Giving Tuesday is a global movement that strives to connect everyone to the transformative act of giving. It is a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world”. Contrasting the idea of Black Friday, a global event based on consumption, Giving Tuesday stresses the concept of giving back, an idea that is often overlooked or neglected in our day-to-day lives. Despite its brief history, starting in 2012 in the United States, Giving Tuesday has become one of the biggest events in the non-profit sector. It is a collaborative initiative in which there is no specific ownership but only that of the collective effort of its partners and organizations participating.

On Tuesday, November 29, Education Nepal will take the opportunity provided by Giving Tuesday to bring in together everyone that is a part of the Education Nepal community, in whatever form this may be. On this day, Education Nepal will host a digital event in which everyone will have the chance to listen and interact with some of our members as well as some special attendees. Education Nepal will take this opportunity not only to express our gratitude towards the Education Nepal community but also to present everyone with our ideals, progress, and new projects.

Although it is not only on Giving Tuesday that we should all take conscience of what is happening around us and what actions we can take to improve it. The virtual event will feature Build up Nepal, the local partner organization in charge of setting up and carrying out the different projects to which Education Nepal, owing to the contribution of our donors and sponsors, has had the pleasure to contribute. You will also hear one of our sponsors, Wilhelm Vintilescu, speak about being a sponsor and how to create value through donations and support. From the Education Nepal Team, we will take this opportunity to present our new collaborative project with Build Up Nepal; rebuilding the Sahara Bal Bikash Kendra School. Stressing the importance of quality and safe education for everyone, regardless of sex, gender, class etc; this new project strives to provide this school, located in the Village of Dumpling in Dhading, with 4 to 5 new classrooms where the students can learn comfortably and teachers can teach without worrying about their safety. 

Giving in whichever way possible can have an immense impact. Giving Tuesday will be a chance to come into close contact with the organization as well as with Build up Nepal and some of our major donors, which Education Nepal will have the pleasure to host in order to better understand and experience first-hand the impact the acts of giving, and caring can have.

Wilhelm Vintilescu has been a sponsor of Education Nepal since the beginning, supporting our projects financially and participating in various events and campaigns throughout the years. As Education Nepal turned six years, he extended his sponsorship and donated
20 000 SEK to the organization. We met with Wilhelm to talk about what we have accomplished in the past, what the future has to bring, and why he has chosen to support our work.

Education Nepal started as a response to the devastating earthquake that shook the country in April 2015. Our founders Nicole Ruda and Elsa Risby had earlier spent time in the district of Lamjung as a part of a high school project in cooperation with Save the Children and the local organization Women Self Help Center. After returning to Sweden, they heard about the severe impact the earthquake had on the people, buildings and infrastructure in the area. The need for support to reconstruct what had been damaged during the earthquake led to the establishment of Education Nepal, aiming to support safe and adequate education for the children in Lamjung. In partnership with the local social business Build Up Nepal, we supported the construction of five new earthquake-resistant classrooms at Alaiche Kedar Primary School – all built by local engineers and villagers.

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We asked what motivated Wilhelm to support Back 2 school

“The earthquake in Nepal was devastating, impacting all of society. Children are especially affected by natural disasters like earthquakes, and I think that it is important that we all do what we can to ensure safe education for children all over the world. Education is a driver of society. Education Nepal’s mission to support a severely damaged school with new classrooms aligned with my values, and there was no doubt that I wanted to support this project”, he responds. 

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Wilhelm Vintilescu

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On May 29th in 2019, the new classrooms were inaugurated. Teachers, students, parents and construction workers joined together to celebrate a new beginning. Machinery used for the construction – such as the press for earth bricks – was donated to local entrepreneurs to support further re-construction in the area. Today, Education Nepal works to support the school with new furniture and a playground through the project Back 2 School.

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As the work to support primary education continues, the scope of our mission has expanded

The Women’s Enterprise Initiative project focuses on financially supporting the education and training of future women entrepreneurs within the area of construction. We asked Wilhelm for his thoughts on the expanded focus area.  

