Fall 2020 Programming Postponed Until 2021

This year has challenged each of us deeply, and changed the world forever. We have each been pushed to adjust our lives, our work and our futures, and to fight for the health, safety and wellness of ourselves and our families and communities. Whether we are working from home, studying online, or serving every day as essential workers, we each face great uncertainty as the world around us changes.

Our small team of Nepali staff and volunteers continue our work, even through the global pandemic. We need new volunteers to help, but with international travel restrictions, we will have to wait until 2021. Photo by Jonathan H. Lee

Here in Nepal, COVID-19 has transformed the country. For more than 6 months, businesses, transportation services and educational facilities have remained restricted or entirely closed. The economy is suffering deeply, and much of society has come to a halt. Most notably, the international airport in Kathmandu has been closed to international visitors since March, and will likely remain closed until the end of 2020. This means that sadly, Conscious Impact will be required to postpone all volunteer programming until 2021.

Our team in Takure would absolutely LOVE to receive volunteers again as soon as possible, as we have plenty of work to get done. Even during COVID-19, we continue to plant trees, support local farmers, provide alternative educational environments to students and mobilize community-driven infrastructural development projects. The extra hands, minds and hearts of international volunteers would provide much needed inspiration, energy and support. We want you to come now, but we will have to patiently wait until 2021. :)

You can learn more, and sign up today for 2021 volunteer programs at www.consciousimpact.org/volunteer.

Our agriculture team with a local family after planting trees together this summer. Photo by Ankit Tanu

In the meantime, one of our greatest challenges is financial. Our goal since the beginning has been to support Takure for generations to come, and we are more committed to this than ever before. Without the income of volunteers, however, we are even more dependent on our international supporters and monthly donors to get us through this time. We know this is a challenging time for many, but if you or your community are able to support our work, it would make a huge difference. We are still actively fundraising to help plant coffee trees at https://www.classy.org/campaign/covid-19-resilience-fund/c286580. We are also seeking additional supporters to become monthly donors. Even $10/month makes a difference, and $150/month allows us to keep a staff member at work. Thank you SO much for your support!

New baby coffee trees beginning to sprout from seed in our nursery. Our hope is to again distribute thousands of trees to farmers around the region in 2021. Come help us please! :) Photo by Ankit Tanu

We have faced challenges in our work in Nepal before, and each time we have stood strong and shown our commitment to continuing to serve Takure and the families of this region. We also know that our world has faced difficult times before, each of us have, and we are confident that we will all come out of 2020 stronger and more resilient than ever before, even if it feels hard. We hope that you and your family and friends are staying healthy and safe during everything. If you need anything, even just someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to us and write at volunteer@consciousimpact.org. And please come see us in Nepal in 2021. We will be here. :)

WIth love and deep gratitude,

The CI Nepal Team

Our Conscious Impact Nepal team on a day hike nearby Takure. Without volunteers coming this fall, they will continue their work in agriculture, sustainable construction and youth empowerment while they patiently await your return to Takure! Photo by Ankit Tanu

3,000 Trees Planted, 2,000 More to Go!

Planting 5,000 Trees Amidst a Global Crisis

When COVID-19 halted the world in March, the Conscious Impact team in Nepal quarantined in Takure, and at the same time undertook a huge tree planting mission: to plant more than 3,000 organic coffee trees in collaboration with local farmers. For 3 months, we worked almost every day to dig holes, carry compost and plant coffee saplings across the region. We are excited to announce today that we have reached 3,000 trees, and with the support of local farmers and our Nepali staff in Takure, we have extended our goal to 5,000!

We are SO grateful to everyone that has helped us raise almost $15,000 since March to help us plant 3,000 coffee trees. Every donation of $5 has already planted one coffee tree, and will allow us to continue to care for this tree for years to come. Our work would not be possible without your help, and we are so grateful.

Help us reach our goal and keep Conscious Impact at work

The Conscious Impact international team heads to a local family farm to plant coffee trees. Photo by Jonathan H. Lee

What does it take to plant 3,000+ trees?

