News - Akasha Academy

Healing the Wound on our Land in Suntakhan28th May 2021As part of the collaboration with Sustainable Mountain Architecture (SMA), the work in Suntakhan continues towards the realization of Akasha Academy. One crucial aspect is the overall stabilization and preparation of the land for future constructions. Before the next monsoon starts, it is especially urgent to stabilize the area where a landslide occurred in 2020. What is a monsoon? Nepal, as well as Asia overall, is affected by a period of heavy rainfalls once a year, which can have a great impact on the structure and appearance of land. Monsoon is essential for the local ecosystem, watering of plants, and for clearing of dust accumulated in the months before. However, it is often a cause of landslides, especially in hilly and sandy areas such as ours. Landslide 2020 In 2020, a landslide occurred at an especially vulnerable spot on the land. This happened due to the cutting of trees and plants in the past, which would have kept the land stable and prevented waterflow from causing damage. Lack thereof allowed for the land to simply slip away. Therefore, stabilization is most urgently needed in this area before the next monsoon to prevent further harm. Redirecting monsoon rain Working on stabilizing the land is one of the most interesting and intense parts of the collaboration with SMA. While there are many ways to stabilize, together with the help of SMA and their expertise, we found an option which is not only practical, but goes according to our values to respect nature. To stabilize the 2020 landslide area, constructions are currently ongoing in order to build three gabion walls on top of each other. Each gabion construction is about 8 meters long, consisting of wire baskets filled with stones (see picture). These walls function as natural steps, allowing plantation between them and can redirect as well as slow down the water streams. It takes 3-5 monsoons for this part to be fully stabilized. During this time, nature will grow through and around the walls, enhancing the stabilization process. After this time, some of the stones can even be removed and reused....
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Land stabilization at Akasha Academy site5th March 2021Great news came along with a geologist expert’s visit to the Akasha Academy property. The first official field trip and thus the next step in the collaboration with Sustainable Mountain Architecture (SMA) has taken place: After a euphoric kick-off at the end of January, the Akasha Academy site in Suntakhan was visited by members of SMA, Akasha Academy NGO and a geologist. The aim was to gain expert knowledge about the condition of the land – through intense study of the status quo, including areas which are prone to landslides and where the soil might be vulnerable. In the past years, several landslides on the site caused concern and worry among Akasha Academy members. Caused by poor water management and pipe leaks, as well as major tree clearings at neighbouring land, it was very clear that something had to be done urgently. Help was sought to improve the situation in Suntakhan. With the help of SMA and their good relation with Geology Professor Basata Devkota, some relief was found on February 19th and luckily good news were the result of this interesting site visit: We learnt that the land is actually quite stable in several aspects – soil condition, possible architectural structures, agriculture etc. Most of the present issues and can be fixed and improved with some re-planning and suitable planting. Additionally, the sandy texture of the land and its high amounts of silt make for excellent natural water filter layers. In the future, we will also take soil samples to understand the land even better. We are looking forward to next learning more about stabilization from the SMA team!...
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Sustainable Mountain Architecture – New Cooperation18th February 2021We have exciting news! The Akasha Academy NGO, supported by Long Yang e.V. has started a collaboration with Nepal based Sustainable Mountain Architecture (SMA), a pro ecology, pro local, pro people team with national and international members. Following the vision of an institute for holistic education and healing arts by Tulku Khyungdor Rinpoche, the Akasha Academy Headquarters will be located on the North-Eastern outskirts of Kathmandu, bordering Shivapuri National Park in Nepal. In the past years, the focus has been on the purchase of the land and the construction of the first buildings. Now conditions allow the next steps on the land. Suntakhan is a hilly region, and the soil is vulnerable to erosion because of the heavy rainfalls during the monsoon, deforestation taking place in the area, as well as the constantly changing mountainous structure. Akasha Academy Headquarters will be established on a 13,000 square meters sized land, which is located on a hillside and covered with young trees. Because of erosion and the lack of old trees, the land is unstable at some parts and exposed to a risk of landslides. Therefore, it needs carefully planned stabilization intervention before the next monsoon starts. A long-term plan is required for the land as a guide for the future growth and development. This plan shall outline the phases and years, and helps to identify necessary infrastructure and earthquake prevention within. SMA is a non-profit distributing company founded in Kathmandu Valley, practicing research based design of sustainable and responsible interventions in the sensitive environment of the Himalayas. During the past eight years, the SMA team has designed and built over 20 different projects in Nepal, especially in mountainous areas. Together with SMA, the Akasha Academy NGO and Long Yang e.V. will proceed with the realization of Tulku Khyungdor Rinpoche’s vision on the land. During the next months the land will be stabilized and studied in detail, so that the planning can start on firm ground. The first phase of our cooperation was kicked off in mid-January 2021, and will continue until the end of June, from where the next steps will be reviewed. The tasks for the next months are essential to ensure a safe and practical foundation for the future planning. The cooperation will focus on the following tasks: Studying the land (geological and water structure, as well as its biodiversity).Stabilizing the land to protect it from erosion before the next monsoon.Developing strategies to ensure that the future development on the land will be constantly aligned with the core values of the vision. The cooperating organizations will continue to study the strengths and challenges of the land with surveys and mental maps, and will be brainstorming the core values of the future constructions....
