Acacia Merritt is a girl on a mission to help those less fortunate than she and her friends are, and distance has not deterred her.
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In 2019, Acacia, then aged 9, raised funds for a solar light system for the remote village of Ghamrang, Lamjung. in the Himalayas in Nepal, and she now plans to return to check on her new friends and make sure the project is still operating.
"During the 2019 Easter School Holidays, I travelled to Nepal with my Dad to install a solar light system in a remote community in the Himalayas. We raised over $3000 in just 12 months after deciding on this project.
"We travelled to the remote Gurung village of Ghamrang, Lamjung, in the foothills of the Himalaya, and stayed with a local family.
"The next day, we walked to the community building and installed a solar light system and a free phone charging station," Acacia said.
Five years have passed, including delays caused by Covid-19. She is returning to check on the solar lights and phone charging facilities.
The Merrick family has installed and contributed to an additional eight other projects. These have been made possible by the generosity of people in the Ararat area who assisted with funding.
These include solar light and phone charging for community buildings and setting up a computer room and power supply for the remote Banasthali school near Gilung in the Lamjung region.
Acacia and her father will also visit the village of Aapghari, where, after the 2015 earthquake, where he was part of a group in South West Victoria that raised funds to build a community building and water supply. https://chuffed.org/project/nepalopenheart.
"Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the region, with an average daily wage of two dollars," he said.
"These local communities that we have supported are mainly subsistence farmers.
"Local families are keen to educate their children to improve their future opportunities.
"Solar lights assist the students and the broader community in working in the darker, colder months and furthering their studies at night," he said.
Acacia is looking for assistance to raise funds for maintenance of her system as well as eight other remote solar systems the family have had to privilege to contribute to and install, throughout the Himalayas.
Acacia and he father cover all their travel expenses so that 100 percent of the funds raised go to the maintenance costs of remote solar systems.
If you would like to contribute, there is a special account at: Bendigo Bank, "Nepal Fund" BSB 633 000 Acc. 213 162 415
