Nepal+News

=Nepal News =

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 The lead actor from the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire and winner of the People’s Choice Award, Dev Patel, is interested in Nepal. The young star has received an invitation from a Nepalese hairstylist and makeup artist to visit the Himalayan Republic. Other stars such as Orlando Bloom, and singers Sting and Cher have visited the Himalayan nation. 1 =====

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 Figure 1: Dev Patel

Three million people are on the verge of starvation because of soaring food prices. The prices have rose because of the economic crisis. The World Food Program has sent farmers to the most productive agricultural areas in the country. Prices rose up to 35% on the most important food products. The government of Japan has accepted to extent aid worth 6.87 million U.S. dollars, which is equivalent to 543 million Nepalese rupees. Also, the Wolrd Food Program has sent 109$ million to help reduce starvation. 2

Figure 2: Nepalese child getting food

In Nepal, there is a higher dropout rate for girls than for boys. In fact, over these past seven years, the dropout rate for girls has increased by 6%. Poor sanitation in schools is one of the reasons why girls dropout more. Poorer families also need their daughters at home to work, limiting their schooling from little to none. It costs 100$ per year to keep 1 girl in primary or secondary school, which can be tough on poorer families. For university, it will cost 2000$.

Thanks to donations from Canadian, Australian, and American students and teachers, the Madhav Ghimire Foundation was able to provide scholarships to students in Nepal. As long as the students keep working hard and achieve good results, they will keep receiving scholarships. Many of the girls hope to become engineers, nurses, teachers, and leaders of their country, and the scholarships can help them achieve their goals.

Doctor Jeffrey Kottler, graduate of the University of Virginia, went to Nepal as a counseling skills teacher. During his stay in Nepal, he said: “I became the pupil, captured by the beauty of Nepal’s mountains and people, but also by the desire to do something to help needy children here.” 3



Figure 3: Dr Jeffrey Kottler with Nepalese children

An organization helping students in Nepalese schools is VSSN (Volunteer Service Support Nepal). This is a non-government organization that consists of volunteers who help in schools and orphanages. The organization provides a year round volunteer program all around the world to support Nepalese children who are unable to make ends meet. These volunteers interact with the children by incorporating different activities to enrich their knowledge. The entrance fee is 380 Euros for one month, which includes the plane ticket, the accommodation, meals, and the training. This training includes an orientation course with lectures, social events, and Nepali cultural tours. 4 Figure 4: VSSN program

=Podcasts: Here are some Podcasts with news from Nepal:=

[|Podcast 1]

[|Podcast 2]

[|Podcast 3]

1:[| http://entertainment.oneindia.in/hollywood/top-stories/scoop/2009/dev-patel-fascinate-nepal-260209.html] 2: [|http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-02/26/content_10901074.htm] 3: [|http://newsblaze.com/story/20090225225429chil.nb/topstory.html] 4:[| http://www.prlog.org/10152454-volunteer-teacher-in-nepal.html]
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Figure 1: [|Dev Patel] Figure 2: [|Nepalese child getting food] Figure 3: [|Dr. Jeffrey Kottler with Nepalese children] Figure 4: [|VSSN program]
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