This week classes 7 and 8 moved into the newly completed Phuleli Secondary School. The school is the FIRST earthbag facility in the entire Everest Region of Nepal.
An enormous thank you to all of those who contributed to the school building campaign, the volunteers who helped to construct the school, Architecture for Humanity Boston (who helped to design the school), Edge of Seven’s board chair and architect (Sarah Andrews and Travis Hughbanks), The Small World (our Nepali project partner) and Phuleli’s local community. Our team will return to the project site this month to put on a few final touches and take some more photographs! See below for the first installment:
Edge of Seven recently joined the crew of organizations that calls Green Spaces home during their weekly work hours. And we are excited! Not only does this mean that we get an alternative to our coffee shop posts (but we won’t be abandoning these entirely), but we also get to make new friends. And who doesn’t want that?
We’re joining the latest trend—shared work spaces. Also known as share or coworking spaces, companies and nonprofits across the country are finding this collaborative environment to be super advantageous to their operations. While this is not an entirely new idea, there has been a surge in the last few years towards this type of work environment.
Locally, there are a handful of facilities that offer this community for entrepreneurs or groups to join. However, Green Spaces is a bit more unique in their approach to creating an appealing and effective work place for us. They are dedicated to being “green” and promoting environmentally responsible practices (if you hadn’t picked that up from their name), including using efficient energy, composting, and utilizing eco-friendly products. Green Spaces has become known as “a global culture, a society for change makers, a recognizable term for movers & shakers, a mecca for people who think big and do good, and a local place with a global impact.” As an organization dedicated to social change, Edge of Seven aligns well with the Green Spaces culture.
Here are the advantages that we have found in being a part of a coworking space:
Lower costs—For many companies whether small, new, nonprofit or whatever (we qualify for all of those), having a building or office to call your own is difficult to achieve. Mostly because of the financial obstacles. Sharing a space offers a significantly cheaper option (Edge of Seven is currently using Green Spaces two days per week).
Alone or team time—Most coworking facilities allow some flexibility in space. By that, I mean that you are able to get a single desk for one staff member or you can reserve more room for a group to use. Typically, these buildings have meeting rooms as well as open areas filled with individual desks. It makes the spaces versatile as far as meeting each member’s needs.
Building Bridges—Being a part of Green Spaces has introduced us to new individuals and organizations. It’s great for networking (which we know is uber important for just about everyone). There is a large potential to find a variety of beneficial relationships for your organization: clients, investors, partners, resources. Even if it’s just bouncing ideas off others in the space, it’s a huge plus.
Positive Vibes—Positivity is contagious. It’s a fact. I have always been told to surround myself with good friends that have a positive influence on me. The same can be said for an organization and their work environment. Being in an environment with a collective group of entrepreneurs working to succeed, to push forward, is a great way to keep your own motivation flowing.
Professional Setup—While we still love to hold meetings in coffee shops, cafes, or other non-traditional spots, a coworking space does offer a more professional setting and a bit more structure in which to conduct important meetings. It is nice for us to have some options depending on the situation.
So here is to a new setup for Edge of Seven (at least for our Denver operations). We are excited for the opportunities that Green Spaces is making available to us and grateful expand our community.
I have a great respect for creativity. No matter what field that may be in, new and interesting lines of thought that attempt a different approach to addressing an issue or solving a problem are always welcomed. Getting stuck in a single train of thought can be redundant and dangerous.
As an artistic example, take OK Go. The musical group has been around for over a decade and has been capturing people’s attention with their insanely unique music videos. OK Go creates intrigue through the quirkiness and elaborate routines featured in their low-budget videos that takes the focus off of the emotional element of the singing itself. They first received major attention for their “Here It Goes Again” video that showcased a whole dance routine on a set of treadmills. After another one entirely performed by trained dogs, one sporting a dance routine all in time lapse compression, and one displaying the most intricate Rube Goldberg-inspired machine that I’ve ever seen, the band has really established themselves as a group that goes beyond normal thinking.
What prompted me to use this example was their 2011 project for their song, “All Is Not Lost”. This began immediately following the tsunami in Japan last year when the group wanted to send a message of hope to the country. The Japanese Google Chrome team approached the group and the collaboration between OK Go, Google Chrome and a renowned Japanese dance group, Pilobolus, resulted in a magnificent video resembling a kaleidoscope using humans. Dedicated to the Japan victims and their communities, the collaborative project really creates a message of hope.
