By Krishna Gurung
The Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (KRMEF) was established in 2008 near Khokana, in the southwest of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. KRMEF is trying to save the local environment by using local manpower, local waste, and educating the local population about the benefits of protecting the environment. The project periodically runs free health and dental camps in a local school and looks forward to opening a free clinic very soon.
KRMEF has begun a pilot project focused on recycling waste found in and around the city of Kathmandu and utilizing the waste to produce sustainable fuel in the form of bio-briquettes and bio-gas. Waste bottles have also been collected and made into walls and windows. This ecological architecture will soon be implemented in the new clinic. These processes give work to many jobless, helpless and disabled individuals.
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Presently KRMEF is sponsoring schooling for underprivileged children, has an eco-guest house, a volunteer program, a working organic/biodynamic garden, and is working to implement Waldorf techniques in a village school. We look forward to further developing our network to include treatments and education for physically handicapped children and to take care of the old, among many other activities.
The KRMEF garden helps to promote biodynamic farming methods in Nepal. We provide training to anyone who wants to volunteer on the farm and the bee farm where we produce our own organic honey.
In order to promote this project, we traveled to America and took part in the Washington, D.C., Green Festival 2009, in addition to visiting many earth-friendly places. We arrived back in Nepal in the beginning of February and since that time Miss Misha Vega, former apprentice at Rudolf Steiner College in California, has been working to implement biodyanmics here at KRMEF. Those who work here have learned to stir and spray preparation 500 and to understand the theory of making it, which they will do in the coming fall. Now we are making fermented nettle liquid manure, have begun growing the preparation plants, and have started a few compost piles. Local quartz was located for the making of preparation 501 next year, and everyone has participated in the collection and grinding of eggshells for the “cow pat pit.” Miss Vega has participated in all work here — from cleaning up local trash to cutting and carrying grass for our cows. This has provided a very good practical example for the people here, and has fulfilled the aims and objectives of KRMEF.
Digging a hole for the cow pat pit
We decided to host a biodynamic seminar here at KRMEF in April, as many people had expressed interest in learning about biodynamic practices. It was arranged that all lectures would be given by Sir Hans Mulder, who worked with Peter Proctor to develop the biodynamic certification training in New Zealand and who is the coordinator for the Asia-Pacific region of the Anthroposophical Society.
Over 65 people attended from many different parts of Nepal, and there were also volunteers from the USA, Holland, and Germany. Most of the participants were from leadership positions in NGOs and individual initiatives, and all enthusiastically participated. The morning lectures on the first day were on the three farm systems (chemical/mineral, organic, and biodynamic), the farm individuality, preparations 500 and 501, and preparations 502-507 in the context of farm.
The afternoon session began with a lecture on the planting calendar and sun and moon rhythms. This was followed by a discussion as many people fielded their questions and were answered as time allowed. The day was concluded with the stirring of preparation 500, which was met with some surprise by some of the newcomers, but many took turns stirring clockwise and counter-clockwise for an hour. Following this, people were taught to apply the application, and the afternoon ended with many happy participants looking forward to the next day.
End of lectures
The second day’s morning lecture was on the “The Meaning of the Compost Heap: The Liver of the Farm.” Afterwards, a compost heap was made and preparations 502-507 were introduced and applied. The makings of liquid manures using preparation 502-507 were also demonstrated. In the afternoon everyone participated in the making of “compound preparation,” or “cow pat pit,” mixing fresh cow manure, ground eggshells, and rock dust before adding the preparations. The afternoon lecture began with a further discussion of the planting calendar, and to clarify this Hans Mulder had people act out the movements of the planets, so that their role and that of the sun, moon, and earth became clear to everyone. Hans explained about the full moon, new moon, first quarter, last quarter, highest position, lowest position, ascending node, descending node, perigee, and apogee so that the participants could fully understand the information provided in the planting calendar.
 Making the compost pile |
 Finished compost pile |
The two-day seminar was concluded very meaningfully, and many participants are looking forward to joining in the forthcoming biodynamic seminar in the fall. Our future aim is to spread the knowledge of biodynamics and anthroposophy to more areas and greater numbers of people in Nepal. We are very thankful and grateful to those who have contributed to this project and who continue to support us. The biodynamic work is continuing here and hopefully we will soon be able to report on further developments.
Krishna Gurung, one of the co-founders of Shanti Sewa Griha Village (Nepal) founded the KRMEF project with his wife Leela and other friends in memory of their late son, Kevin Rohan Gurung, who tragically and physically left the earth at the age of seven years on the 21st of December, 2008. For further information, please visit http://www.krmecofoundation.com/.
