A simple technology is transforming lives and saving nature in Nepal, one of the world’s poorest countries.

This tiny Himalayan nation is famed for the world’s highest peak and abundant wildlife. It is also known for its grinding poverty where many families like the Mahatos eke out a living. In a rural village on the edge of a forest live a family you will come to know well: Buddhi Ram Mahato, his wife Chanar, son Dambar, and daughter Chanda.

I am proud that Nepal has eight of the Earth’s tallest peaks including Mount Everest, which towers at over 29,000 feet! Thousands of tourists come to Nepal each year to experience adventure and enjoy the beauty of our country.

While most Nepalis are Hindus, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism are also freely practiced here. In fact, Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, which is a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists today.

Nepal has many rich and unique cultures. We often describe ourselves as a garden of different castes and ethnicities who celebrate our history and spirit through art, literature, music, folklore, food and festivals.

Nature is close to the heart of Nepalis. In many cases, it thrives in our backyards. My village is on the edge of Chitwan National Park, which is home to some of the world’s rarest and most iconic species: tigers, rhinos, and elephants.

Most people in Nepal rely on agriculture to earn their living. I work on a small plot of land in Kumrose that provides us with just enough food for my family. Some days there’s simply not enough to go around and hunger creeps in.

Poverty is a daily reality in Kumrose. Many people in our village live on less than a dollar a day. Our thatched mud house does not have electricity or water, making daily chores like cooking an arduous task. We risk encountering tigers when we forage for firewood in the forest.

The Mahatos, like 60 percent of Nepal, rely on wood to cook their meals. They spent hours foraging for wood in nearby forests, risking attack from predators like wild tigers. At home, the wood fires produced more smoke than heat, causing serious respiratory illnesses. Slowly but surely, the forest is literally going up in smoke.

We can change that.

World Wildlife Fund’s biogas program is already putting biogas cookstoves within reach of these families. This affordable and highly effective technology turns animal and human waste into a far better alternative to wood.

And now Power the World is teaming up with WWF up on an ambitious challenge—bring biogas to an entire village, roughly 150 households, to create a real transformation.

Will you join us?

Your donation will save nature + reduce carbon emissions + improve health + decrease poverty

[social_share/]

TRADEMARK NOTICE:
The panda device and WWF are registered trademarks.

All rights reserved by World Wildlife Fund, Inc.