Maya Universe Academy
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Surya
Karki
Maya Universe Academy
, GA, Tanahun Sur, Jaipate and Chisapani
, SA, Tanahun Sur, Jaipate and Chisapani
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
People across the world have responded to unfair and oppressive regimes, either by picking up arms to rebel against the regime or by putting up a slogan on a piece of paper and walking down the road to seek change. We tend to move past these choices and bring an alternative on the table.You can only change the things that you perceive are wrong by stepping on the ground and doing a better job of being the change that you want to see.
We resolved to challenge the government by showing that the quality of education provided to children, especially in rural areas of Nepal, is abysmal and that we can do better with little or no resources. It was then in 2011 we established our first classes and farms literally from inside a tent.
Sustainable Agriculture, Smallholder Farmers, Supply Chain Micro-entrepreneurs.
Rural communities of Nepal, small scale farmers, underprivileged kids and youth are our customers. Our recipients have been overlooked by the government, international development agencies and non governmental organizations due to which migration has increased.
The introduction of Maya Universe Academy in the local communities has allowed farmers to educate their children by becoming parent volunteers, bartering their time for knowledge. MUA educates and trains farmers, and creates employment.
More than 1,200 farmers have benefitted from Maya Farm vocational training program. 253 farmers currently benefit from the small scale loans provided by MUA. In the first year we started with 45 students. Currently there are 142 children aged 4-14 receiving free education who otherwise would have been overlooked. We currently provide employment to 17 young professionals. Many Nepali youth have found their way to MUA to carry out projects, help in the national development, and receive professional experience through internships and volunteering work.
Maya Universe Academy has a vision for one school one Maya farm in each of the 75 districts in Nepal by 2020. While we will be increase our student body by 15 per year per school, we also have an aim to facilitate vocational training to at least 400 farmers every year. We will provide small scale loans to 120 farmers every year from 2013.
By August of 2014 we will bring into operation the fourth MUA campus and Maya Farm in Rautahat, which is considered to be the most illiterate & dangerous districts of Nepal, with 20 students. We have already talked to the community members of Rautahat who have agreed to support MUA fully with providing us land for our farms. We will initially provide training to 80 farmers. Also by September of 2014, on a 15 acre land we will start "the cheapest boarding school in Nepal".
Each year student body will increase by 15 per campus, and small scale loan receivers by 120 farmers. We hope to sustain every school with its school farm production by 2018. In ten years our first batch, the third-graders, will have been graduates for two years.
The community,parents and fertile land are our resources. We have 142 parents working 2 days a month, which is 284 a month. In 2013 we acquired 15 acres of land in Udayapur to house kids from far away to attend MUA. Our investment in acres:11 of Cardamom,4 of organic coffee,2 of oranges,1 of banana & pineapple,250 indigenous chickens,17 pigs,MUA Bracelet & briquette production unit. In 2012 we generated $12000 & we expect to increase in 2013.
Prior to MUA, during his time as a high school student I had been involved with several student led projects, and had fundraising experience. I started “Educating Nepal”, established a library in Bhojpur district of Nepal, and was a volunteer coordinator for “Minimally Invasive Education Nepal”. During my associate degree education in agriculture in Venezuela I worked as a consultant to a farm in Ecuador and led the school student council.