4 North Shore Towers Courier n October 2015 FRAN GORDON Where did you grow up Fran? I enjoyed a privileged life on Long Island. I graduated from Jericho High School and earned a degree in Health and Physical Education from the University of Pittsburgh. I enjoyed my career as an elementary school physical education teacher in the Great Neck Public School System. In June 1969, I married Paul Gordon but never changed my last name – both my married name and my maiden name were Gordon! Where did you live as a couple? We had a wonderful life together spending our summers traveling and boating. Paul was a well known physics teacher at Syosset High School. We lived in Great Neck and Bayside before buying our house in East Birchwood, Jericho, where we lived for over thirty years. Paul passed away in 2010. How did you get interested in ecology and developing countries? From the time I was a child, I knew I had to figure out ways to try to improve the lives of those born in countries that cannot provide for their population. Poverty, disease and hunger have no place in our modern world. As faculty advisor to my school’s student government, it was a priority to help the children understand that they had a responsibility not only to the planet, but to all the people living on the planet. Our projects ranged from local Valentine’s Day projects for the residents of Grace Plaza Nursing Home, recycling drives to Save The Manatees and responding to devastating world catastrophes to ease the suffering of afflicted communities. It was heartening to me when children understood their school student government was a vehicle for them to help others in need. How did your personal travel plans change after your retirement? My teaching in Great Neck was always enjoyable and satisfying. I retired at the peak of my career… young, healthy and with a few coins in my pocket. I was now able to follow my wanderlust and travel any time of the year and not be restricted by school holidays. Africa and Asia always intrigued me and tops on my list was mystical magical Nepal. However, I had to wait six years until the Maoist Revolution had calmed down. So I began visiting different countries in Africa and was numbed with overwhelming sadness and sorrow at what I saw, smelled and heard. I was in culture shock! I tried to initiate a few projects but failed in my attempt. I felt powerless. What happened when you got to Nepal? Nepal is a beautiful landlocked country nestled between India and China. It is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. Roughly the size of Tennessee with a population of 28,000,000 people, the majority are Hindu and Buddhist. It is steeped in religion. I got friendly with my Sherpa guide on my first trek to Everest Base Camp. Knowing I would be returning in six months to trek the Annapurna region, he invited me to visit his grandmother’s village where he was born. We bought notebooks, pens and pencils for the local children. When the headmaster asked me if I was coming back again, I knew I found my calling and founded Nepal Program For Progress. In the areas where we work, houses are constructed of local materials, food is cooked over a fire, electricity is sparse or nonexistent and most crops are for family consumption. Many men take two year contract jobs out of the country to subsidize the family income and many others are busy leading mountain hikes during the four month tourist season. In the mountainous regions, transportation is a problem. Locals earn their income by portering heavy loads on their back as animal transport is expensive and sometimes impossible. Medical facilities are sparse and villagers carry those in need to receive medical help. I soon realized that if you are not cold, hungry or sick…life is good. But if one of those things goes wrong…it is a catastrophe. What happened when you returned home? I understood that to be taken seriously and attempt to raise money for these projects, Nepal Program For Progress(NPFP) needed to be legitimate. NPFP is now a registered 501(c)(3) not for profit organization helping rural schools in the Solokhumbu District of Nepal. I have made fund raising presentations to different organizations, but most funding comes from friends and family. If you would like more information, please contact me at nepalpfp@me.com. You can also visit our web site at: www. nepalpfp.org What impressed you the most? As one parent said to me, “We have many problems, but we have pride to solve the problems.” Eager for their children to have a bright future, parents understand that education is the key to success. But Nepal will always have a large rural agrarian population and most of the children will always live in a rural community. So what impresses me the most is how smart and resilient these people are. They are creative and inventive and survive in a harsh environment where most of us would perish. What are some of your projects and what effect has the earthquake had in this area? NPFP ensures a safe environment for children. We have constructed new school buildings, brought fresh water to four schools, delivered educational materials, built library r o o m s and have supplied warm clothing. We have been involved with ten schools. The earthquake has heavily damaged three of our schools. We are in the process of making the necessary repairs. Homes have completely collapsed and families are living in tents. The loss is insurmountable. Where do you stay during your twice yearly visits? My Nepali co-director and partner, Purna Man Tamang and his family have graciously opened their home to me. In Kathmandu, there are seven of us in one room with a communal toilet. When we travel into the countryside, I stay at his family home in Salleri or local community homes when we are visiting our schools. What do you do when you are living in NST? I’m so happy with my decision to live here. I regularly go to the gym taking advantage of the aerobics classes, Body Blast, and Zumba. I also enjoy playing Bridge at the Lake Success Jewish Center and being part of the Great Neck Choral Society. I am privileged to live in this community. I often think of the lesson I learned from an local artisan when I visited the African country of Burkina Faso. I spent an hour in his studio with him and other artists. They started to name different countries they had heard of. I began to draw a world map connecting all of these places. As I was leaving, he gave me a small piece of pottery. I said no thank you as I was not going to buy anything. He insisted I take it. I then offered to pay him but he wouldn’t accept my money. It was a that moment the tears began to flow as I learned one of my life’s most valuable lessons. “He who has nothing gives to she who has everything… But she who has everything really has nothing.” I carry that with me today. What inspires a woman to regularly give up the comforts of a beautiful North Shore Towers apartment to spend weeks in Nepal, sleeping on a thin mat, eating a diet of rice and lentils, living with limited electricity, not washing or bathing regularly and hiking over mountains to reach rural communities? Her twice yearly trips to a country high in the Himalayas are definitely not luxury tours or cruises.
NST102015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above