“I was very happy to hear about this new focus area. I know that all of Education Nepal’s projects and campaigns have been based on local requests and knowledge, and this is an important factor for me when I choose which organizations to support. I know that my donation will go to what it is intended to and that it will have a multiplying effect on society. Women are often the ones holding the households together, especially in countries with a high number of migrant workers. By supporting women with educational opportunities in construction and entrepreneurship, new opportunities emerge within the whole society. New safe buildings are constructed, gender barriers are dismantled, job opportunities created, role models are supported – the multiplying impacts of this projects are so many, and it makes me very happy to support it”, he says. 

Our work has been possible throughout the years thanks to the support of our sponsors and individuals like Wilhelm. Together we have made a difference and will continue to work on increasing and improving educational opportunities in Nepal.

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Do you want to support our work?

By donating or becoming a sponsor, you are a part of building stronger communities in Nepal. You are a part of making sure that the students of Alaiche Kedar Primary School have a safe, comfortable, and fun learning environment, and that more women like Kopila and Sangita can get the support needed to start and run their businesses. Your support is needed to make this happen. 

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We are happy to share the news that the Women’s Enterprise Initiative has helped two women start their education and training in earthquake-resistant construction.

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Due to the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, the needs of the communities we serve changed, and the structure of the Women’s Enterprise Initiative had to be adjusted accordingly. Instead of supporting one woman with a larger sum, we are now allocating smaller sums among more women. And thanks to this change, two women have been able to start their training and education in earthquake-resistant construction and entrepreneurship! They have made some amazing progress that we would like to share with you. 

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Kopila Magar (Chitwan, Nepal) 

Kopila is a driven young woman who has previously worked in farming. Following the floodings in Chitwan, she saw an increased need for buildings that can withstand natural disasters and decided to start her own construction business through the Women’s Enterprise Initiative. According to Kopila, the process has been tough, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, but she is motivated and hopeful for the future and her business.  

So far, Kopila has

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Kopila Magar (photo by Build Up Nepal)

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Sangita Shrestha (Nawalparasi, Nepal) 

Sangita also has a background in farming, she but decided to learn about earthquake-resistant construction, and has now started her own business. According to Sangita herself, the pandemic has been tough, but she is still very hopeful for the future of her construction business and continues to power through the difficult times.

So far, Sangita has

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Sangita Shrestha (photo by Build Up Nepal)

We are proud beyond words. Kopila and Sangita’s incredible progress has been possible thanks to the donations and support from individuals, sponsors and partners. This goes to show that you can make a difference, and together we can empower more women to start and build their own businesses.

Do you want to contribute to a stronger and brighter future for women and their communities in Nepal? Show your support by donating here.

According to a report carried out by UNESCO in 2018, only 59.72% of women aged 15 and above are literate, compared to 78.59% of men. Literacy is essential for the achievement of individual independence in society. Providing political, social, and economic empowerment. Literacy allows individuals to make their own informed life choices. 

The link between Education and Development as well as prosperity is one that is globally understood. Nevertheless, the education of women in many societies has been often overlooked. With their roles, defined by long-standing patriarchal societies, women have been relegated to housework, harvesting, et;  and importance to women’s education has been neglected, especially in their adult lives. In a male-dominated society, such as Nepal’s, the focus and enhancement of women’s education can be the key to achieving gender equality. The UNESCO has recognized this and has, as a consequence, set gender equality in education as an indispensable national goal.

But what would this achievement entail?

It can be said that the key to a developed and prosperous society is education, it allows for people to choose, to think, and to question many given things. It provides diverse skills that in the future will allow people to make decisions about their life. In societies where women play the principal caregiver role, in households and societies, education would also entail possessing better, critical, organizing skills. Nepal’s society has been harmed both by devastating earthquakes and the phenomenon of men leaving the country or villages in search of better job opportunities, as the country is facing severe poverty. Women are left with the sole responsibility for their families and villages. With education, women could carry out these roles with independence, with the consciousness of the needs of the people, and with the necessary information and tools to make decisions. 

