Wall constructed by using Bottle

Environment Program : A Eco-friendly construction Project

Project introduction :The Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (KRMEF) was established in 2008 near Khokana in the south west of the Kathmandu Valley. The foundation needs volunteers to support a project to provide under privileged, disabled and poor people with an opportunity to work on an organic biodynamic farm and allows them to be productive, while enabling their children to attend school.
KRMEF Village has begun a pilot project focused on recycling waste found in and around the city of Kathmandu, and using the waste to make energy and building materials. This process gives work to many jobless, homeless and disabled people.

Background of the project : Krishna Gurung runs KRMEF with his wife Leela and other friends in memory of their late son, Kevin Rohan Gurung. Krishna was a central figure in creating a previous sustainable village – Shanti Sewa Griha Village,  and was runner-up in the BBC’s World Challenge .

Krishna and Leela’s parents are lepers; they grew up in a leprosarium and were childhood friends. Nepali society is centered on the extended family – Krishna’s parents live with them now, along with their two teenage daughters.

Project activities:
KRMEF is the vibrant, dynamic center of an existing village – Kharare – about seven miles south of Kathmandu. The aim is to be a catalyst for the ecologically minded development of an existing village, which includes running a health clinic, expanding the community centre, creating an orphanage, developing a local school, teaching biodynamic gardening and sustainable fuel production, planting trees, natural architecture, producing and selling local honey, using local resources for making and selling crafts, and creating jobs.

KRMEFV currently features:
• Eco-guest house
• Volunteer programs
• Local and sustainable fuel production
• Biodynamic farming
• Use of local resources for crafts
• Ecological architecture
• Training and education for handicapped, elderly and leprosy villagers
• Free clinics and Waldorf inspired school

Nepal is flooded with litter and Kathmandu is extremely polluted. The litter is mostly due to the fact that Nepalis throw their rubbish into the street. The lack of rubbish collection and the shift from traditional, biodegradable banana leaves to plastic packaging also contribute to the litter problem.
Local villagers collected hundreds of bottles, sand and clay, and paper for the first building, which was a model and test home. Natural building is primal – taking what the earth offers and making shelter. Nepal has plentiful rubbish and recyclable materials, which are very good for construction. Bottles set on their side are very strong, and limit the need for earthen plaster – clay and sand with chopped-up straw for tensile strength – which is time-consuming to make. Shredded trashed paper added to the earthen plaster gives further tensile strength and acts as filler along with the sand.
The village has an old man who is a bamboo craftsman. He built the frame and roof of the model home, flying around spindly bamboo members like a spider. He is the last villager who knows this craft and he will train others as more homes are built.

Project location: The project is located at Khahare, Chalnakhel 5 near Khokana, a village in the southwest of the Kathmandu Valley, near Taudaha on the way to Pharping or Daxinkali temple just seven miles from Kathmandu, the capital and largest city of Nepal.
Role of volunteers: Volunteers will stay at Krishna’s foundation, a small complex within his village. The role of volunteers is to help the project in whatever way they can, and help build eco buildings for the homeless out of local clay, sand, bamboo, straw, thatch, trashed bottles and paper. They will work primarily on making the next home but they can also learn about bio-dynamic gardening and bio-fuels, etc.

Eligibility and skills required:

• Help build eco buildings for the homeless out of local clay, sand, bamboo, straw, thatch, trashed bottles and paper, and learn about bio-dynamic gardening and bio-fuels.
• You do not need any training or experience to participate, but whatever experience you do have will be taken into account when arranging your day-to-day activities.
• Volunteers need to be independent, enthusiastic and adaptable, hard-working with an open-minded attitude.
• International volunteers are welcome.

Program Start date: October, 2011

Volunteering Duration: Minimum 1 week to maximum 4 weeks including program induction. .

Placement is available. Apply Now !