http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/activities/nepal-house-build-challenge WELL DONE and thank you to everyone who took part in our First Hand Experience in Nepal this year. Everyone worked really hard helping to build vital family homes and raising sponsorship to help ActionAid's povery relief work. en-us 2010/03/19 04:52:53.049 GMT 2010/03/19 04:52:53.049 GMT http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/activities/nepal-house-build-challenge MyActionAid myactionaid@actionaid.org myactionaid@actionaid.org http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/AFlindall My name is Amanda, and I'm going on a trip to Nepal in October next year on a house building challenge. My fundraising is starting to get underway, as is my fitness training!! The fundraising events currently under discussion are a building a virtual house, bag packing, carboot sales and a celidah dancing evening including a raffle and lots of refreshments! Check out my website www.amandaflindall.piczo.com for more details. Thanks, Amanda http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/AndyBashford I am a Software Engineer (Softie??) that likes DIY, but loves animals, mountainous (OK hilly terrain) and helping people. I will have turned 50 by the time I do the Nepal House Build Challenge in Nov 2008 - mid life crisis or what!! http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/Annethebuilder Thank you for logging on to myActionAid. I am really looking forward to my visit to Nepal in November to help with a house build. This will be my third charity challenge, raising funds for ActionAid. Previously I have trekked in Tibet and India and this time I was keen to help the people directly and spend some time working within a community. I am sure this will be a vastly different challenge and a wonderful opportunity to learn about another culture. http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/Lucylu Hi! I am Lucy, and I love travelling, reading, painting and ofcourse building houses in Nepal! (well I hope so!!) Very excited about next year, and i can't wait to explore the area, and meet the people who will be living there once we leave... I work in Auditing, and spend most of my time travelling the UK, making sure everything we sell to you at sainsburys is safe! So this will be a very different project! (better do myself a risk assesment!) Thank you for visiting my page! Lucy xxx None We are off to Nepal at the end of October this year to help build houses with the Kamaiya people living in Nepalganj in North-West Nepal. To sponsor us, please click on our donation page (on the right) The people we are working with were stuck in bonded labour (a form of slavery) in order to pay off debts from previous generations, which as time passed, grew and grew, so that it was never possible to clear the debt. The Nepalese government eventually outlawed this practice, 'freeing' the kamaiya people. however, these people then found themselves thrown off the land they had lived on all their lives and left without any shelter, or any way to earn a living. ActionAid's work in this area focuses on helping these people to build their own homes, supplying building materials and training, as well as providing the expertise to build long lasting suitable homes and educating these people in their rights regarding land ownership - allowing the Kamaiya people to really improve their lives and future prospects. We are not taking away work from the local people in Nepal, just helping them with whatever is needed. The most important thing for us to do is raise money for this cause, to fund the building materials and necessary staff required to really make a differnce in these communities. Some of the work we will be involved in includes: Digging foundations Clearing land Laying bricks or blocks Plastering and Painting Installing windows, door frames etc Mixing concrete & mortar Hopefully you will recognise that this is a very worthy cause and that both of us will have to work hard for our sponsorship money! All the money raised will go to ActionAid to support them in this work and all the other projects they are involved in. To be able to take part in the challenge and make a real difference to the lives of the Kamaiya people, we each need to raise a minimum of £3,100 (so £6200 in total). Wish us luck for the challenge ahead, and please show your support! Donations can be gratefully received here online, or cash and cheques can be collected by us in person (cheques made payable to 'Action Aid' please)on our paper sponsorship forms. We are organising some fundraising events over the coming months as well - so please check back here for updates and get involved! http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/gracehall Hello there everyone, my name is Grace and I currently work as an Education Officer in a Country Park just outside Yeovil in Somerset. I absolutely love my job, as I get to meet and work with so many different people of all ages, I get to work in a great place, and get to be creative! I support lots of wildlife and environmental charities as that's my passion, but I decided to take on this ActionAid challenge