1. Dedicated Local Farmers: First, it takes an incredible mobilization of local farmers from Takure that are inspired and ready to plant on their own land. We work directly with the Takure Coffee Cooperative, more than 50 men and women committed to expanding quality coffee production in the region. We do outreach to find new interested farmers around Takure, and in nearby communities such as Bimire, Baguwa, Aisilukharka and Pokhare. Each farmer is required to provide compost and participate in the tree planting process. We have made so many new and amazing community partners along the way! (Check out some of our highlighted families below)

2. A Growing Nepali Staff: Conscious Impact’s agriculture program is run with great support and leadership from our long-term Nepali staff. Program Coordinators Kumary Bomjom and Narayan Bhattarai communicate and organize with local farmers, and set the plan of work for the week. But with growing demand for support planting coffee, and limited access to international volunteers, Conscious Impact has needed to grow our local Nepali Agriculture Program Staff. In the past 2 months, we have added 4 amazing Takure community members to the team, Reshma Tamang, Tharendra Mishra, Chyangba Lama and Kapil Kafle. We love working together and are so grateful for the extra hands!

3. International Donor Support: With international travel to Nepal stopped, and no new volunteers, Conscious Impact faces the most challenging financial circumstances we have seen since our foundation in 2015. We rely on international volunteers for 90% of our annual income, and without this revenue, we struggle to pay our Nepali staff and invest in necessary supplies for our projects. Despite all of this, we have been able to continue our programs, and even grow our local staff, in thanks to the contributions of international donors around the world. Our fundraiser, launched in May, has almost reached our original goal of $15,000 and continues to provide the income we need to sustain our work. Every $5 donated plants and cares for one tree for life. Thank you so much for making this happen!

The fundraiser is still open, and we need your help.

Kumary Bomjom, Agriculture Program Coordinator for Conscious Impact, takes another 30 baby coffee trees from our greenhouse to be carried to a local farm for planting. Photo by Jonathan H. Lee

Who are the farmers?

Since the beginning of our coffee program in Takure in early 2016, Conscious Impact has helped to build a network of passionate, innovative and skilled local farmers across the mountains where we work. These farmers include men, women, grandparents and youth, and range across the diversity of ethnicities in the area. Tamang, Brahmin, Rana Magar, Dahal, and people of every community are excited about the possibility that coffee brings to increase their income without significant additional labor. We are excited about supporting them to make this transition into agroforestry and organic coffee production.

In a single day, our team can plant on average 35-50 trees with one family, which means that we have supported more than 50 families during this time, families like Ser Bahadur Koirala, Haribol Bhattarai, Aising Tamang, Radha Mishra, Madhav Khanal and dozens more. Each partner family becomes a part of our growing network of beautiful people that we work each day to serve. Take a moment to explore the family photos below:

Who makes this all happen?

For those of you that have visited our project in Nepal to volunteer with our team, you know our local staff well. Our work, our lives, in fact all that defines Conscious Impact, is our Nepali staff. Almost entirely born and raised in Takure, our team demonstrates the best of what makes Nepal famous: hospitality, kindness, humility, physical strength, non-stop work and playful laughter, all wrapped into one. Plus, each team member has their own stories, background, passion and visions. Kumary Bomjom, at only 22 years old, leads the way with her enthusiasm, open-mindedness, radical vision and absolute dedication to serving the Earth. Narayan Bhattarai, our lead Community Organizer, has spent 5+ years building our relationship to Takure with great humility, selflessness, a soft smile and deep wisdom. In our agriculture program alone, we now have 6 team members: Kumary, Narayan, Chyangba, Tharendra, Reshma and Kapil. They each offer a unique perspective and individual personality that together creates a dynamic, powerful and effective local Nepali team. Check out photos of our team below:

Why plant coffee now?

We know that this is a challenging time for people all across the world, and we stand in solidarity with struggling communities globally. In Takure, community members are also vulnerable to changing climate patterns, economic downturns, health risks and international travel restrictions. More than 25% of the country’s GDP comes from remittance (money sent from Nepalis working abroad). With this income in jeopardy, local agriculture becomes even more important to creating resilient, self-sufficient, economically sustainable village communities.

Every coffee tree planted sequesters carbon, builds soil life, prevents erosion, preserves local ecology and provides essential income to farmers in need. After more than two months of work, we continue to believe that planting coffee trees is the most valuable way to support the local environment and the resilience of Nepali families in the Himalayan mountains.

We need your help.

Without international volunteers able to arrive to Nepal, Conscious Impact is facing our greatest economic challenge yet. We have lost 90% of our income, and are now entirely dependent on the generosity and donations of our alumni and international supporters. We need to raise $25,000 in order to sustain our work, and keep Conscious Impact alive and well into 2021 and beyond. Please consider helping us today so that we can continue to pay Nepali salaries, purchase necessary supplies and plant thousands of trees in the Himalayas.