While the application of creativity is obvious when it comes to technologies and products newly entering into the public circuit, it is just as important in the nonprofit world and in addressing social justice issues facing the world. TOMS Shoes has treated and prevented foot disease around the globe through their model of selling attractive shoes to customers with each sale resulting in a donated pair to a child in a developing country. Locally, Little Man Ice Cream donates a scoop of rice towards world hunger for every scoop of ice cream that they sell. Engaging our communities in new ways to educate and generate awareness is a constant battle with creativity.
Edge of Seven is doing our part in this creative process as well. In two ways: with our projects and with our search for support. The blend of using Western knowledge with a local approach in developing countries always invokes creativity. The hostel project that was completed this past year in Salleri was a non-traditional approach to the issue of education for girls in Nepal. Our most recent building projects in Phuleli involved the earth bag construction technique which is not common but was the best approach for the community’s needs and allowed for efficient work from our team.
Securing support for our projects definitely requires a certain level of creativity. With so many worthy causes existing in the nonprofit world, finding the new effective ways to educate and entice people to join our mission is a constant process. Our Groupon campaign in September, online video campaign this fall, our inspiring documentary, etc., etc., etc., all have helped us build upon the solid foundation that has been laid. They have brought many more individuals into our circle and allowed us to grow. That is what is takes to expand and affect change. Creativity to look beyond what is the typical answer. Hope to trust that it will cause change.
In the nonprofit world, you have to be very realistic about finances. Funds are not guaranteed. It is a constant push to find the donations and available grant money to fund all the activities that you want to accomplish. And it is by no means lack of interest.
In today’s day and age, people face several challenges in making nonprofit contributions. Namely, lack of time, lack of money, and finding a preferred cause in the vast pool of charities. Another major issue that people come across is the problem of convenience. While I don’t think this is a legitimate excuse to sit back and not be involved, I don’t blame the public for this reasoning. As a society, we have made nearly everything quick and easy. The internet has placed everything at our fingertips, so that when we are asked to go out of our way to do something new or different, it seems like a major inconvenience. When we are asked to spend our income on something that doesn’t benefit us directly, it makes us seriously consider every dollar.
Now, stop and think about this.
You don’t have to change your habits. You don’t have to make a time commit. You don’t have to pay any money. AND you can help your favorite cause.
Why wouldn’t you do it?!?
That’s exactly what GoodSearch wants you to realize. As a dedication to their mother who passed away from breast cancer, brothers Ken and JJ Ramberg found the site in 2005 with the mission to “empower people to change the world with simple everyday actions that raise money for causes they care most about.”
Last week, we (Edge of Seven) joined the list of over 100,000 charities nationwide that GoodSearch users can choose from. We wanted to join in their mission to help accomplish ours.
There are three giving opportunities through the site:
GoodSearch: Use this as your search engine and your selected charity will receive about a penny for each completed search. It is powered through Yahoo!, so you are guaranteed thorough results.
GoodShop: Shop with over 2,500 retailers online and a determined percentage of your purchase will be given to the charity that you’ve selected. The percentages vary between retailers (with the average being about 3%) but is clearly noted under each. Shopping through this site is the exact same experience as shopping directly through the retail site. Participating stores include Amazon, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, etc.
GoodDining: Just added in 2011, this allows you to register your credit/debit card so that when you eat at one of the 10,000+ participating restaurants, a percentage is automatically given to the charity that you have selected.
It is a simple concept with simple actions required. We aren’t asking you to break your bank. We aren’t asking you to dedicate your precious time. We aren’t even asking you to give up your online shopping. (We have our addictions too!) We are just asking you to include Edge of Seven in your online fun. As we see it, everyone wins.
So ask yourself, why wouldn’t you do it?
Information taken from their official website GoodSearch.com.
It was a year ago today that the uprising in Egypt began. The Tunisian population had already risen up against their oppressors and ousted their president. Some Egyptian politicians were able to predict the influence that the Tunisian rebellion would have on their own country, but it was only about two and a half weeks later that their own president, Hosni Mubarak, was ousted as well. And that was only the beginning of the 2011 protests.
I don’t think anyone at the beginning of last year could have predicted the large scale uprisings that would spread like wild fire throughout the world. 2011 was the year of the protestor. 2011 was the year for global pursuit of human rights.
If you are like me, I’m still trying to grasp the enormity of what happened (and is still happening) in our world community. I don’t know all of the details of each protest in every country. There is simply too much political activism going on for me to keep up. To be honest, before 2011, I hardly kept up with the news. The world has really opened their eyes to the oppression that has been hidden or just not acknowledged around the globe.
The common theme in these communities: denial of human rights.
From Tunisia to Egypt to Bahrain to China to Mexico, the repressed populations are tired of having their basic rights, the rights that should be inherent in all human beings, stripped from them. The UN’s Declaration of Human Rights includes these in their list as the inherent for all humans:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude.
