The monsoon in Nepal lasted a long time this year. Once again, it brought not only the long awaited rain but also serious damage, destroyed property and, unfortunately, lost lives.

As far as the projects of Nepalhilfe Beilngries e.V. are concerned, they survived the four-month period without any major damage. The only problem was the accessibility of some of the exposed villages. Some of them have only recently become problems due to massive landslides and roads and paths that were washed away.

Time-consuming journeys into the Terai

Once again, the Terai in the south of the country was severely affected by the weather, which the local coordinators of the Nepalhilfe Beilngries had to deal with at the end of September. They had to inspect the ongoing construction work of various projects there. First and foremost, the new building of the district hospital in Kawasoti, which is visibly moving after more than a year of "retirement". In parts of the three-storey building, the electricity and water supply systems have already been installed, also the fire protection system and the ceiling panelling fitted. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of work to be done, which will certainly take a year, provided that construction can continue without restrictions.

Another goal was the Madhyabindhu Multiple College for which two school buses were financed to extend the catchment area to 55 km. At the same time, this is a contribution to a safe daily school commute at a school that works in two shifts.

Furthermore, the construction of a new two-storey building with eight classrooms at Janta Secondary School near Kawasoti Hospital is currently on the way. It is now one of the largest schools there and is literally bursting at the seams. So the timely handover comes just at the right time.  

Passive solar house nears completion

From the south of the country to the remote north and northwest of Nepal. There, near the border to China, a passive solar house is currently being built in the Dolpo, in the mountain village of Chharka at 4,300 m above sea level. With its four rooms, it will serve as accommodation for the children of the remote mountain villages, which will also enable them to attend school. The Plexiglas porch has been built, windows and doors have been set and one of the rooms is already insulated and clad in wood.

For the necessary solar power supply, a master electrician working in Kathmandu, who did his training in Bavaria, is an experienced contact person. After the upcoming winter, all work should be completed. 

The construction of two new buildings in the Humla region, currently the most remote destination of Nepal Aid, will take quite some time. They will house eight classrooms in the village of Tanjakot. The first of these is currently under construction and the two floors have been completed. The shell will be completed by the end of November. The work is expected to take until the end of next year.

New school building in Sindhupalchok District

In the original field of activity of Nepalhilfe Beilngries, the Sindhupalchok district, a school is currently being built, not far from the district town of Chautara in Khale, which will cost about 150,000 Euros. The 180 boys and girls of the small community are looking forward to the completion of the construction of the building, which consists of eight rooms. In the meantime, small playgrounds have been built for the school beginners at many of the schools in the district, a wish that is repeatedly found in the applications. 

First visit in three years

The start of further construction and support measures naturally depends on the financial reserves. In this context, the members of Nepalhilfe Beilngries have their focus on the current political and economic situation and its impact for donations. Those interested in getting involved can find more detailed information at www.nepalhilfe.org. There you will also find a detailed explanation of the various projects and goals.

The goal in the next few months will be to complete all ongoing construction measures in a coordinated manner, with the exception of the "major project" of the district hospital/Kawasoti. Only then will they tackle other requests waiting in the pipeline. This is one of the requirements that four members of Nepalhilfe have in their luggage when they travel to Nepal for the first time in three years at the beginning of November to visit projects in the different regions, to renew existing contacts and to establish new ones. 

It is neither unusual nor new to raise money for aid organizations by selling a calendar. At Nepalhilfe Beilngries e.V. this idea was born in 1997, with 50 copies at that time. 

With the sale of the current 9,000 copies, it is hoped that once again a financial contribution will be made so that further projects can be realized. These can now be found in various regions of Nepal. Whether this is the construction of a new school building in the remote Humla region, the completion of a passive solar house in the Dolpo or for the construction of a new health clinic in the most frequent area of the facilities of Nepalhilfe Beilngries, the Sindhupalchok district.

The donors of the photos have not changed with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Ralf Dujmovits and Hans Kammerlander as well as the photo journalist Dieter Glogowski. 

The 43.5 x 40.5 cm calendar "Himalaya 2023", costs 19 Euro and consists of the title page, twelve monthly sheets and an information sheet. The viewer will find in it impressions of the magnificent nature, the diverse cultures and the colorful mixture of peoples of the Himalayas. 