We know that this is a challenging time for families across the world. We send our love and blessings to each of you, and hope that you, your families and communities are staying healthy and safe. We understand as well if this is not a time that you can make a financial contribution. Still, we are committed to continuing our work in Nepal, and without this fundraiser it may not be possible. We are grateful to anyone that can donate, and to each of you for all that you have already given to this organization.

Love and blessings from Takure,

The Conscious Impact Team

Plant Trees During COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed the world, creating uncertainty and challenges for every human being. Businesses are closing, travel is stopped and thousands of people are facing compromised health. We send our love and appreciation to everyone that is in the middle of this struggle, and our deepest gratitude to each of you that is taking care of yourself and others during this time. We hope that you and your family are healthy, well and able to find peace, wherever you may be.

Here in Nepal, the country is dealing with similar challenges, dozens of new COVID-19 cases everyday, and the first few COVID-19 deaths this past week. A nationwide lockdown has been issued until June 2nd, and the international airport is closed. The economic challenges of the lockdown are beginning to affect all families in Nepal. There have been very few cases of coronavirus in the district of Sindhupalchok where we live, and most farmers continue their lives as usual, planting corn in the fields and collecting grass for their animals. At Conscious Impact, we are healthy and eating well, sheltered in place at our camp in Takure.

Despite the global crisis, local farmers have no choice but to continue their work, and we are committed to supporting them in any way we can. Many farmers already rely on less than $5/day of income, and often struggle to afford basic necessities such as food, supplies and education for their children. Taking a break from their work is just not an option. Similarly, we feel that our work in Takure and around this region is essential, and we aim to continue supporting farmers in every way that we can. Global challenges like climate change, economic instability and COVID-19 are not new to these rural families that have spent generations building self-sufficiency, and our work has always been to strengthen their resilience and independence. We believe that planting coffee trees is one of the greatest ways we can support the planet and Takure families during these challenging times.

We are asking for support to continue this work.

Goma Kafle (shown in the above photo) is one of Conscious Impact's partner farmers. In the last 5 years, she has planted more than 250 coffee trees with our support, and this year she harvested beautiful coffee cherries! Her mature coffee trees will increase her annual income by more than 1200 USD to buy essential food and supplies for her family.

Every coffee tree planted and cared for sequesters carbon, mitigates climate change and provides a much needed sustainable livelihood for local farmers. A single coffee tree can produce 10kg of red cherry every year. At $1/kg, a farm of 100 trees can bring in an extra $1000/year, or nearly the equivalent of a year’s salary for one full-time job. This makes an enormous difference in the lives of these farmers and their families.

Over the past 5 years, Conscious Impact has partnered with over 100 farmers to plant more than 15,000 trees.

Our goal this year is to plant another 3,000 coffee trees.

We are asking for help to fundraise $15,000 to keep Conscious Impact working to support Nepali farmers during this challenging time.

The work has already begun, and the Conscious Impact team is working every day to plant trees alongside local families. COVID-19, however, has stopped all international travel to Nepal, and halted the majority of income to Conscious Impact. Without any donations, we are unable to pay our local staff and provide the necessary support to continue. After 5 years of hard work to get this far, we are not ready to quit. We are so grateful to anyone considering donating to our current fundraising campaign.

Each donation of $5 "adopts" one coffee tree in Nepal for life. That means digging the hole, carrying compost, planting the tree and providing the initial care. It also includes follow up consultations and support from our Nepali team and international volunteers for years to come.

Each tree produces 10 kg of red cherry equivalent to 10 USD in annual income to a local farmer. We support farmers to plant 50-100 trees depending on their land availability, which can provide an additional 500-1000 USD annually (nearly doubling many local families' annual income). 

$5 Donation = 1 Tree Adopted for Life

$25 = Adopt 5 Trees 

$50 = Adopt 10 Trees

$100 = Adopt 20 Trees

$500 = Adopt 100 Trees or a Local Farm (supports a farmer to increase their annual income by $500-1000)

We understand that right now is a difficult time for people all across the world. COVID-19 has changed all of our lives, and many of us are suffering. We truly hope that you and your family are healthy and well during this time. If you are not in a position to fundraise, we completely understand. If you can still help share this campaign and spread awareness about our work with others, that is also helpful. Every donation helps, just $25-$50 can plant and care for 5-10 trees. 

Above, Sanu Kanchi Rana Magar stands alongside her husband Ambar with one of their new coffee trees. This tree, as well as dozens of others they have planted, will provide much needed income to their family in future years.

