News 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 .... read moreInterview 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).... read moreProtective 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.... read moreUpdate 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.... read moreBasic 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!... read moreAkasha Handmade – Empowering Women in Nepal31st January 2020Together with the German partner organization Long Yang e.V., Akasha Academy NGO is supporting a group of Nepalese women in Kathmandu, who were trained in sewing and tailoring. Now the women would like to set up a business with their hand-made and fair trade products for which the label “Akasha Handmade” stands. The first collection consisted of yoga bags and gym bags. The second collection including further products with hand-woven Dhaka elements is being planned. Every single product of Akasha Handmade is carefully manufactured and unique. Natural material is preferably used – mainly cotton and traditional brocade fabric. Akasha Handmade stands for fair wages and working conditions. The sewers conduct the social business themselves and get the opportunity to build their professional future on their own responsibility. If you are interested in buying or re-selling Akasha Handmade products, please contact us.... read moreAkasha Academy starts Basic Health Counsellor Training13th December 2019The so far biggest project of the Akasha Academy NGO and its German partner organization Long Yang e.V. starts close to the borders of the Shivapuri National Park and aims at offering a Basic Health Counsellor training to young women of the rural areas. After more than a one-year planning phase, the construction of the training centre started in the beginning of December 2019. Up to 30 women from the region Gokarneshwor will be trained to become Basic Health counsellors at the Akasha Academy in Suntakhan for one year starting beginning of May 2020. Together with Long Yang e.V. and the BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), expertise from Nepal and Germany are being combined to improve the health care for the people in the rural area. Construction work started Most young women in Nepal do not have the opportunity to pursue any kind of education or apprenticeship after having finished school. To stay close to the family is considered more important than to strive for a professional perspective. The Basic Health Counsellor training aims at offering a perspective to these women in which family and job can be combined. Moreover, it empowers the women to become independent from their families in terms of income and to contribute to the improvement of the health situation in their region. Improving the educational situation of women in Nepal The training center is being built close to the Shivapuri National Park Suntakhan is typical for rural areas in Nepal For most young women in Nepal the education ends after leaving school. Closeness to the family is important and usually has a higher priority than going for further education and career opportunities. The aim of the training program is to create a career perspective for young women in which work and family are compatible. The women are supported in creating the basis for their own income and at the same time in actively contributing to the good of their region. Model project for the promotion of basic health in rural regions As trained “Basic Health Counsellors”, the graduates will provide advice on basic health, hygiene, nutrition and women’s health in their own and neighbouring communities. Through activities such as health camps, workshops at schools and individual counselling of families on basic health issues, diseases can be avoided and awareness of a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle can be generated. The training programme will be introduced as a model in Suntakhan and will subsequently be made available to other communities as an example. The project can thus contribute to improving basic health in rural regions of Nepal beyond the borders of Gokarneshwor. What’s next Currently, the curriculum for the training is being compiled in parallel with the construction work. Suitable teachers are being sought in Nepal and further financial means are being acquired.... read moreWinter school uniforms for pupils in Suntakhan16th November 2019From November onwards, it can get freezingly cold in the Kathmandu-valley, especially in the night. In the winter season warm clothing is essential to stay healthy which, unfortunately, cannot be taken for granted for most of the children in Suntakhan. Akasha Academy NGO together with its German partner organization Long Yang e.V. has already supported students of the Sri Suntakhan School with providing winter school uniforms in the recent years. Thanks to a donation of the German Regine Sixt Kinderhilfe Foundation, the Akasha Academy NGO could again organize the purchase and distribution of warm school uniforms in November 2019. With more than 450 pupils, the Sri Suntakhan Seconday School is the biggest public school in Suntakhan. Recently, a second building was constructed to host the growing number of students. As there is no tuition fee, many children of poor families visit public schools. These children usually do not have any other winter clothes apart from their school uniform which they therefore wear throughout the whole winter season. The distribution of the school uniforms was accompanied by a ceremony which became already a tradition for this event. This year, the ceremony took place on the same day as the opening of the second school building. A member of the ministry of education and the mayor of Suntakhan held speeches at the beginning of the ceremony to which also members of the Akasha Academy NGO and the Long Yang e.V. were invited. After some enthusiastic speeches, the pupils were asked to line up according