Today, he and schoolmate Santosh Poudel are being globally recognized for using the Internet to bring hygiene facilities to places just like his hometown.[break]
“It´s a very hard struggle trying to motivate poor villages to spend their little money prioritizing health initiatives like building toilets, rather than on food,” said Chaulagain.
Founded in 2009, Smiles builds schools, computer labs, solar electricity grids, and hygiene facilities in rural communities with the help of funding from Sweden.
“Tears came to my eyes the first time we were donated money in 2009,” said Poudel of the organization´s overseas fundraising partner, Ellinor Broms.
The first toilet was built soon after in Chaulagain´s hometown, along with solar powered computer labs and other hygiene facilities.
“I think computers in rural areas are really beneficial for educating illiterate people, promoting health, and delivering extra training,” said Poudel.
“When we first started the rural people would point at electricity converters or batteries and think that they were computers.
“But today the enrollment at the schools has actually increased because computers are getting so popular with the people.”
Now the organization is being internationally recognized for its work by the World Summit Youth Award, a competition promoting the role of digital content in development.
This year Smiles is just one of 18 first prize winners picked from over 1200 entries worldwide. “I think we won because of our passion,” said Chaulagain.
He said the change from living in a small rural village to accepting international awards has been a “very strange journey” and experience.
“I have been so fortunate that, although growing up in a rural village with such acute problems, I have always had friends and schools willing to help me.”
“So what I am doing today is a form of payback for their generosity.”
Smiles is now on a two-week fundraising mission to raise the travel costs necessary to fly Chaulagain to Canada to accept the award.
The Austrian-based initiative has already provided travel expenses and accommodation to Poudel for his visit in October.
Poudel and Chaulagain said the primary factors holding back Nepal´s rural areas today is education and illiteracy, which they hope to improve via computer software.
The two young engineers became interested in the role of mobile technology when volunteering for famed IT entrepreneur, Mahabir Pun, in early 2009.
Related story
Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with UN in Nepal...
-1769564710.webp)