Everyone has a right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscious and religion.
Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.
Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(This is an abbreviated list. For a complete listing, please visit the UN’s Human Rights page.)
2011 was a great year for the awakening of the worldwide community to the human rights issues that exist in every corner of the globe. Now it’s time to rectify these problems. 2012 will be the year to ensure that these rights are recognized. And we are on board to help.
By Travis Hughbanks
Another quick update. We are still on schedule to have the kids move into the new school at the beginning of next month but we will still have a little work left to do in early spring. Due to weather and transportation logistics we can not porter in the wood for the exterior soffit and interior ceiling until mid February but that will not delay the school from officially moving in. The walls are currently being painted, the wood is getting its last coat of varnish, windows have glass installed, and the project site is being cleaned up. Pictures below:
Let me tell you about the weekend I just had. It started with me being bound and determined not to let the “magic” seep in. I was convinced that in my return to Disney World, I would maintain my skeptical adult view. What is such an awe-inspiring experience for a 6 year-old could not have nearly the same impact on a 25 year-old business graduate who’s seen the problems of the world. There’s no way that Disney’s magical world would make me all starry-eyed again.
Wrong. And I can tell you the exact moment when I gave in. It was the firework show.
But I can guarantee you, this was no run-of-the-mill firework show. For starters, a lit-up Tinkerbell flew (via cable) from Cinderella’s Castle over the masses of the families across the famous courtyard. A single firework shot through the sky letting us all feel the sensation of seeing a shooting star. And then as we listened to a montage of quotes/songs/etc. all about wishes and wishing and watched the fireworks that were so perfectly timed with the music, my heart melted. Damn it, Disney. You had me under your spell.
Throughout the four days that we were at the Disney Resort, I realized that their lexicon is made up almost purely of forms of the words “wish”, “dream”, and “magic”. The count went something like this:
Wish/wishes/wished/wishing = 6,846 times
Dream/dreams/dreaming = 7,918 times
Magic/Magical = 11,537 times **due to each staff member using “have a magical day” with each interaction
So needless to say, I was stuffed full of magical dreams and wishes!
However, I found that there was something quite refreshing in spending time in this fantastical world surrounded by hoards of children. This is what every child dreams of; this is what every child looks forward to. To see the profound amazement in their eyes as they spotted the castle, hugged a princess, or climb into the Dumbo ride was infectious. The joy they were experiencing definitely brightened my day.
Remember when that was you? Dreams were are simple as seeing a princess. Believing in magic and all of these characters was so easy. No questions were asked. As we grew older, that magical world was slowly stripped away. You find out Mickey and Cinderella aren’t real. You come face to face with reality and many of us become skeptical of the world and of the dreams that we’ve been told were possible. The childhood belief that anything and everything is possible doesn’t seem as likely anymore.
And then you find groups that still strongly believe in dreams and granting those dreams. Like Edge of Seven. The dreams aren’t the same as making it to Disney World and getting Goofy’s autograph. They are bigger, bolder, and life changing. Education. Health. Development. Empowerment. These are what the childhood wishes are morphed into.
We still believe in dreams and wishes. We still believe that anything is possible. We just know the work and commitment that it takes from a whole community. A whole global community. We are in the dream business and we want you to join us. It’s an amazing experience to help someone realize that potential, that dream.
Post by Travis Hughbanks (Phuleli School Project Architect)
Time for me to break down and finally write my first blog post. I had intended on writing last week, but two days after returning from the project site I got sick and spent a week confined to the apartment. It is interesting how your body can absorb so much strain, and then as soon as you give it a chance to rest it lets you know that your current pace is not sustainable. All is well now, though.
Ridge beam in place
First off, let me give a quick update on the Phuleli school. We are just over 50 days into construction and nearing completion. The earthbag walls are up and plastered, ring beam is poured, roof structure has been constructed, metal roof installed, and the concrete floor completed. Over the next couple of days the exterior soffit will be enclosed, wood paneled ceiling installed and school painted. Earthbag has been a remarkable success, and we have been very fortunate to not run into any major stumbling blocks.
When we initially arrived in Kathmandu back in October, we were still considering whether or not to build the first school in Phuleli out of earthbags. First, we thought that building the school in stone would give us an extra couple of months to get our heads around the material availability, pricing, and general logistics of earthbag construction in these remote and unfamiliar locations. But after a couple of sleepless nights and long discussions, we decided that if the village was accepting of the earthbag method we would move forward. It didn’t make any sense to travel halfway around the world to get cold feet.