Education provides choices, and for those who do not have a choice, it provides knowledge, skills, and independence. Most importantly, being informed and educated makes you aware of the rights that you may possess. In many societies, either because of religion or different cultural beliefs, the individual realisation of possession of rights has been shadowed by the roles people are supposed to play in society, women specifically. In Nepalese society, religious beliefs may shadow the women’s awareness that they have their own rights as provided by the government. 

The right to education is a right on its own, and no justification should be needed in order for anyone to get a decent education. 

Education for adults for example can come in different forms, for example training courses or formation courses in different roles the society may need. In Nepal, for example, as it has been highlighted by Education Nepal’s Women’s Enterprise Initiative, construction knowledge is very much needed in this society that has been rampaged by earthquakes. Education on different construction techniques, sustainable products, etc. is needed in order to provide basic human rights in different communities. 

Photo by Build Up Nepal

Education Nepal understands the importance of Gender Equality in Education, that is why we created the Women’s Enterprise Initiative (WEI), a project in collaboration with Build Up Nepal. whose main objective is to provide women in Nepal the education they need to start their own construction business. As of today thanks to our WEI project two women have already started their own construction businesses, created 10 new job opportunities in total and built one house each.

Become a monthly donor or donate to the WEI initiative to make sure that more women can bring change to their communities.

By Laura Torres Munar

As covid-19 continued to challenge the world and Nepali society, projects led by our on-site partners remained on hold for the majority of 2021. However, these projects took off again a couple of weeks ago, and we are excited to see what the coming year has to bring. Although events and more interactive campaigns were pushed back due to the pandemic, we saw it as an opportunity to reshape strategies and goals – and we hope to be able to make a reality out of fundraisers that have been put on hold this year.” – Nicole Ruda, president and founder

This year has been tough for many, us included. Many of our activities and projects have been put on hold, and more importantly, the communities that we work to serve have been strongly affected by the pandemic, the nationwide lockdowns and school closures. The disruption of several years of economic, social, and educational progress and development has caused a tremendous setback for communities in rural Nepal.

Photo by Build Up Nepal

To keep going, we relied on the belief that our work matters – more now than ever. Because it is in the darkest times that we must continue to work together to create a better and stronger future for the communities we serve. That’s why, this year, we took the time to really focus on planning and creating new and more ways to fulfill our mission. As a result, we welcomed new members to our team, whose contributions have meant a lot, and we launched a new monthly donations program as well as new products in our webshop. 

For the upcoming holidays, we want to encourage you to show your support, get involved, and make a difference. Here are two ways to do it.

Remember that, most important of all, giving women the empowerment to rebuild their communities, and the students of Alaiche Kedar Primary School a safe learning environment, is a beautiful gift in itself.

Happy holidays!

It’s Giving Tuesday, and we at Education Nepal have decided to celebrate it by introducing monthly donations as a way for you to support our projects long-term.

By supporting our work, you contribute to thriving communities. We believe that education and sustainable development are crucial for prosperous communities, and our work is driven by the belief that the best insights into issues and areas of development are communities themselves. This is why we partner with local organizations working on the ground to provide training and opportunities within construction projects. 

When becoming a monthly donor, you have the freedom to choose which project you want your donation to go to. Visit our webpage to read more about our projects Back 2 School and Women’s Enterprise Initiative. As a monthly donor, you will be able to follow the progress by receiving newsletters from us regularly. How much and how long you choose to support our work is up to you. By setting up automatic payments or transfers, you control how much and how often you donate. If you wish to stop your monthly donations, you can cancel the automatic payments or transfers yourself at any time.

All of your donations will contribute to safer environments for students at Alache Kedar Primary School and help us equip future female entrepreneurs with training in earthquake-resistant construction, resulting in safer and stronger communities. Read more about how to become a monthly donor here, or send us a request at info@educationnepal.org for more information.

Together, let’s celebrate Giving Tuesday! We encourage you to spread the word about the importance of this day, and we would be honored to have you on-board as a monthly donor. Your support is the foundation of our work and projects. Sign up as a monthly donor to make an impact that lasts and builds a better future for many!