to help people in Nepal who have a lot less than we do! I'm really excited about organising lots of different events to raise money for my house-building trip to Nepal, and I hope to get loads of people supporting me to take part in this really worthwhile project. http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/jking I'm Jacky King. I've recently completed 20 joyful years in Human Resources at PricewaterhouseCoopers, based in London but at times taking me all over the UK and the world. Before that, I spent ten years working/living in Germany, Puerto Rico, New York and Toronto. Now it's time to "give something back": taking part in the Cambodia Challenge in 2007 was one small step in that, and in 2008 I'm joining the Nepal House Build Challenge. My building skills are disappointingly negligible, but my enthusiasm and energy are legendary. I did once (as a child) build a model of a Tudor thatched cottage out of a cornflakes packet, some straw and a roll of my dad's insulating tape, and 40 years on, this testimony to my architectural flair is still in one piece. None Hi! I am very excited to be going to Nepal next year! Building houses is going to be quite a crazy Thank you for your support. x http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/RebeccaHall Hi, My name is Rebecca (Becci) and I am a 26 year old Construction Engineer/Manager (with Bouygues UK)living and working in North London. I have just returned from Nepal where I was helping to build houses with the Kamaiya people living in the remote village of Belarpur in North West Nepal. These people were stuck in bonded labour (a form of slavery) in order to pay off debts from previous generations, in 2001 the Nepalese government outlawed this practice, 'freeing' the kamaiya people. however, these people have now found themselves with nowhere to live, no land or any way to earn a living. So far I have raised over £3000 for ActionAid in sponsorship. Please show your support - I am still collecting sponsorship and donations here online and I still have bricks left to buy on my Lego "sponsor-a-brick" house! ActionAid's work in this area focuses on helping the Kamaiya people to build their own homes, supplying building materials and training to ensure the houses that are built are long lasting and that these people are educated and aware of their rights regarding land ownership - This allows the Kamaiya people to really improve their lives and future prospects. Some of the work I was involved with on a day to day basis was: Filling in foundations with hardcore and concrete Carrying and laying bricks Shifting earth to backfill land Mixing and carrying concrete & mortar It was hard work in the hot sun, but very rewarding and extremely enjoyable. All the local people; the villagers, masons and children were wonderful, enthusiastic and happy that the team was there helping out! It was definately a very worthy cause and I know we made a real difference to the lives of these people, not only with the building work, but also with relationships we made! http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/actiontom Hi, everyone calls me Tom, I work for myself as a genral builder and part-time firefighter. I'm married to Linda and we have two beautiful daughters. In Nov 2008 i'm going to Nepal to help build homes for the very poor who really need help. http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/alanofford When I've finished my degree in a few months time I'm going to get a job in graphic design. I've always wanted to go to Nepal ever since I read Michael Palin's book, Himalaya. Getting to help people along the way has to be the best way to fulfill my dream; can't wait! May I direct your attention to the right and my Nepal Challenge Donation page for more information on my trip and online sponsorship. Thanks for visiting! http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/anneofftonepal Hi and thank you so much for turning to my page. Never before the adventurer I am off to Nepal on 31st October 2008 to help build homes in Bardia as part of an ActionAid project. The Kamaiya people lost their homes and livelihoods when the Nepalese government ended the practice of bonded labour. Actionaid work with the community to help them understand theur rights to land and housing and to provide shelter. I wont be taking a holiday, nor sightseeing, just working to help actionaid make a difference. What I really need is as much sponsorship as possible so that you can really help me to make a difference to people's lives. I would be so happy if you would support me and ActionAid by making a donation and I will look forward to letting you know about the work when I get back. http://www.myactionaid.org.uk/blondie Hi I'm Em! Originally from Oz I now call London my home. I love arts and culture and I just generally love living in London. In November I am off to Nepal to build houses..yes, all hard hats and boots!.........to raise vital funds for the Kamaiya people who have been left in poverty and without homes despite being freed from slavery. I'm looking forward to the challenge and helping the local people not to mention experincing a completely different culture.