During our 2009 Nepal mission, we met a young lady in Thulo Bensi who worked in the small tea lodge where our team stayed. She was a very bright, articulate young lady that later expressed an interest in attending nursing school, to then return to her village to be the sole medical provider for the region. When we returned for our 2010 Nepal mission, we interviewed her and and offered her an MOA scholarship that required that she successfully complete her nursing program and return to Thulo Bensi and work there for at least 3 years.To our delight, she did very well on her entrance exams and is now completing her 2nd year of nursing school and is doing exceptionally well with her studies. We are very proud of her efforts and happy that we could offer her an opportunity that otherwise would not have been available to her.
We feel very strongly that a dollar spent on education, whether for an individual or a community, will frequently yield a much greater benefit than the same money spent on medication. Many of the illnesses that we see in undeveloped countries are the result of inadequate education regarding sanitation and contaminated water supplies. Without proper education, the medical treatment of these ailments will only result in a temporary improvement that will relapse once the medical treatment ceases. It is our hope and expectation that educating just this one young lady will improve the lives of many!