» Order possibility for the calendar

Thanks to the management of Dolp und Partner, which has been responsible for the design of the calendar for more than 20 years, a magnificent illustrated book has been compiled from the countless calendar motifs.

Under the heading "Helping together with friends", it presents a 285-page cross-section of the best pictures from past years. The appealing printed work is offered in a high-quality hardcover version at a price of 48 Euro (plus shipping and handling). It can given as a gift to friends, business partners and, of course, oneself. It is driven out exclusively over the Nepalhilfe Beilngries. 

» Order possibility for the book

Mehr als zwei Jahre hat es gedauert ehe nun wieder Hilfsgüter  nach Nepal gebracht werden konnten. Fast 100 kg waren es, die  Reisende in den zurückliegenden Wochen mitnahmen. In Empfang nahm sie Tsering Dolkar, Eigentümerin zweier Hotels in Kathmandu, zu der die Mitglieder der Nepalhilfe Beilngries seit mehreren Jahren gute Kontakte pflegen. Zugleich übernahm sie die zielgerichtete Verteilung. 

Die Exiltibeterin war eine ehemalige Schülerin bei den Ordensschwestern von Mary Ward und engagiert sich seither für die Belange der Ordensschwestern, was die Verbindung zu ihr intensivierte, ist dies doch auch immer wieder das Ziel der Beilngrieser  Organisation. 

Ein tibetischer Mönch, der in Jiri in einem Kloster lebt, koordiniete die Verteilaktion. Etwa auch in Nagarkot, das vielen Nepalreisenden als Aussichtsort zu den hohen Bergmassiven bekannt ist. Die mitgelieferte Winterkleidung  wird zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt nach Marpha im Kali Gandaki Tal gebracht.

Unter den „Transporteuren“ befand sich auch Michael Gutmann, Braumeister und Geschäftsführer der gleichnamigen Brauerei aus Titting/Lk. Eichstätt. Für ihn war es der erste Besuch Nepals. Das war zugleich ein willkommener Anlass ihm das erst vor wenigen Monaten eröffnete Tagesbetreuungshaus für Menschen mit körperlichen/geistigen Einschränkungen in Lubhu zu zeigen. Schließlich kamen zu dessen Realisierung mehr als 30.000 Euro aus Titting. Sie waren das Ergebnis des dortigen „Eine-Welt-Laufes“ aus dem vergangenen Jahr. Nachdem das Shaligram Kinderhaus nur einen Steinwurf davon entfernt liegt, stand auch dieses auf dem Besuchsprogramm.  Gutmann und sein Reisebegleiter Li Hua Chao waren überwältigt von dem was dort geschaffen wurde und ebenso von der Herzlichkeit der Menschen.

"Nepal - Land in the shadow of the Himalayas" was the title of a special "trekking tour" started by four police officers from Beilngries and Regensburg on March 11, 1992. The goal was not the scenic and cultural sights, but the improvement of the living conditions of the people of the country, which Christian Thumann, Manfred Lindner, and Karl and Michael Rebele had visited in 1990. What started out as a vacation trip has now turned into a three-decade commitment to education and health in one of the poorest countries in the world. 

Together with their wives and a handful of close friends, the four founded the "Nepalhilfe Beilngries e.V." in March 1992, embarking on a journey they did not know would bring challenges, highlights and setbacks. It was worth it, that should be mentioned here.

After the provider of ideas and motor, Karl Rebele, retired in the fall of 2009, Ralf Petschl led the association as first chairman for more than 12 years.  Manfred Lindner succeeded him at the turn of the year 2022. Michael Rebele acts as secretary and coordinates public relations. Claudia Thumann has held the office of financial administrator for 30 years. She is assisted by Helene Pfaller and Michaela Rebele as treasurers. Over the years, new helpers and employees have joined the organization, which currently consists of 17 members. Reinforcement and financial support have been provided for almost 20 years by the friends around the  team of Erwin and Max Stix, from Lichtenegg in Lower Austria. 

In the beginning there was a donation check

Manfred Lindner had a check for 3.000 German marks with him when he travelled to Nepal a few months later and presented it to the school for the poor run by the nuns of the "English Misses" in Kathmandu. He also carried medical equipment and medicines for the pharmacy for the poor at Bir Hospital. All the addressees had contact persons from Bavaria, which made it much easier to establish contact.  The first step was taken, and many more were to follow.  The first step was the construction of the Michl-Dacher-School in Kadambas, 80 km northeast of Kathmandu, which was opened in 1995.  No one would have thought at that time that another 27 would follow, in which about 9,200 children are currently being taught. 