After a high peak of COVID-19 cases in Nepal in May and June, we have seen the number of reported cases dropping since then. As of September of this year, according to a World Health Organization report, Nepal has received over 17 million doses of vaccine, and vaccination campaigns are currently being carried out nationwide. Although the situation is still dire, we are hopeful for a strong recovery from the pandemic. 

Last year we managed to hit a huge milestone in the Women’s Enterprise Initiative project – we raised enough funds to support our first of three women in her education and training in earthquake resistant construction! This was despite our and our partner organization’s work having been slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And thanks to a successful fundraising campaign and incredibly generous and dedicated individual donors and sponsors, we were able to reach our first goal for the Women’s Enterprise Initiative project. 

Eventually, due to the pandemic, our partner organization’s work arranging the educational program for women in Nepal was temporarily halted. Now that things are starting to pick up again for them, we are waiting to send them the money we raised together for the project as soon as the program is fully resumed. 

In the meantime, we don’t want to let the current situation stop us from continuing on our mission to provide a safe and quality education through our projects. That’s why we are now working hard backstage on some exciting plans for the rest of the year. As you may know, Giving Tuesday and Christmas are occurring in the coming months, and we could not be more excited! This year, we want to focus on helping you give love and support to others as much as you do to our organization. Are you excited?

Photo by Rashik Maharjan – Stock Photography Nepal

Image from our first visit to Nepal

In the fall of 2012, during my senior year of high school, I was in the district of Lamjung, Nepal, together with two classmates and representatives from the Women Self Help Center. The trip was a part of a school project together with Save the Children, Sundsvall, and we visited 10 schools in the district during our three weeks there. I remember spending a lot of time on the small roads between different villages, sitting on buses or waiting on the next that would take us along the “dancing roads”. If you have ever been on a bus going along a small dirt road between villages in the mountains, then you will know what I mean. There is a reason why they’re called the “dancing roads”.

Back in Sweden we took every opportunity to share our experience with others, but eventually the project finished and life went on. We graduated in the spring and our visit to Nepal felt far away. Sure, we talked about somehow continuing the project, but life happened.

Image from Sundsvalls Tidning

About three years after the project, we learned that a devastating earthquake, followed by several aftershocks, had hit Nepal. The mountainous area we had visited, Lamjung, is located just a few kilometers from the epicenter, and many of the villages we had visited were greatly affected. Our friends and colleagues in Lamjung described to us destroyed houses and roads, and families with no homes left. Many of the students we met during our visit would no longer have a school to go to the next day.

Every single thought, idea and dream we had developed during all those hours along the dancing roads three years earlier came rushing back. The idea of Education Nepal had been with us for a long time, and within a few weeks, we decided to make it a reality. On February 25th 2016, we received the official proof of registration.

Since then, we have together provided Alaiche Kedar Primary School with five new classrooms; contributed to local entrepreneurs and villagers have been educated in earthquake resistant technology; financed several educational opportunities about menstrual health and hygiene; and sponsored a female entrepreneur’s education in construction and entrepreneurship.

I would like to express sincere gratitude to all of our sponsors. Thank you to Peritas AB, our very first sponsor, for believing in our ability to make our idea into reality. Thank you to Bergafjärden Invest, Christian Beijer, Ole Lynggaard, Facio, Blickst, Valmet, Hannah Vestberg Design and Ramirent. Thank you to Nordea, Bilhallen, and last but not least, Wilhelm Vintilescu.

This wouldn’t have been possible without you, and we look forward to seeing what else we can accomplish together in the coming five years.

Nicole Ruda, Founder/President

We are already more than a week into December, and Christmas is sneaking up on us. Although it’s one of the most hectic seasons of the year for many, it’s also filled with reflection, positive spirit and giving. So this Christmas we decided to dedicate to our Back 2 School project! Throughout the month of December, all donations we receive go directly to classroom furniture and the construction of a playground at Alaiche Kedar Primary School.

Reflection: This year’s highlights

2020 has without a doubt been a challenging year. Nepal imposed nationwide school closures in March, which lessened the access to education among children in the rural areas and low-income households. Despite saddened by these unfortunate circumstances, it hasn’t stopped us at Education Nepal from working hard to fulfill our mission. This year we kicked off our projects Back 2 School and Women’s Enterprise Initiative, and our efforts have been fully focused on those. Some of our team members have shared some personal insight on the year. 

