While trekking to Everest Base Camp in April 2006 with two fellow Australians along with Prem Khatri as the Nepalese trekking guide, Alan was moved by what he witness along the route. The struggle and the hardship that the Nepalese children had to endure was stoically hidden behind their smiles. He realized how privileged the Australian children were, with modern facilities, quality education and a system otherwise taken for granted. What he saw in Nepal motivated him to make a difference in this small nation.
Allan established that there was an immediate need for school renovations along with many other basic requirements. With the support of individuals based in Sydney, Pymble Public School and other institutions, he raised the funds for the renovation work of Bhairabi School, located in Arupokhari Village of Gorkha, northern Nepal. By raising funds from selling dog bones and donating sausages through his butcher store Eastern Road Quality Meats (Sydney, Australia) to school fundraisers, Allan has made a remarkable contribution in helping uplift the welfare of the entire Arupokhari village. With his support we have been able to employ local people in repairing the old buildings. New wooden support frames were added to ensure the roof's stability and safety. Desks and lockers were also bought as children previously had to sit on the floor. The achievements from his initial contribution strengthened his resolve to support the remote village to improve the locals' quality of life.
He remains in contact with many schools and institutions in Sydney as he aims much higher to establish Bhairabi Primary School as an exemplary one in Gorkha. Allan plans to extend his support to more schools besdies sponsoring deserving girls from Arupokhari for medical education in Kathmandu.
Sambhav Nepal