It’s  well known, the realization of all the measures tackled has many fathers. The four police officers used the prestige of their profession to find supporters for their social commitment everywhere. Added to this were the efforts of many helpers in the background, who were always available as reinforcements. What significance would the efforts have in this country if there were not also motivated and reliable partners at the other end. Like Sunil Shrestha and Shyam Pandit, who have been the coordinators of Nepalhilfe on the ground since day one. 

It would go beyond the scope of this report to list all the other projects. For example, the Shaligram children's home not far from Kathmandu, the modernization of hospitals or the recently completed day care center for people with mental or physical disabilities. In all construction projects, care is taken to ensure that the community contributes adequately to the project, which contributes to its appreciation and thus to its continued existence. Another mosaic stone is the granting of scholarships, such as for Sabina Parachuli, who now works as an ophthalmologist in remote western Nepal. Projects ranging from improving the water supply to supplying fire and rescue vehicles or buying them locally also fall into this category. Often these were challenging actions that took up time and nerves.

For many years, the daily business has included the transport of high-quality relief supplies from Germany to Nepal. Nearly three tons have been packed in duffel bags by Nepalese travelers over the years, free of charge. Sometimes a Sisyphean task, the reward of which is only received when one can look into the faces of the recipients on site.

The solid financial security and the view beyond one's own nose also make it possible to financially support facilities of other aid organizations, such as the German-Nepalese Aid Association (DNHG) from Stuttgart.

For more information on the diverse relief projects and activities now scattered throughout the country, interested parties can find it here on our website.

Earthquake and corona pandemic 

The severe earthquake in April 2015 left some of the school buildings of Nepalhilfe Beilngries with enormous damage. Fourteen of them were completely or partially destroyed. At a cost of nearly two million Euro, it was possible to renovate or rebuild them by October 2019. Immediately after this catastrophe, the association had provided 320,000 euros as emergency aid to procure food, tents, clothing and medicine for people who were particularly hard hit. 

Nepal was not spared from the corona pandemic.  It spilled over the border from India and the "delta virus" spread rapidly with serious consequences. The health system, which was not very resilient, collapsed. Nepalhilfe Beilngries provided 110.000 Euro to improve basic medical care. This was done with the aim of supporting the poorest parts of the population in particular.

Donations and own initiatives

All these achievements were made possible by the contributions of countless donors. Their motives are manifold. But they are united in their goal to realize the aid projects. What all supporters certainly have in common is their conviction regarding the seriousness and transparency of the association. All donations received will be used in full for the project work.

Also within the association one was anxious from the outset to fill the donation account. Ingenuity and personal initiative were and are the essential points to arouse interest. With the presentation of their travel report, the policemen collected money at nearly 200 events and offered handicraft products from Nepal. A little later, the sale of calendars was added. To this day, it is an essential part of the association's budget. The success of the association is certainly due in part to the renowned photographers from the alpine scene, such as Hans Kammerlander and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner. 

In addition, there are the proceeds from 168 charity events in Beilngries, for example with those same alpinists. The first of these was the high-altitude mountaineer Michl Dacher from Peiting. In addition, well-known representatives from the cabaret and music scene also came to Beilngries. Their list reads like the "who's who" of the cultural field. From Gerhard Polt, Bruno Jonas and Josef Hader to the EAV, STS or the Trientiner Bergsteigerchor and the Regensburger Domspatzen the pallet reaches.

The flow of donations over three decades is considerable. Almost 16 million Euro have been collected in this way. It is important to pause and express our gratitude to all those who have contributed to this.

Outlook from retirement

The three police officers are now retired. Some of the other members have also left professional life behind them.  In their spare time, which has now increased, efforts to realize new aid projects in Nepal continue to play an important role. For example, a passive solar house is currently being built in remote Dolpo and a district hospital in Terai in southern Nepal.  Further projects are on the waiting list. The focus is increasingly on the health sector, although school facilities are not being ignored.

This is only possible with a solid financial basis. And in order to be able to realize this, the members of the Beilngries aid organization continue to hope for support from the population.