At our first visit with the village School Development Committee back in October, I came in well prepared with photographs, diagrams, technical data on earthquake resistance, and 3D models, ready to give a persuasive speech to villagers steeped in tradition about why we should build their school out of bags filled with dirt, rather than with traditional stone construction. Turns out none of my documents were necessary. After a 10 minute conversation between the Committee, most of which was in Nepali, it was decided. Earthbag was in. Most of the villagers did seem pretty amused, though, that these bags they use for concrete and rice and that litter the hiking trails around their community could be used for such a purpose.
This is what the site looked like four days after my arrival in the village.
After finalizing the design over a couple of weeks in Kathmandu, we headed back to Phuleli to kick off construction. The plan was to arrive on the project site early on a Monday morning and start staking out the building foot print that afternoon. After a two day hike in, we cleared the last ridge and the bird’s eye view of the village came into sight. My heart sank a little. Only 25 percent of the site had been cleared thus far, and what looked to be piles of dirt in the distance were actually four very large veins of solid rock that had been unearthed and were slowly being chipped away by hammer and chisel. Ram, the project lead from The Small World, simply looked at me, shrugged, and said, “Ke garne?” This roughly translates to mean, “What can you do?”
Ram, who has played a major role in the success of the project to date, has a very calm disposition and the ability to defuse almost any situation with a single comment. Where I was stressing out about the gravel pieces being too large, he always maintained the “can-do” Nepali confidence and smile. We spent most of the project joined at the hip and became fast friends. We balance each other out well.
One week of back-breaking work later, we had cleared the majority of the site and the volunteers had arrived. With 14 western volunteers and an equal number of Nepali workers we made quick work and were on to building the foundation and filling our first earthbags sooner than expected. It was a great example of how logical earthbag construction is. When you level a site, you are left with large piles of stone and dirt. The stone is used for the building foundation, the dirt for the walls. The materials are right there and no effort is wasted. It makes so much sense.
2 Spools of barbed wire equals 175 lbs. Portered 15 miles through the mountains. Our strongest volunteer collapsed after two steps in an attempt to carry this. Photo by Rachael Weaver
After a couple of days of hauling and stacking the 18″x30″ bags full of gravel and filtered dirt the volunteers were getting a little tired. I am not sure how much the individual bags weighed, but they were very heavy and we needed to haul and stack over 2000 of them. This is where the legendary strength of the Nepalese people did not disappoint. While the volunteers devised a stretcher that allowed two people to carry an individual bag from dirt pile to the school, barefoot Nepali teenagers, girls and boys, walked right beside them with a full bag on their shoulders. It was amazing.
In no time we had completed the walls and poured the concrete ring beam. Cold weather was slowing the curing of the ring beam so we opted to start the plastering before we started the roof. A risky decision because any rain would wash away plaster that had not had time to set.
On the first day of plastering it was a balmy 42 degree morning, which is not a good start for plastering. As we prepared the first batch of plaster for the scratch coat (first coat to fill the holes between the bags), I was assuring Ram and the workers that the plaster would have no problem sticking to the smooth surface of the polypropylene bags. Ram grabbed a pan, filled it with plaster, and, with a trowel in hand, walked over to the glossy white wall. With one flick of his wrist we knew we had a problem. The plaster flew off the trowel, hit the wall and bounced right off. Time and time again plaster flew through the air and ended with a thud on the ground.
Ram's millet porridge experiment
We tried a wetter mixture, a different ratio of sand to cement, hand applying the plaster, but nothing worked. We considered all the potential culprits. The bags did seem slicker than bags I had used before in Texas. The temperature was definitely a little cold and that could be the problem. There were countless possibilities. An hour after dark we decided to call it a night and sleep on it. After a restless night I decided to head to the project site early to test out a couple new ideas. I arrived at 7:00 a.m. to find Ram painting a small portion of the bags with a brown paste. Apparently, he could not sleep either. He explained that late last night he had an epiphany to paste millet porridge, his standard morning breakfast, on the bags to give them some texture. Nepali ingenuity. It was a brilliant solution, and at that moment I knew there was no problem that could arise that we would not be able to solve. By the end of the day we had a 40-foot section of wall plastered and it was holding strong – no millet porridge necessary.
One week later the walls were plastered, the roof was up and I was back in Kathmandu. Within a couple of days the school will be 99% complete. The students plan to move in at the beginning of February, and we will now start the transition to the next project site in Basa.
Throughout this process, much has been learned and much confidence has been gained. We are no longer asking can/should we build with earthbag, but now asking what is a more efficient way to build with earthbag.