Additionally, every tree planted sequesters carbon, mitigates climate change, supports local ecology and rebuilds soil. Our goal is to plant more than 50,000 trees in the next 10 years to transform the environment and economy of the local area. 

Narayan Bhattarai, our Lead Community Organizer, stands with his wife Sita and daughter Anju (in the above photo) next to one of their 4-year-old coffee trees. Narayan will be one of the staff that Conscious Impact continues to employ with the support of our international donors. He has more than 100 trees planted, and is excited to continue training farmers across this region of the Himalayas to plant coffee for years to come.

Kumary Bomjon, our Agriculture Program Lead (shown in the above photo), sits happily among more than 50kgs of locally harvested coffee. Our goal is for coffee to become abundant in this region of the Himalayas so that local families can sustain their livelihoods without needing to leave to the cities or foreign countries for work. Coffee is a great cash crop, in addition to being great for the local environment. We love it and we hope you do to!

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to the day when you too can taste locally harvested Takure coffee. :)

COVID-19 Update from Nepal

For the last 3 weeks, our Conscious Impact Nepal team has “sheltered in place” during Nepal’s nationwide lockdown response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world adapts to the Coronavirus, we too at Conscious Impact are transforming our work and our lives to fit into the “new normal.” Yet, as always, we remain positive, inspired and grateful for the work that we do, and for our home here in Takure. Our team is happy and healthy, quarantined in the Himalayan mountains.

Our Quarantined Team (“Quaranteam”) here at our Conscious Impact Camp, outside the community of Takure, Sindhupalchok, Nepal. Photo by Jonathan H. Lee

As of today, Nepal has only 42 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which makes it one of the world’s safest places to be. Still, to prevent further spreading, the government has ordered all travel and business within the country to stop. With flights canceled and the country on lockdown, we unfortunately cannot receive any new volunteers for the remainder of this season. But, we are lucky. We live in nature, sleep in tents, work outside and eat organic, fresh food delivered from local farmers and producers. We live communally – supporting one another’s’ needs — and our team is more grateful than ever to Takure and our community partners here in rural Nepal for their resilience, strength and hospitality. 

Mariana Jimenez, our Natural Building Program Lead, paints the Dome with the first coat of lime mineral. As community-based projects are mostly on hold, we are using our time to focus on beautifying and completing some of our camp projects. Photo by Jonathan H. Lee

Our group of 17 international volunteers, our “Quaranteam,” is using our time here sheltered at our Camp to finally complete some of our home projects. We are working to finish our 8-room new volunteer accommodations, called “The Nest”, made out of local bamboo and daub – a mixture of soil, sand and straw. We are painting the Dome, built last November during our 10-day Superadobe training course, with lime, a natural mineral used for water protection. We continue working in our gardens, flipping beds, mulching the springtime blooming orchards, and everyday collecting farmer harvested coffee. And our youth team is planning to better implement programs once schools are back in session. It feels good to be able to remain productive during these times, and to give our Camp some much needed love.

Our Agriculture Program staff member, Kumari “Kanchi” Bomjom and Polly Gunton, one of our Youth Program team members spend the morning planting coffee saplings with a local farmer. Although our work is limited, we are able to work in small groups on farmers’ lands to begin our pre-monsoon tree planting. Photo by Jonathan H. Lee

At the same time, we are feeling the challenge of being separated from the communities that we love and serve every day. Most of our community-based projects are on pause to honor Nepal’s lockdown and keep everyone safe and healthy. This definitely delays some of our project outcomes like the community bus stop, waste management program, youth and education programs and tree hole digging in preparation for the monsoon tree planting programs. We continue to stay in communication with all of our staff and community partners, and are ready to return to work as soon as the lockdown ends. 

Our hearts are saddened by the global crisis and suffering that is happening around the world. We are hopeful that these challenges will give people and the earth time to rest, and ultimately lead to better lives in the future. We are grateful for all the healthcare workers, leaders and people responding with love, compassion and selfless service around the world. We strive to support the local community in whatever way we can and feel confident that at this time “sheltering in place” is the best we can do for the local and global communities. 

Thank you for your support and belief in us. Our work continues even limited and you make that possible. We look forward to getting back to our full work mode, supporting rural community resilience here in Nepal and send our deepest condolences and hearts to people all over the world as we each process and proceed through these trying times. 

Much love from Takure, 

The Conscious impact Team