The majority of the Nepalese live in the valleys and farm on terraced hillsides. Unfortunately, the soil is wearing away in many places and this erosion is making farming more and more difficult. For three-fourths of the population, agriculture or farming is the main occupation. While this helps to explain the tranquility of so much of the land, Nepal is also among the poorest and least developed countries in the world.

Though this building is constructed of wood, many homes in the rural areas are still built using the traditional materials of mud, cow dung and straw.

There, traditional methods of cooking and heating from a wood stove are very common in the rural households. Yet, the smoke from those wood stoves pollutes the air, causing asthma attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancers of the throat and lungs. More healthy and efficient energy sources for these people are definitely needed. Helping others is a main area of interest for Sky Tetsuka of Long Beach. A dedicated volunteer at home with church and youth sports, he believes that all people deserve a better standard of living and this is being done by helping people who need it the most. Some of those people receiving his help just happen to live in Nepal. While the government of Nepal promotes a “Rural Energy Development Program” to bring electricity to remote hillside villages, Tetsuka is also helping to accomplish this goal in his own ways. One of Tetsuka’s plans is to bring solar/thermal panels to those rural communities. This renewable energy source will use the sun’s ultraviolet rays to generate electricity from a collection of solar cells in the panels. Instead of burning wood, which also contributes to the deforestation of one of their few natural resources, these people will be able to “electrify” their homes with safer heaters, electric stoves and have the ability to heat water.

This raging river leads to Devil’s Falls, a waterfall that drops into a sinkhole, forming an underground cavern.

Another concern for Tetsuka is the water pollution. Poor sewerage facilities and industrial waste have contaminated the drinking water. Sadly, only a few of the inner-city areas have wastewater treatment facilities. Tetsuka is now in the process  of providing portable water filtration systems to some of these areas. With one water filtration pump having the capacity to filter and deliver enough ground water for 5000 people each day, cleaner water will reduce the number of illnesses caused by untreated sources.

One of his proudest projects is his effort to establish nonprofit, self contained working communities in various rural areas. On land that has recently become available to him, large greenhouses will be constructed for organic farming. Potential crops include fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs. Contracts are already being negotiated for the distribution of those flowers and produce. The money earned from such harvests will then be returned to this nonprofit project to pay for operation expenses.

This community will open the doors for many opportunities. There will be an open call for jobs, providing employment for any workers who choose to earn a daily wage. A non-accredited school is under construction to provide basic education for homeless and uneducated children.

Dormitory-style housing will also be built for those who work and/or go to school in this community. By using solar panels to generate electricity, greenhouses for farming, and water filtration systems for cleaner irrigation, such a community will sustain itself. The people will be able to develop a sense of self governance as they operate and manage this rural energy system community.

Tetsuka’s models for efficiency and leverage are grounded in his past business career. As a brokerage director for Advance Planning Services, he made investment recommendations for financial advisors. For instance, financial advisors would seek Tetsuka’s advice on charitable or investment strategies for their high-end clientele. He would then recommend and educate them on various planning methods or vehicles, meant to maximize the effectiveness and value of that client’s estate. This background in the efficiency planning of financial assets seems to have provided him with the skills required to complete his vision in Nepal.

Tetsuka first became aware of the Nepalese workforce when the need arose to manufacture hospital uniforms for another fund-raising business venture. Working with his partner, Joseph Lavigne, they recognized the advantages for their own business, as well as the local economy, of having the uniforms made in Nepal. After careful research, they were able to obtain a building which already had the machinery and staff in place. It only required the import of fabrics, an order for manufacturing, and the money to finance the labor for this Wal-Mart certified factory to become operational.

They now have a factory in Nepal which makes hospital uniforms or “scrubs,” and because of this business model, LaSuka Scrubs can market the uniforms directly to medical staff at wholesale rates and still include a donation back to that or another hospital’s foundation.

It is Tetsuka’s belief that there is no reason for people to live in a substandard condition since there is technology available to change that. By working closely with those at home, as well as the Nepalese who share the same vision and interests for their own community, Tetsuka will succeed in improving the quality of life for the people who need it most.