Before signing off I wanted to give a big thank you to the Boston and Austin chapters of Architecture for Humanity for all of their help researching, fundraising, building mock-ups and aiding in the design process for the Phuleli school.
That is it for now. Below is a slide show of some images from the project site.
Today I opened the mailbox to find a letter from Nepal. The letter was from my 16-year-old host sister, the daughter of the family that so kindly took us in during Edge of Seven’s recent volunteer trip to Phuleli. Just seeing the envelope brought back such fond memories of our visit.
Rada and Krishna are the Nepali names given to us upon our arrival in Nepal
My husband (Ben Stanley) and I, along with Edge of Seven’s Board Chair (Sarah Andrews) and Edge of Seven’s Architect (Travis Hughbanks), stayed with the Principal of the Phuleli Secondary School and his amazing family. They treated us like family, shared the stories of their lives, and laughed with us over many cups of “dudh chia” or milk tea.
Sarala, one of three children in the family, spoke English quite well and promised to write. To me, her letter is a reminder of just how “real” a volunteer experience can be. And how, in just a short amount of time, it is possible to make connections with people whose lives are so similar and yet so strikingly different from your own.
Sarala is a very bright student with a love for nature and the arts. Stay tuned for her story in an upcoming interview.
It’s the year end. Time when everyone reflects on the highs and lows of last 365 days. Time to assess if our goals were met, our missions accomplished.
Personally, 2011 has been a great year. I’ve found a new home in Denver. My life has been filled with new friends, new opportunities, new loves, new goals. 2011, a year filled with little hiccups along the way, but ultimately, some amazing additions to my very blessed life.
One of these additions that I am most jazzed about is Edge of Seven. What started as such a random encounter has turned into such a brilliant light in my life. The organization, the people involved, the set mission, the projects accomplished and proposed, the dedication and perseverance, the growth…it is all simply wonderful. From a selfish standpoint, I love the growth and development that I have experienced through this group. From a non-selfish standpoint, I love the opportunity and confidence that we have allowed girls and communities in developing countries to gain.
The support that we have found over the past year has been so motivating. As a young group, we have questioned the best ways to reach out to the public and share our mission with everyone. We have been stunned. The response that we have received from family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers has been outstanding. The fact that so many people, who have not visited Nepal, who have not stepped foot in these communities, who have not met these girls, can show such a concern for their well-being is beautiful!
Here is what our team has been able to accomplish this year will all the support:
Contributed $70,000 to complete three infrastructure projects in rural Nepal. EVERY project we invest in is carried out in partnership with the local community or a local NGO to ensure that projects result from direct community needs and are executed in the most appropriate and sustainable way possible.
Placed thirty-one volunteers on projects in Nepal, India, Thailand and Cambodia. Volunteers return home more knowledgeable about the issues facing our partnering communities.
Produced a short documentary film exposing the barriers to education that girls face in rural Nepal. Together with the Peaks Foundation, we raised $12,000 in support of the film.
Finished construction on the Salleri Girls Hostel, which provides 40 girls from across the Everest Region housing as they attend higher secondary school. This project was completed in partnership with Edge of Seven’s implementing partner, The Small World.
Brought water to the remote village of Purdu, Nepal by building 2 tanks, 8 community water taps, and 3 kilometers of piping.
Began construction on the Phuleli Secondary School for classes 7 and 8. Construction will be complete in early 2012 and 80 students will move in during the first part of the year.
Built relationships with 6 local chapters of Architecture for Humanity and utilized chapter design support for the ongoing Phuleli project and upcoming Basa Higher Secondary School.
Completed the finishing touches of an Elementary School in Jarang, Nepal. The school will offer a quality education to 60 students. (The bulk of construction on this project took place in 2010, but we finished up a few final pieces in 2011).
Held 6 fundraisers across the U.S. increasing awareness and support for our projects.
Compiled a team of 10 runners to support Edge of Seven in the Denver Rock and Roll Marathon.
Raised over $50,000 to support women in rural Nepal through an innovative video campaign called the Pocket Change Revolution.
Conducted an earthbag demonstration as a part of the Smithsonian Sponsored Exhibit Design for the Other 90.
Hired 1 full-time Program Director, a part-time Development Director and a Lead Designer on the Solukhumbu Development Project.
Developed a strong base of volunteer supporters across the United States and abroad who continue to give their time and resources to raise awareness about Edge of Seven and our mission.
We are SO grateful—grateful for the amount we’ve been able to grow and learn in just 2 years of operation. Grateful for our return volunteers, our donors, our partners (especially The Small World), our advocates and, most importantly, the communities where we work. And with two days left in the year, we just want to say THANK YOU! To everyone, for everything. 2011 has been a great journey.