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Covid-19 Health Advisor Trainings in Suntakhan20th January 2021The global Covid-19 pandemic has been a challenge for the entire planet and even more so for the developing country of Nepal. Months of lockdown have hit the Nepalese Society hard. Yet while not being able to leave their homes, many people did not receive sufficient information about the virus and how to protect themselves properly. Communication from official side seemed not to reach everyone in terms of a deeper understanding about the nature of the virus and ways how to engage safely in daily life. For that reason we created a program that empowers people with knowledge and information about the virus: how it can spread, what the symptoms may look like and how people can protect themselves. The Covid-19 Health Advisor Training enables them to pass on this knowledge to their community. Participants and trainers of the Covid-19 Health Advisor Training in front of the Akasha Academy training center in Suntakhan As it was not yet possible to start with the Basic Health Counsellor Training in our newly built Akasha Academy training center in Suntakhan (also due to a Covid-19 delay), we quickly developed a deep curriculum on these topics with a German-Nepalese team and started to teach the first participants from the ward and surrounding health posts in September. Afterwards, we focused on our main target group of girls from the local area, who were happy to get a first short training in their school when it was finally open again after the first lockdown. In December we started with the first group of young women in our training facility. Our motivated education coordinators who are experts in the field of nursing and public health, together with a young doctor, trained the 10 girls throughout a whole week – under strict Covid-19 measures. The participants were highly engaged and super happy to have the chance to receive this information. As we believe that there are many benefits in enabling people to share their knowledge with others, our program aims to create multipliers. Therefore, those participants who finished the final exams of the training well, are now allowed to hold workshops themselves for other children and adults. The first group of multipliers were holding their first training for pupils of classes seven to nine in the Sree Suntakhan school. In these videos, two participants of our program give their thanks and feedback on the free training they received and tell why they would recommend it to others as well. Turn on subtitles to see English transcription. We are constantly open for applications to the training: education@akasha-academy.org Details about the program can be found here....
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Covid-19 Health Care Advisor Training at Akasha Academy Nepal8th September 2020In times of corona pandemic, it has become increasingly important to take care of one’s own health and to help others do the same. Thus, the Akasha Academy NGO now offers a special “Training of Trainers” program as Health Care Advisors focusing Covid-19 and helping to manage the crisis in a better way. Participants learn important facts about the nature of the Corona disease and how to teach others how to maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle during the time after the lockdown. The 40-hour program will include up to 40 participants, who will be taught in small groups (max. 10 persons) in order to ensure social distancing and personal protection. What is it about? Basic Medicine: Learning basic medical facts with special focus on topics relevant to understand, prevent and treat Covid-19, e.g. anatomy and hygieneHealth Promotion: Learning how to support others in the communities by teaching how to maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle during the time of the pandemic Who can apply? Young women who aim to attend the Basic Health Counsellor Training in the futureMultipliers such as community health workers and teachersInterested people from the greater Suntakhan area When will it take place? The vocational training is expected to begin in September 2020 depending on lockdown conditions If you want to get updates on the schedule, please register your email below Where will it take place? The training will take place in the newly constructed training center of Akasha Academy in Suntakhan. Further information: Flyer _NEPALI_Covid TrainingDownload Flyer_ENGLISH_ Covid TrainingDownload Presentation_ENGLISH_Health_Care_AdvisorDownload Application: Admissions are open.If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact the Akasha Academy program management:Email: education@akasha-academy.orgPhone: 981 8087 896. Image Female Doctor: This cover has been designed using resources from Flaticon.com ....