“This year has been tough, but we just wrapped up Step Out For Women last month, which turned out to be a huge success. It was the biggest fundraiser we’ve had so far for the Women’s Enterprise Initiative”, says Dianne, vice president and project leader for Women’s Enterprise Initiative. “The engagement we saw from our participants was amazing and really motivating. And the fact that it raised enough money to fund the education and training of one woman is just fantastic!”

Our president and project coordinator Nicole added that one of the biggest highlights to her was the start of the fundraiser The Joy of Learning. “We received many beautiful stories from people of all ages and backgrounds and it was just so inspiring to see and read all of them. The project really reflects the organization so well, being so culturally diverse. Since the Back 2 School project is raising funds for new furniture and a playground at Alaiche Kedar Primary School, I’m really excited to get the ball rolling on that project.”

We’ve had a great start to our projects, but a long journey lies ahead of us. Nonetheless, we are really excited to achieve our goals in the coming year.

Positive spirit: The year to come

Education Nepal has grown during the year. With a bigger team, we hope to achieve greater accomplishments in the coming year. We will continue to focus our work on Back 2 School and Women’s Enterprise Initiative through fundraisers. We look forward to publishing the The Joy of Learning book and for it to go on sale. In addition, we will also have new fundraising events for donors to participate in while supporting our work. Of course, we will keep raising awareness about the importance of education and its accessibility to women and children in Nepal.

Are you ready to join us in our mission?

Giving: What you can do for children in Nepal this Christmas

If you’re looking for a nonprofit organization to donate to this Christmas, consider supporting and donating to our cause. We’ve chosen to dedicate this year’s Christmas to Back 2 School. Every donation we receive up until the end of this year goes straight to this project. They will first and foremost go to furnish the classrooms of Alaiche Kedar Primary School. Start by donating just €5! You can also treat yourself or a loved one by purchasing our products in our shop to support the project!

Is your company interested in supporting Back 2 School? Become a sponsor and donate to the construction of the playground at Alaiche Kedar Primary School. Let us know by sending an email to info@educationnepal.org

Many grow up thinking they just aren’t creative people because they never considered themselves good at drawing or playing an instrument. But creativity isn’t limited to particular activities. In fact, it’s in all of us and it’s everywhere. It evokes new thoughts and ideas that can lead to new projects, inventions, and even solutions to world problems! Just as we may not question that education is essential for individual and social development, creativity is just as important. It can be especially challenging to find ways to make daily life more fun in times like these when we’re encouraged to stay at home as much as possible. As this might be a time we feel limited, creativity is exactly what we need more than ever. In a lot of ways it lets us push the boundaries and go far beyond those limitations.

That’s why we started the project The Joy of Learning – where we challenge you to tell your story in your own way! Creativity is not limited to one’s age, background, or talents, and it can look different in all stages of life. And we want to prove that. Education and creativity are two of the things we value most at Education Nepal, and it’s what inspired this project. Let’s take some time to appreciate learning and express this in a creative way.

Here’s why you should join our creativity challenge:

We’re so excited to finally kickstart this project! With your help, we hope The Joy of Learning will embody our values and who we are as an organization – international and diverse with the objective to promote education and learning and encourage creative activity.

Read more about how to participate and submit your story here.

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Creative writing and visual arts are amazing ways to spread thoughts, ideas, and inspiration. Creative expressions change the way we perceive the world and can give us insight into the life of others. 

We are today launching a creativity challenge to benefit our project Back 2 School. We are looking for storytellers to submit contributions connected to the theme The Joy of Learning. Chosen submissions will be featured in books sold to benefit education and female entrepreneurship in Nepal. 

The Joy of Learning

As we go through life, we are constantly learning. Even when not actively choosing to learn, our environment provides us with learning opportunities. We learn from people around us, from media consumption and from society itself. Learning can be the start of something new, challenge our way of thinking and change how we perceive the world. It’s a part of personal development. 

