The Rotary Club of Aberdeen St Machar is establishing a social enterprise to sustain five remote schools in Bandipur, Nepal. The Rotarians plan to open a coffee shop, restaurant and guest house in the main village, catering mainly for tourists and to use the proceeds to fund the schools on a sustainable basis.
They also plan to use the funds raised to provide training for unemployed youngsters in the area, house the project’s office so that it is highly visible in the main street and provide accommodation for volunteers who will work in the schools alongside the teachers.
To ensure that the project is sustainable, a strong emphasis has been placed on planning and cooperation, taking a long term view and crucially, an approach that considers community members as partners rather than passive recipients.
The main challenge was finding suitable premises, negotiating a rental agreement and funding the refurbishment costs. A Matching Grant of £17,000 was secured from The Rotary Foundation to support the schools with better toilet facilities, safe drinking water, general equipment and better quality teaching.
Bruce Anderson, of the Rotary Club of Aberdeen St Machar said: “The key to progress was partnering with the Rotary Club of Paton West in Kathmandu and getting the local community involved by taking time to explain the concept and its principles. Also important was the help provided by the Rotaract Club of Aberdeen, who visited Nepal and carried out a market assessment of the social enterprise which informed our business plan. To have a robust business plan is absolutely essential, not only in ensuring that excess funds are generated, but that the business itself is sustainable.”
Bruce Anderson is available to speak to clubs about the project and trip and can be reached at anderss@talk21.com.