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Interview with Dr. Shakti Chaurasiya on protecting health professionals in Nepal20th July 2020Dr. Shakti Chaurasiya is the president of the Nepal Medical Students’ Society (NMSS). Since the detection of Covid-19 in Nepal, the organisation started a project for protective clothing for doctors and medical staff, which is also supported by the Akasha Academy NGO and our German partner organization Long Yang e.V. . Q – Akasha Academy: Shakti, could you please shortly introduce the Nepal Medical Students’ Society? A – Dr. Shakti Chaurasiya: The Nepal Medical Students’ Society is an internationally recognized, non-profit, non-political and purely professional organization of medical students of Nepal also recognized by the government of Nepal. It is guided in its action by two main principles: student welfare and social service. Since its establishment in 1985, NMSS has not only played an important role in uplifting academic environment but also conducted various activities like blood donation, rural health camps, health awareness programs, relief funds for earthquake victims, medical camps during natural disasters, student exchange, cultural programs and celebrations of various international days. . Q: How did the Covid-19 crisis change the focus of your work? A: Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic we have been working on three main topics: Awareness for the general people: Before the lockdown we conducted various awareness campaigns in different parts of Nepal to educate and raise awareness among the Female Community Health Volunteers.Since the lock-down we broadcasted awareness audio programs in different parts of our country in the local language and also conducted video awareness programs through social media. Protecting health professionals by providing PPE and training to health professionals regarding COVID-19.Helping people solve their general queries regarding health issues via social media. Every day we have a session from different faculties on various “disease prevention” and “cure at home” topics. . Q: Could you please describe the current situation in Nepal? A: In Nepal, the Government is doing its best for the containment of the virus but still we are having cases at regular intervals. As we don’t have the capacity of doing lots of tests, the lockdown is the only solution for now and it will increase in duration. The main challenges now for Nepal are providing safety gears to the health professionals,sustaining the lockdown and feed the poor people,extending the testing capacity by manpower, testing machines, and kits. . Q: Since the detection of Covid-19 in Nepal, you started a project for protective clothing for doctors and medical staff, which is also supported by the Akasha Academy NGO and the Long Yang e.V. Why did you start the project? A: As I myself, along with my colleagues, am working in the emergency room of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, we feel scared and unsafe to treat patients with flu-like symptoms without any safety gear (PPE) which was affecting the patient care. As the administration and authorities were not able to provide sufficient PPE, we thought about ways to fill the gap. We started looking for funds for providing PPE to the doctors in the fever clinic, emergency room, and those who are out of reach from the hospital administration. Q: Which actors are you collaborating with? A: Within NMSS, the doctors in internship are involved. We join hands with the Nepal Medical Association (NMA), the Non-Residential Nepalese Association (NRNA), the Australasian Nepalese Medical and Dental Association (ANMDA), and the AussieMed Foundation and formed a group called NIRHAT which I am leading. The groups network is helping us with fundraising, need assessment and transportation. . Q: Which areas of Nepal do you supply with PPE? A: We try to support the areas and health professionals not yet reached by the government: Intern doctors and resident doctors all over the Nepal, emergency room staff of various districts and zonal hospitals of Nepal, and foremost the Primary Health Care Centers located in rural areas which are the first place to visit. . Q: How do you find out about the need for PPE and where to supply them to? A: Actually, we are using our alumni (past members of NMSS), who are working in different hospitals of Nepal, and we are working in collaboration with NMA, the organisation for practicing doctors. Thus we are in a direct contact with the working doctors in the hospitals. We identify the needs on the basis of cases diagnosed, the risk of new infections and number of patient flow and help from the government. . Q: How is the purchasing and the distribution of the PPE organised? What is the biggest challenge? A: We maintain a list of Nepalese vendors whom we are purchasing from after we negotiate the conditions. To ensure the quality, we have consulted the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) guidelines. We are purchasing the PPE accordingly with venders who are proving the PPE at cheaper rates with best quality. Regarding transportation, we are using ambulances, vehicles from the hospitals or municipality itself, army and WHO vehicles. The biggest problem we are facing now is the fundraising and the hiked prices that are being increased by the vendors along with the transportation during this lockdown. Q: How are the reactions of the medical staff you delivered PPE to? A: They feel very happy and motivated to do their duty. Even some of the health professionals helped us with our work on fundraising, transportation and need assessment. . Q: Can you say anything about how it affected the patients in the respective areas and the population in general? A: With the protective gear, health professionals feel safer and they get motivated to work in a challenging environment. The initial referring and avoiding of patients has been minimized now and the work environment is healthy, which ultimately improves the quality of care to the people. . Thank you very much for the interview, Shakti. All the best for your project. . Dr. Shakti Chaurasiya joined NMSS during his studies in 2013. In 2019 he was elected as the president of the 31st Executive Committee of the Organisation. He is also part of NRNA Global health committee (Vice chair) and Nepalese Rapid Health Assessment (Nepal – lead)....
