Peace Corps will return to Nepal in 2012

[Paul Johnson]

We heard some great news last week - Peace Corps will return to Nepal
in 2012! The new Country Director will be in country in January and
the first batch of volunteers, a small group of 10-20 agricultural and
health (most likely), is expected in June 2012. We have waited a long
time for this and I am sure the persistence of our RPCV-Nepal
community helped facilitate this long re-opening process. I'll pass on
more information in the coming weeks. Very exciting!

The latest Friends of Nepal Newsletter is available on our website
(December 2011). In this edition you will see an update on our Legacy
Project - setting up a wireless network in 2 villages north of
Pokhara. The project has been hugely successful and is nearing
completion. The timing could not be better. Our idea was to support a
project that would mark the Peace Corps' 50 year anniversary and would
serve as a legacy for all the PCVs who have served in Nepal. Our goal
was to raise $17,500 and at this time we have raised $15,000 in less
than a year. I am very proud of our community for accomplishing this,
and I am hopeful with your help in the next month we can reach our
goal.

Are you interested in getting more involved in Friends of Nepal in
2012? We are looking for a few volunteers to serve on our Grants
Committee. This group manages our small-grants program and over the
next year will see somewhat of an overhall as we re-configure to once
again partner with PCVs. If interested please contact Val Stori
(vals...@yahoo.com) for more information.

Aaron Rome
President, Friends of Nepal
<in...@friendsofnepal.com>