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Burwen Education Foundation
Nepal

Our foundation is based on the principle of Relationship Philanthropy. Simply stared, relationship philanthropy means that donors establish personal relationships with recipients. Relationship philanthropy benefits the donors as much as the recipients.

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Beginnings

Our foundation had its beginnings in Nepal. Through a mishap on a commercial trek to the basecamp of Mt Everest in 1999, we became acquainted with Dorje Sherpa, and learned about life in his remote village of Solaban, where there are no roads and no wheeled vehicles.

We were motivated to help his village but didn’t want to impose our solutions on their problems. Instead, by establishing a personal relationship with Dorje Sherpa, we were able to implement a bottom-up model of philanthropy, where the villagers determine what is needed and collaborate in the development and construction of projects by providing labor, while the BEF supplies funding, management, and other resources, such as engineering expertise.

Traveling to Solaban: Fly to Lukla then Trek 3 Hard Days to Solaban

Solaban

School rebuilt after 2015 earthquake
Commissioning Power System
Unloading Earthquake Relief Supplies
Earthquake Resistant Housing
To date, the BEF has completed three development projects in Solaban that have helped the village transition to the 21st century and become self-sufficient: Construction of a school along with supplemental teachers’ salaries, construction of a micro-hydroelectric project to provide electrification, and replacement of homes that were destroyed in the 2015 earthquakes using improved earthquake-resistant construction.
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Action For Nepal

In 2006 the BEF played a crucial role in the establishment of a Nepalese NGO, “Action for Nepal” (AFN), with a focus on education, clean water, and healthcare. The BEF established close personal relationships with AFN’s founders, Lakpa and Jangmoo Sherpa, providing initial funding and ongoing mentoring for their numerous education, water purification, and healthcare initiatives.

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David & Susan with AFN 2018

Guidelines for Effective Philanthropy

The BEF has provided resources for communities to accomplish their own goals, relying on relationships for successful projects.
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