Every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and live independently. But for many children in Nepal living with spinal cord injuries, that opportunity simply doesn't exist not because of their abilities, but because of the world around them.
Each year, hundreds of children in Nepal experience spinal cord injuries due to falls, landslides, and accidents. Unfortunately, most homes aren't built with accessibility in mind. Schools lack ramps and wheelchair access. Public transportation and roads are difficult, if not impossible, to navigate. Rehabilitation services are limited and expensive, and many families can't afford the equipment or care their children need.
As a result, many of these children are forced to drop out of school and remain at home, isolated from their communities and opportunities. Over time, this leads to a loss of independence and, too often, a cycle of poverty.
That's why Spinal Cord Injury Network Nepal (SCINN) is building something truly groundbreaking. Nepal's first fully accessible, disability-led Independent Living Practice Village in Kathmandu. This Village is designed to be more than just a place to stay. It is a place where students can rebuild their lives. It will house young people who were forced to leave school due to inaccessibility, giving them the opportunity to return to their education while learning essential life skills.
Aishwarya was eleven when a landslide buried her while she was digging soil near her home in rural Nepal. She survived, but her spine was injured. Her world collapsed.
After finding her way to SCINN's Independent Living Home in Kathmandu, everything changed. She restarted school from Grade 6. Today she's in Grade 11. She races wheelchairs, swims, plays basketball, and has represented Nepal in international competition.
"Without the ILP Home," she says, "I would have gone back to my village and disappeared from my own dreams."
Aishwarya is one of 32 students SCINN has helped complete their education. Graduates now work at Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs, tech companies, and more. The Village will allow SCINN to reach many more students like her.
Students who come to the Village will not just be provided shelter. They will gain the tools they need to thrive.
They will continue their education while learning independent living skills like cooking, managing daily routines, and navigating life in a wheelchair. They will receive physical therapy, peer support from others who understand their journey, and training in digital skills that can open doors to employment.
There will also be space for adaptive sports, including wheelchair basketball, helping students build confidence, strength, and community. The goal is simple but powerful. To help these young people return to their communities with independence, dignity, and opportunity.
Creating a fully accessible campus from the ground up takes resources, but every piece plays a vital role. The Village will include residential buildings, training spaces, a physiotherapy room, sports areas, and essential infrastructure like water, solar power, and accessible facilities.
Through Friendsheep, our family business, we have already contributed $6,000 to fund the Friendsheep kitchen and dining hall, a meaningful first step in bringing this vision to life. Now, we are working to help complete the rest.
The Independent Living Practice Village is thoughtfully designed to give students a safe, supportive place to learn and build independent lives. The campus will include residential housing for boys, girls, and trainees, where students can live while continuing their education.
It will also feature a kitchen and dining hall, funded by Friendsheep, along with an office building, training hall, and a physiotherapy and medical room to support health and recovery.
To encourage confidence and community, the Village will include a wheelchair basketball court and sports area, as well as gardens, essential utilities, parking, and the furniture and equipment needed to make the space fully functional and welcoming.
Accessibility is not just an idea we care about. It is something we have experienced firsthand. We know how life changing the right environment, support, and tools can be.
We have followed SCINN's work for years and have seen the impact they have already made. Students they have supported have gone on to complete their education, secure meaningful jobs, and rebuild their independence.
This Village is the next step in expanding that impact, reaching more young people who deserve the same chance.
This project is powered by community. Each donation goes directly toward building the Village, with no middlemen and no overhead, just a shared effort to create something life changing.
The full Village costs over $80,000 to build. Part of the funding—including our donation—is already in place, but there's still a long way to go. No contribution is too small.
Here are a few examples of how your support could help:
If this story resonates with you, there are two simple ways to make a difference. Click here to donate to help fund the construction of the Village or share this project with others who may want to support. Even the smallest action helps move us closer to our goal.
It's easy to take accessibility for granted, but for these students, it can mean the difference between isolation and independence, between limitation and possibility.
Together, we can help build a place where they are supported, empowered, and given the chance to thrive.
Thank you for being part of a community that chooses compassion and action.
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