to their grade level to receive the school uniforms. As soon as the first school uniforms were handed over, the crowd became a colourful mess of laughing and fighting children putting on, taking off and exchanging the new uniforms. Some effort was necessary to convince the pupils to gather for a group picture. Due to different activities in the recent years, a good relation to the local schools in Suntakhan has been built up. Akasha Academy NGO and Long Yang e.V. are already preparing further projects: With the start of the Basic Health Counsellor training for young women in the region, a number of workshops about basic health (hygiene, nutrition, and women’s health) are planned.... read moreTree planting campaign on World Environment Day15th June 2019The motto of this year’s World Environment Day was “Beat Air Pollution”. Supported by our German partner organization Long Yang e.V., the Akasha Adademy NGO organized a colorful day with tree planting, workshops and live music. Given the illegal deforestation of a hillside property belonging to the Suntakhan community, the World Environment Day was also an occasion to jointly set an example against the destruction of forests. On June 5th, many people from the community, local schools and the administration met on the grounds of the Akasha Academy NGO in Suntakhan to plant trees together. Before the actual tree planting took place, there were several activities around the topic “environmental protection”. First of all, a number of speakers introduced the day’s theme. After a short welcome by the presidents of the Akasha Academy NGO and the Long Yang e.V., Nima Yangchen Hyolmo (the vice-president of HEACOP (Himgiri Eco-friendly Agriculture Co-operative Ltd.) spoke and emphasized the importance of the common commitment to environmental protection. The district chairman, Rajendra Bandari, added the local perspective to the topic. Afterwards, the speakers and other local actors from politics and administration had the opportunity to make short statements and make a personal pledge for the protection of local forests and the environment. A workshop by HEACOP followed. In the interactive role play, led by Kapil Prajapati (HEACOP), the students and adults present learned about the responsibilities that each individual has when it comes to protecting the environment. The subsequent planting of numerous seedlings like walnut, mango, Sechuan pepper and others was accompanied by live music by Spanish artist Monica Sans Duran. At the end of the day’s programme, all the participants had time to enjoy a freshly cooked lunch and to exchange ideas. Thanks to all participants for organizing this colorful and inspiring day.... read moreCooperation with Jado Rinpoche – TK Rinpoche’s journey to Mongolia9th June 2019Earlier this year, Jado Rinpoche and TK Rinpoche met in Kathmandu to discuss their cooperation for a planned transmission in Mongolia. Jado Rinpoche, who is very close to the 14th Dalai Lama and has received many rare transmissions from him, had been asked to give a special Yamantaka transmission in its entirety at Ganden Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, and therefore asked TK Rinpoche to support him and take over the compilation of the very old and partly incomplete material. . Assistance during oral transmissions (rLung) . The preparations for this took several months and many old manuscripts had to be sighted and evaluated. Despite immense time pressure, TK Rinpoche succeeded in editing the necessary texts, so that at the end of May the initiation and transmission could be given completely in Mongolia to several hundred people. TK Rinpoche also had the opportunity to visit the text conservation project sponsored by the German Goethe Institute in the Ganden Monastery and to arrange further cooperation with the librarian. Text conservation project in Ulaanbaatar . Together with Jado Rinpoche, TK Rinpoche also visited the famous Manjushri Temple in the area of Ulaanbaatar (see header photo). . TK Rinpoche in front of the 25m high Avalokiteshvara statue in Ganden Monastery... read moreAfforestation in Suntakhan19th May 2019Akasha Academy NGO together with the German partner organization Long Yang e.V. and Himgiri eco-friendly Agriculture Cooperative Ltd (HEACOP) organize a project for the afforestation in Suntakhan after the illegal destruction of a hillside property. The destructed slope The property is situated close to the borders of Shivapuri National Park. The community of Suntakhan, a village of about 5,000 inhabitants, is located at the foot of the Shivapuri National Park near Kathmandu. As a result of an illegal construction project, an approximately one hectare plot of land, most of which belongs to Sunthakan Municipality, was unlawfully destroyed by clearing and terracing. The clearing of the slope is an ecological disaster. The area lies in the buffer zone of Shivapuri National Park and thus in the water catchment area of the village below. The destruction can lead to landslides and poses a danger to the inhabitants. Therefore, new trees need to be planted before the next monsoon. Apart from the tree planting, the project aims at raising awareness and transferring knowledge about the need of environmental protection.... read moreSewing training for women in Nepal generating job perspectives11th May 2019Akasha Academy NGO in cooperation with Long Yang e.V. offer a sewing training to women which provides them with job perspectives. 