Yoga Student Reaches Fundraising Goal to Build a School in Nepal, Thanks to the ‘Good’ in People

Today a group of 12 dedicated yoga students are going on an adventure that will change their lives. The group (who we profiled back in August 2012) spent nearly a year training for Beyond Asana, a unique 200-hour Vinyasa Teacher Training (YTT) program in Philadelphia, while simultaneously raising money to construct a buildOn school in Nepal, a country where a quarter of the population lives in poverty. They will be breaking ground on a school in Balchaur, a village in the mountainous region of the Mugu District, where the literacy rate is approximately 49%; and 38% for women.

Katy’s Story

Katy Leshko enrolled in the YTT program because she wanted to try and incorporate yoga into the curriculum of her autistic support classroom, which would help her students improve their motor skills and body awareness. She never imagined she’d benefit a community of people she’s never met by helping provide a place for them to learn in Nepal.

Katy raised over $5,000 by getting creative and getting social. She sold jewelry at a craft fair, hosted a block party, and she reached her goal in October after throwing a huge neighborhood garage sale!

One thing she learned during her fundraising experience was that people who didn’t have a lot of money wanted to help her in any way that they could. At the yard sale, friends, family and co-workers donated everything from toys to Caboodles to a lawn mover that Katy’s father-in-law donated because he thought it was broken. “My father fixed it the night before the yard sale and it went quick!” wrote Katy via email, a few weeks after the sale.
“My husband’s grandparents (Pop and Beam) were amazing… Pop had a great sales pitch, reciting, “My granddaughter is going to Nepal, and all this is going toward helping her get there to help build a school.”

Katy was amazed at the generosity she received from so many people – especially from her supportive mother-in-law, who sent emails to everyone she knew, telling them about the garage sale.
“I genuinely think people are good at heart. I’ve been impressed how good I’ve found people to be – and it give you a good feeling when people are that good.”

We are impressed with Katy and the rest of the Beyond Asana group for empowering themselves, their community and a village halfway across the globe. We wish them the best on their trip and look forward to sharing their stories when they return. Want to learn how you can transform a community by building a school like the Beyond Asana group? Visit our Get Involved page to learn more.