Education Nepal as an organization works to improve educational opportunities in Nepal and the project Back 2 School is aimed to provide Alaiche Kedar Primary School with new furniture and a playground. This will motivate participation and enhance learning conditions. 

We ask you to tell your story of what the joy of learning means to you. It can be about our project, a school subject that lays extra close to the heart or a personal interpretation of the theme – let the creativity flow. 

Submission

Send your story to info@educationnepal.org.

All submissions will be reviewed, and selected submissions will be notified as soon as possible. The book* will be sold to benefit the work of the organization, with the earnings going to the respective projects.

*The book will primarily be launched as an e-book and will be published in hard copy in limited edition.

Let the inspiration flow!

Trust is an interesting concept. The dictionary meaning of the word is: “believe in the reliability, truth, or ability of”. That’s a hard task to do when you don’t know the person or the organization you are supposed to be trusting. Particularly, when it’s a smaller or newer organization that does not have a long history. How can you know whether the money goes where it is claimed to go? How can you check whether the use of money is proper? Why should you believethe organization’s claims are correct?

The truth is that you usually cannot access confidential information of a charity and even when they make it public, there is no way for you to check whether it’s true or not. So, how should you choose?

First of all, check whether the charity is legitimate. Many countries have an online register with charities, but not all are available in English. As Education Nepal is a Swedish-based organization, it is harder to find the confirmation of its legitimacy than for example USA based organization, but it is there.

Secondly, search online whether the charity of any of its main representatives were involved in any public scandals and monetary frauds. Clearly, you want your money to go where it was meant to go. If all you find are positive reviews, then you are good to go! Organizations can manipulate public opinion only to a small extend, so if there was really something fishy going on, you would know.

Next up is looking through the organization’s website directly. Is it coherently written? Does it communicate the organization’s mission and vision? Can you find out who works there? Or is it difficult to get to any real information regarding the workers? Are there any prior achievements highlighted? Are there any testimonials from people who worked with or benefited from the organization? Do they explain their procedures and their way of working? Do they have statutes available on the website?

What you’re trying to find out through those questions is whether it is a reputable organization that deserves your money. It may of course happen that a reputable organization is fraudulent, but the chances are still lower than as if it was a completely unknown organization hiding all the information that you have available. Before moving onwards, it is also important to note that if you get a negative feeling throughout the process, for whatever reason, it might be worth reconsider donating. Listen to your guts! They are there to warn you and to protect you.

Once you’ve done extensive research, look through the organization’s website to see what project you would be interested in donating to. Many non-profit organizations, just like Education Nepal, have number of project that you can choose from. It allows you to decide where your money goes to; is it female entrepreneurship or building of a playground?

All in all, regardless of the preparation you do to check whether the organization you chose is responsible and reputable, you still will need to trust that the work will get done. Some organizations will give you updates on how they use your money, and some won’t. Some will do a wonderful job using the resources you provided to make this world a better place, and some won’t. Some will have impact on both the needy and you, some only on one or the other.

While it’s true that you can never know 100% what’s going on behind the scenes, trust that good work is done by charities that raise no red flags. Education Nepal should be an example. It is a Swedish-based charity, formerly part of the 90s account that makes sure all the processes are followed. The only reason for withdrawal was the factthat it was a relatively expensive service and thus the board decidedto invest the money directly into Nepal.


Written by:
Nikoleta Míchalova, Project leader for Back2School

We are pleased to announce that our project Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative has taken a great step forward in our mission to provide women with educational training programmes in Nepal. Our established sponsor Bilhallen is coming on board to support our project Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative with 5 000 SEK every quarter in 2020. Our project team here at Education Nepal could not have become more excited and thankful for this, as Bilhallen’s generous contribution now marks the beginning of the exciting path we have ahead us.

We spoke with Oscar Sörgren at Bilhallen to find out more about on their thoughts and motivations on donating.

What do you stand for at Bilhallen?

