas stoves and tanks, zinc sheets for construction of homes.
In addition, Firefly Mission and MEP sponsors have also sponsored a mass screening for hepatitis B and vaccination for students, villagers and the monastics. To date, we have vaccinated 1,121 people, out of which 1,075 are children and 31 of them are receiving regular treatment for Hepatitis B.
We would like to thank Firefly Mission and all MEP sponsors for their generous donations and supports for the Relief and Rehabilitation project.
Question: CAN WE ADOPT ANY OF THE CHILDREN UNDER THIS PROJECT?
Answer: The Manjushri Educational Project is not a child adoption program. This is a project where people can sponsor the education of a child of many desperately poor families living in Nepal and Bhutan, who have no means of improving their life circumstances; Most are of the lowest caste, ignored and shunned by most people and have little to eat, no education and suffer terribly.
We believe that the best way for them to improve their own lives is through education and removing a child from his/her parent is not our intention. The project is not targeted to unwanted orphans or abandoned street children, but needy families who could not afford to provide education for their children even when they wanted to. We give these children a chance out of poverty through education.
So far, we have help 29 Nepali children and 16 Bhutanese children. You can help us promote this project and increase awareness and support.
QUESTIONS: WHY NEPAL?
ANSWERS: This project to me is one of the more meaningful one. I have build temples and dana (donate) to monks before.. like I always say, there is no poor temple, just poor people. It is sad to go to a retreat and walk the streets only to realise that it is surrounded by poor hungry people outside the temples.
In Nepal, the problem is bigger than anyone can imagine. Some people throw away their children when they cannot cope, since abortion is illegal. We realized that it would be too late if unwanted children were abandoned by parents and saving street children would be even more difficult, since they will run away again. Supporting family to give their children’s education brings them out of poverty. It may a slower process but definitely a meaningful one. With regular visiting, the monks and volunteer can also monitor the family’s progress gradually.
ANY ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES
QUESTIONS: Does this contribution go to the children direct or to the organisation as a whole. For example, when I pay for my sponsored monk, he does not receive a cent; it goes straight to the monastery so if he needs to buy (e.g stationery); he will still need to use his own money first.
ANSWERS: We can confirm that 100% of the donation will go to children, as confirmed by the website. It will be used to pay for Tuition fee 15,600, Transport fee 3,600, Computer fee 1,500, Uniform 4,600, School Stationeries 2,770, Exam Fee 1,100 as per the breakdown in the table.
No administrative charges will be used from the donation as the foundation is operated by monks and volunteers, and no cash will be directly given to the families.
DURATION OF DONATION
QUESTIONS: The donation is until when? Because I had to wait for my friends to decide. Thank you.
ANSWERS: The donation is on going… because the teachers will be coming, our first batch will be handed over on Oct 15,2012 to save on bank charges.
Donation received after that will be transferred in Nov and every quarter, so take your time.. Thanks for all your help.
AMOUNT TO BE DONATED
QUESTIONS: How much should I donate?
ANSWERS: Any amount helps. One dollar to us is a cup of coffee or a drink. To them that’s an education.
Just to clarify, this project is a ten year educational project for each student\. BUT donors can give one time donation of any amount or otherwise, since it is understandable that long term commitment is difficult.
If karma is right, we would have enough money in the foundation for all students.
QUESTION: DO WE NEED TO CHOOSE A SPECIFIC CHILD FOR SPONSORSHIP?
ANSWER: Actually, the ideal would be to share the donations with all kids.. but some people like to choose and sponsor a specific child, and we allow them, so that we can have them feeling a sense of targeted action and commitment.
We accept sponsorship on a one-time basis (that is, as and when someone has some money to spare a thought for these children) or an annual committed donation for specific child sponsorship. Our organisation is committed to help bring up this children for 10 years of educational needs, as long as they can study. It is just that we do not have a fixed donor’s pool now and did not commit too many children for fear of abandoning them half way. It is not our plan to sponsor a kid for 2 years and then leave them to fend for themselves.
So yes, thank you for all your kindness.