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Protective Equipment for medical staff in Nepal19th April 2020Nepal has been in lockdown for three weeks to contain the spread of Covid-19. One major challenge in dealing with the new virus is the shortage of protective gear. A country like Nepal, with the conditions of a badly equipped and partly corrupted healthcare system, this shortage hits especially hard. There is a lack of simple protection masks for the population as well as the so important Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical staff. It is mainly the smaller health posts in rural areas which are working without any protective equipment. Because of the fear to become infected, patients with mild symptoms are rejected and sent away from hospitals. However, hospitals must focus on the treatment of seriously ill people. According to the doctors in Kathmandu, only rain capes and self-made protective glasses are available in hospitals to protect medical staff from the virus at least to some level. Support for health posts and young medical students For this reason, Akasha Academy NGO provided the much needed PPE to the Health Post in Suntakhan last week sponsored by donations collected by the German partner organsation Long Yang e.V. As for other Nepalese Health Posts and hospitals, external financial support is the only possibility to get the necessary protective gear for the rising pandemic, Akasha Academy NGO and Long Yang e.V. continue their cooperation on that initiative and expand their support. Motivated young students of the befriended organisation Nepal Medical Students’ Society (NMSS) have started their own initiative to organize protective equipment and to distribute them to well-known doctors in multiple hospitals and Health Posts in and around Kathmandu. Please donate so we can supply as many doctors as possible....
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Update on the Basic Health Counsellor Training and the current situation in Nepal7th April 2020On Mach 22, the Nepalese government imposed a strict lock-down onto Nepal for one week which was extended by two weeks in the meanwhile. The borders are closed and all international flights have been cancelled. So far, there are nine confirmed cases of Covid-19. However, the test rate is very low. Besides, it was reported that sick people having symptoms of Covid-19 were sent home by the hospital staff being afraid of getting infected due to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). After the arrival of PPE and test kits from China, it is quite likely that the confirmed cases will be rising. So far, only one hospital conducts tests on Covid-19 while three or four hospitals are currently provided with the resources to perform tests. All in all, there are very few hospitals with ICU and sufficient medical staff in Nepal besides corruption in the health sector and supply-shortages. Nepal’s situation – a country with a fragile health sector, supply-shortages and a poor infrastructure to cope with the increasing number of cases – is very serious. Start of Basic Health Counsellor Training postponed due to Covid-19 . Akasha Academy NGO was in the final preparations for the start of the Basic Health Counsellor training which was supposed to start at the beginning of May in the new teaching facility in Suntakhan. The construction of the new building was finished in time before the lockdown. However, other activities as the furnishing of the rooms were suspended. Since March 20th, schools have been closed in Nepal. Final exams were postponed for the time being which also affects the start of the Basic Health Counsellor training. The training can be started, as soon as the students were able take the exam....
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Basic Health Counsellor Training at Akasha Academy Nepal5th April 2020Akasha Academy offers a unique Basic Health Counsellor training program for women in the greater Suntakhan area. In a newly constructed training center, the course will begin as soon as possible in 2021. One-year program in basic medicine and health education inspired by the German vocational training systemPart-time studies: approximately 4 hours per day, 6 days/ weekFees depending on individual financial situation (scholarships possible) Why apply? Gain practical knowledge on basic health topics and learn how to teach othersGet unique hands-on training in traditional eastern and western medical treatments and manual therapyPrepare for a job as community health counsellor or qualify for advanced medical trainingStudy with international teachers from Nepal, Europe and the United States Graduates will be able to… advise local people, government and schools on basic health issues: e.g. hygiene, women’s health, waste management, nutritionprovide qualified health-related training and consultingwork for local schools, government organizations, NGOs and others Extract from the curriculum The one-year program consists of 4 modules lasting one quarter each, including (among others) the following topics: Q1:Basic medical education including anatomy, physiology, epidemiology, hygiene, Nepali health system, community health.Q2:Intermediary medical education including diagnostics, massage and physiotherapy, healthy lifestyle, didactics.Q3:Advanced medical education, women‘s health, nursery, diagnostics and treatment, business administration for health professionals, social mobilization.Q4:Advanced medical education, mental and emotional health, community development and empowerment, community workshops and field studies. Application and Admission Applicants should be… femalereceiving their School Leaving Certifiate (SLC) or have received it alreadyliving in greater Suntakhan area or able to continuously attend courses in Suntakhaninterested in medicine and helping othersmotivated to share the acquired knowledge with the community in trainings and consultanciesable to send an application in English via e-mail to education@akasha-academy.orgwilling to have an interview with the Admission Committee Admission and further InformationIf you are interested and wish to receive further information or want to register, please contact the Akasha Academy program management:Email: education@akasha-academy.orgPhone: 981 8087 896 Admissions are open from 1st of April 2020 onwards. We are very much looking forward to hearing from you!...
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