The Asha Project to Raise Funds for Mobile Medical Clinic in Nepal

The Montclair Rotary Club is hosting a presentation by Tulsi Maharjan, Ph.D., Rotary Past District Governor and Foundation Committee member of the District 7475, on Tuesday, September 10.  Mr. Maharjan will discuss a fundraising effort to bring a mobile medical and wellness clinic to remote communities in Nepal.

The Rotary meets weekly at the Greek Taverna restaurant, located at 292 Bloomfield Avenue near the intersection with Gates Ave. Guest are welcome and the meeting begins at 12:15 p.m. and runs until 1:30 p.m.  The cost is $20 and includes a lunch, beverage and dessert.

Mr. Maharjan is talking about The Asha Project. In Nepalese, Asha means HOPE. As the chairman of the project and founder of Friends of Nepal -- New Jersey, Dr. Maharjan has spent the last three decades actively involved in aid efforts in this mountainous, Asian country. He has used Rotary International Foundation’s matching grants for water purification facilities, computers for schools, $100,000 micro-credit loans for women empowerment, libraries, health clinics and environmental projects.

"When we went to Nepal in 2016, following the devastating earthquake,” Mr. Maharjan said. “We were focused on building houses. Heck, we had named our organization Homes of Hope Nepal to reflect this desire. However, we saw that a house was only the beginning. Rebuilding a house only returned people to where they were before the earthquake. What we wanted was to instill a sense of hope for the future so we created The Asha Project." 

Mr. Maharjan is visiting Rotary clubs, civic groups and communities to build awareness about Nepal huge need for community-based healthcare. One of the first steps to making medical care available in villages is raise funds and purchase a mobile health clinic.

For background information about The Asha Project, visit the website: https://theashaproject.org/.