Runco returns from trip to Nepal

"Fantastic" was how Ten Friends co-founder Rand Runco recalled his latest trip to Nepal. Last November, Runco took a leave of absence from his teaching position to continue service work on Ten Friends projects in Nepal.

One of Runco's primary objectives was to visit the Ten Friends Himalayan Teacher Training Center (HTTC) hostel with the specific task of funding housing, living costs and tuition at the school. The hostel provides for young women in the region who wish to become teachers and later return to their mountain villages to teach. Because funding was recently lost, financial assistance provided by Ten Friends is imperative.

"A big part of the trip was working at the hostel," Runco explained. "We moved the girls into a new space, providing a safer and quieter locale, and cleaner water. It will also allow the girls and Ten Friends to have a better working relationship with the local schools." Most importantly, the new location allows the girls to farm, which is vital to success later in life.

The Hopeful Home Orphanage is also an ongoing project. Three have graduated from the program, which is equivalent to a high school diploma. The students are attending college: one in the pharmacy school; the other two are studying business management.

Runco trekked to the mountain villages of each of the girls currently receiving training at the HTTC to meet their families. The girls are from seven different villages, all on the upper Arun River near the Tibet border. There have been only three tourists to visit the region since 2005. "It was awesome seeing that rural life. It was as primitive as I've ever seen," said Runco.

The village of Lingam was a new destination, and one which Runco hopes to return to many times. Ten Friends wishes to assist Lingam in their goals of community development. The village is in the process of building a school. Only 50% government-funded, the school is vacant inside. Ten Friends has sponsored the purchase of bookshelves, benches, mats and tables. Providing that the school does their part to maintain it, Ten Friends is prepared to supply children's books which will serve as the first library in the

region.

"What really inspired me to get these supplies to the school was the realization that when the girls (from the training center) head out to teach, they need supplies to do their job. Literacy is a major goal for many Nepalese, but they have no books... and by this I mean they are nonexistent," Runco said.

In addition to supplying the Lingam library with books, Ten Friends has also set up a system with the Barun Campus, a local college where, in exchange for education for the girls in the training program, the campus will receive books. A library was also established at the HTTC hostel.

A Rotary International grant provided funding for 60 water filters. The filters have been a mainstay of Ten Friends projects since its inception.

"I'm really excited because we have grown so much over the last year. Our projects have lots of momentum and our volunteers will be going over this summer to help implement those projects. In these economic times, Ten Friends is so appreciative of the local community for their continued support," said Runco.

Ten Friends' "Spring Celebration" fundraiser will be held at Aspen Hall in Shevlin Park May 17, at 5:30 p.m. Adults are $15, under 12 are free. For more information, visit http://www.tenfriends.org.