Association
Sapanā – सपना
is Nepali for dream. It does not only sound beautiful, but its meaning resonates strongly with us and the project, as it is also about realising our own dream, as well as the many small and big dreams of Nepali children and villagers. So to tackle this project, we founded the Sapana Association.
Team
We are a team of nine young and motivated people with one vision: to open a sustainable library in Nepal. Eight of us are based in Switzerland and one in Nepal. We come from all kinds of professional backgrounds such as marketing, banking, agriculture, tourism and sustainability, non-profit organisations, sales and business planning.
Given our collective knowledge and experiences in all these areas of expertise we are strengthened and excellently equipped to tackle this project. We are proud to mention that we all work on a voluntary base, so 100% of your donations can be used for the project itself.
What convinced us to take part in this project? What is our attitude towards books? And what do we like to do in our free time? Find out all that and more about our individual team members here.
Fernanda
With my first visit to Nepal in 2017, the dream of opening a library in this country burned itself into my heart and became a constant companion in my daydreams. I am very happy to be able to lead this project, which is a matter of the heart for me, with our great team. Overall, I have spent over two years of my life travelling and am enthusiastic about every adventure.
„They may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” – John Lennon
Tamara
Driven by exploring the unknown, I want to build something long-lasting, hand in hand with the Nepalese people. The smile of a grateful person motivates me to give everything. In my spare time, I passionately grow over 60 plants with my green thumb according to the teachings of permaculture.
Sushil
For many years already I work with my own NGO in the field of preventing disadvantaged kids from living in the streets and getting into drugs and unemployment. For me, books and the reading habit are something I wanna promote passionately. I am happy to be in the Sapana team and support with my longtime experience in the NGO sector.
“Good knowledge and books determine the future.”
Manuel
On my travels I have learned that you can change a lot with very little. Nepal and the people who live there have left a big impression on me! Although they own almost nothing, they are willing to share everything with you immediately. I have rarely seen such friendly and helpful people. So I am very much looking forward to the work on site and to being part of this project.
In my free time I am on the road a lot. Travelling, hiking or surfing somewhere on the beach.
Stefania
Sapana has inspired me because I have the opportunity to create something beautiful with great people. Nepal is a country that has fascinated me for a long time and doing something good for the children there fills me with a lot of joy.
The project allows me to apply what I have learned from my studies. I am very interested in development aid, as well as different cultures and languages. Apart from that, I like doing sports, reading or cooking, as it brings family and friends together.
“Step by step – then you usually get further!”
Sarah
I am part of this project because I love helping other people. Not everyone is as privileged and can take access to education for granted, which definitely needs to change. I work full-time as head of the marketing department of a Berlin start-up and have a blog, which I run as a side business. In this project, I will use my expertise and creativity to drive the marketing side of the business.
Jasmina
I strongly believe in the power of reading and writing, in this project and the small but steadily growing impact it creates as it brings inspiration and a sense of community to everyone involved and teaches us to be mindful, kind and conscious of the astonishing creative energy that lies within us when driven by purpose. Lucky to have met many kind and inspiring humans throughout the journey, I feel deeply humbled by and grateful for this experience.
Fabio
There is practically no topic that I cannot have a conversation about with others. So far I haven’t had any problems learning directly about what interests me. Because the right to education also includes access to information, I think it’s all the more important and right to make it possible for others who have found it difficult to do so – and a library does that well. Education, research and knowledge transfer are important to me and that’s why I’m involved in this project. I am interested in hunter-gatherer societies, material culture, philosophy of science and have a passion for film and editing experience.
Jacqueline
Through numerous trips and longer stays abroad, I was able to get to know many new cultures and people, which inspired me and made me curious. In my opinion, education is an important element for people to develop further. Reading is a matter of course for us, which we practice every day without giving it much thought. I organize my free time in a variety of ways, e.g. horseback riding, fitness, motorcycling and, for several years now, as a manager at the Blauring Jungwacht.
“Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.”