14 women from the region of Helambu (50 km northeast of Kathmandu) came to Kathmandu with their families to build up a perspective for themselves. Since January 2019 they have been trained as seamstresses to be able to earn a living from their trade. This is not very easy in Nepal, especially for housewives who spend most of the day looking after the family. Especially for women “from the country” without vocational training it is difficult to gain a foothold in the city and to contribute to the family income beyond casual jobs or to become more independent and self-reliant. At “family-friendly” times, the women are taught by an experienced seamstress during the day in two shifts in small groups of maximum 7 persons. In a safe environment and with like-minded women, they can improve their skills for 2 hours a day. Using sewing machines and needle and thread, small, simple products are first made. Later they can also produce more complicated parts, which they may take home for their own use. The women came to the course without any previous knowledge and after 2 months they are already able to apply a wide range of techniques. The first bags, yoga bags, pencil cases and blouses are very impressive. The women are very happy about the chance they get during this course. “At the beginning I couldn’t do anything and I didn’t imagine that I could learn this… and now two months later I am sewing my first kurta “, one of the participants tells happily.... read moreBeat Plastic Pollution in Nepal12th June 2018Akasha Academy activities on World Environment Day Plastic is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time: it pollutes nature and oceans, contaminates our drinking water and endangers our health. In the world, one million plastic bottles are sold every MINUTE. Every year we use up to 5 trillion (or 5000 billion) plastic bags. In addition, about 50 percent of the plastic we use is produced for single use only. The motto of this year’s World Environment Day, organised by the United Nations, was therefore called “Beat Plastic Pollution” for a reason. Actors around the world were supposed to think not only about creative actions to tackle existing pollution, but also about how to raise awareness of avoiding plastic waste altogether in everyday life. Plastic is also a very pressing problem in Nepal. Plastic bottles, bags and various disposable packaging not only dominate the roadsides of the cities, but are unfortunately also very present in the middle of mountains, rivers and forests. Many country dwellers simply dispose their plastic waste in nature or burn it. A large part of the population lacks knowledge about the effects of plastic on the health of people, animals and the agriculture that is essential for their survival. Sustainable recycling systems do not yet exist and the problem is getting worse every day. Already in the run-up to World Environment Day, the Akasha Academy NGO in Nepal has therefore decided to expand the annual clean-up campaign of Sri Suntakhan Secondary School and to make it sustainable. This means, among other things, to involve the community and other local actors in order to create a broad awareness of the problem. The Bagmati River Clean-Up Campaign began on June 2nd. Together with the Human Rights & Peace Forum, the students and a part of the local population, the members of the Akasha Academy NGO organized a clean up campaign of the “holy river”. On June 3rd, a training on waste management was held to explain how plastic waste can be dealt with at home and in the village and how it can be recycled in the future. One day later, the Human Rights & Peace Forum held training sessions on “Hygiene and Drug Abuse” for the students and other interested parties. The Environment Day itself was under the motto “Keep Suntakhan Clean”. After a rally with over 200 guests, including representatives of Gorkaneshwor Municipality, Suntakhan Ward, the women’s organization Krishna Mandir Committee and of course the school community, the students started a “Clean-Up Ralley” through the village. In order to keep Suntakhan clean and to create a sustainable awareness for environmental issues, regular clean-up actions and training sessions on various topics are planned from now on.... read moreEnvironmental protection in the Suntakhan region18th November 2017Autumn 2017: While providing basic commodities such as food, water, and energy to the residents of the Suntakhan region seems to be ensured, there is still a great deal of catching up to do when it comes to waste and wastewater management. We are currently aligning with the local administration to help to make a progress. Like other regions in Nepal, Suntakhan will be busy with these topics for a long time, as it involves a complex interaction of regional and national solutions, awareness and education, as well as funding. The motivation for development is high, because a clean environment is a prerequisite for sustainable tourism, and in addition, the Bagmati River, which has a sacred significance for Hindus, springs from the mountains of the Shivapuri national park in the Suntakhan region. ... read moreWinter school uniforms for pupils in Suntakhan18th November 2017As part of our charitable work, Akasha Academy NGO in cooperation with the German Long Yang e.V., has been supporting the Shree Suntakhan Secondary School in Gorkaneshwor, Kathmandu, for several years now. During a recent visit to the school, we could convince ourselves of the progress: From pre-school to college, all classrooms are filled with pupils who are learning enthusiastically and highly motivated with skilled and cordial teachers. You may be surprised how in Nepal the lower classes recite the alphabet or some texts fully-throated, while the upper classes concentrate on the exams ahead. In the last two years, the number of students has more than doubled, the range of subjects taught has been expanded, and the graduations of the pupils are well above the average in the region. . The principal of the school was pleased with the success, but he has further big plans, and in addition to the need for a library, he has remarked that there is need for winter clothing for the growing number of pupils. For many children from poor families, these are the only warm clothes for the winter. Therefore we are happy to have provided the school with new school uniforms for the winter.... read more