Wow, questions like this are always difficult to answer. Well, to give you a little history and speak regarding our future plans: we are a 55-year-old family business that is now in its third generation. Our operations began in Viskan back in 1964 and then expanded to Sundsvall in 1988. As of January 2017, we decided to go all out on our new lot in Sundsvall with the car brands Kia and Mitsubishi, and we are currently about 20 employees who keep the company running. If I wouldn’t include our products, our current strength would be that we’re a close-knit team who not only wants to- but also actually do believe in the future.

Speaking a little bit about the auto industry in this moment – there are currently two on-going main topics. The first is the climate debate and the second is the purchase behavior among Sweden’s car buyers. Both topics have partly changed and will continue to change the way we work in the future. I am convinced that the car vehicle in itself will not only have a long future ahead within this decade, but also a future in which diesel and gas driven cars are replaced by electric- and hydrogen cars. For us as a business, it is all about always being open and embracing new technology that makes life easier for both our customers and our employees. The upcoming decade will be very exciting!

What motivates Bilhallen to contribute to projects with focus on Education?

I think it feels great that we as a business can sponsor something that makes a real difference in the world. In this case to give a woman the possibility to educate herself will not only bring happiness and better opportunities in life, but also raise the living standard for people in her community. Entrepreneurs filled with energy are always welcome!

Education Nepal’s earlier focus was to build a school after the earthquake in Nepal. Knowing that do lead to better circumstances for children as one of the most fundamental things we as adults can do. To see humans develop and learn new things, whether it’s children, women or men, is just incredibly stimulating, and is something we do have experience with in our department.

Why do you believe it’s important to support our project Women’s Enterprise Initiative?

Entrepreneurs are needed, no matter the age or gender. To provide these women with the opportunity of becoming entrepreneurs will result in increased gender equality and hopefully even reduce unemployment. I also believe that entrepreneurship is about optimism and to have belief in the future. When I think of it, Women’s Enterprise Initiative represents just that; namely optimism and belief in the future, which feels amazing.

How do you motivate others to get engaged in issues that are of importance to you?

I would say that we, along with many other businesses, are not doing enough. Since work, entrepreneurship and enterprise are close to the heart for both me and Bilhallen, I believe we could become so much better at reaching out to both children and youths in early age. Here at Bilhallen we try to encourage employees to take decisions themselves and bring ideas on how to develop our workplace. Because our assignments look incredibly different, we must trust that each and every one take responsibility in order for us to develop in the best way possible, and I believe we are doing that in an effective way.

We hope you enjoyed this interview as much as we did. To learn more about Bilhallen, make sure to visit their website bilhallen.nu.


Written by:
Dianne Mäenpää, Project leader for Women’s Enterprise Initiative

Some of my best memories from childhood took place at the playgrounds, where I was swinging with my friends or running around playing catch or climbing up and down, talking with friends and creating memories. Play is anessential aspect of growing up and I was blessed enough to receive plenty of it.While the fun could potentially take place everywhere, playgrounds are speciallydesigned to direct our playful energy and encourage creativity, movement,friendships, and much more.

Giving children fun is a sufficient reason for me to lead the project #Back2School and yet, playgrounds are just part of the upcoming project. The goal is also to raise money for the furnishing of the Alaiche Kedar Primary School, whose construction was funded by Education Nepal and led by a local organization Build Up Nepal. The two supplement each other to create balance in children’s lives, that is at least in the school environment. Education is the main tool forcreating enhanced well-being for individuals and improved living standards forthe community, yet it is a long-term investment of effort and time. However, welive in the NOW and so hard work must come with a reward.

The most amazing thing about this project, however, remains the fact that its influence spread far beyond children thanks to Education Nepal’s policy of local engagement. We create a beautiful spiral of a multiplier effect. By providingfunds to our local partner who educates and employs local adults, our work hasan immediate impact on the wellbeing of families. Those can as a result afford to take care of their families, nourish themselves well, send their children to school, and pave the way for further improvement.

With all this in mind, I would like to invite you to be part of this extraordinary change in the lives of both children and their parents. You can shop online on our web with impact or donate directly to the project. Every little amount you arewilling to give to the purpose of making children smile just a little bit more goesa long way with us!

I hope you join me on this journey.


Written by:
Nikoleta Míchalova, Project leader for Back2School