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Los Angeles, September 2008 — The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) is donating US$250,000 to build and maintain a sustainable "Food for People" facility in the impoverished Tasarpu village in Nepal's mountainous Dhading region. The Tasarpu center will provide nutritious hot meals year-round to approximately 500 children. Premsagar Foundation Nepal, a charity seeking to relieve Nepal's poor after a ten-year period of political instability, will spearhead the project.
The launch of Food for People in Tasarpu will help the Premsagar Foundation Nepal in its goal of improving the community’s educational and economic growth, according to Dornath Neupane, General Secretary of Premsagar Foundation Nepal. Addressing the food needs of underprivileged children of low- and moderate-income residents of Tasarpu village, says Neupane, will "provide them with the opportunity to get back into mainstream society by uplifting their well-being." Organizers expect that school attendance will rise significantly, especially among the girls.
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The mountainous landscape and cold climate of Tasarpu make it difficult to grow adequate crops, and over 80% of Tasarpu's residents cannot produce enough food to sustain themselves throughout the year. With little education or opportunity to advance, many resort to hard labor for private construction contractors who often disappear upon completion of projects, leaving their workers empty-handed.
The Food for People model of sustainable giving has already proven effective in reversing the poverty conditions of Bantoli, a village in Jharkhand, India, where the program is now in its third year of operation.
"The regular meals provided by Food for People in Bantoli have had a dramatic impact on the community, allowing children to return to their studies and adults to regain their economic viability," says TPRF President Linda Pascotto. "We hope that this model for a sustainable, creative solution that respects local customs and individual dignity will prove equally beneficial in Nepal."
About The Prem Rawat Foundation
The Prem Rawat Foundation was created in 2001 by Prem Rawat, known also as Maharaji, and has a dual mission of bringing his message of peace to people around the world and providing essential humanitarian aid to those in need. TPRF partners with other humanitarian organizations to bring food, water and rapid disaster relief where it is most needed. To learn more about TPRF’s humanitarian initiatives, Prem Rawat and his message of peace, please visit www.tprf.org.
