He tirelessly visits school classes in his town and talks to the students and teachers about India, Sarnath and BSS. Obviously, he does so with a lot of heart and conviction, because it has resulted in amazing funds being raised in Etne.

Last year, they raised enough money to buy BSS a school bus and this year they will contribute half the cost of the daily meals BSS provides to its 220 students.

Geir makes sure the school children in Etne understand the huge impact their support is having on the Indian students’ lives. He will visit BSS again in March to report back on the progress being made and how his community can continue to help.

BSS sends the teachers, school children and other supporters in Etne a very big and heartfelt Thank You.

Geir Davidsen from Norway has raised the US$13,000 (8.900 euro) needed to buy a vehicle for BSS through his community fund raising efforts in the Norwegian town of Etne.

I cannot tell you how happy the new Bus has made the children and how vital it is to BSS. The children will no longer have to cram into small and fast driven auto rickshaws and Rajan and Sukhdev will no longer have to worry about them getting hurt or falling out on the way to school. The bus is also used to take kids to see the doctor or to hospital if required as well as to transport food supplies from the market.

It is a strong utility vehicle and BSS has hired a professional driver whose name is Jagdish to take care of it and to be the driver. He is a nice man in his 50’s and sensible and kind to the children and the teachers.

Geir, we want to thank you and your family, all the children and adults from Etne including the newspaper Grannar and Etne Sparebank who donated NOK 15,000. What you have accomplished has made a huge and highly significant difference and I wish you could have been in Sarnath yourself to see the happy smiling faces and the magnificent Tata Bus your funding has made possible.

En tur til India vart et sterkt møte med fattigdom og nød for meg, Geir Davidsen, Etne i Norge. Men oppe i alt det triste kom jeg i kontakt med Rajan og Sukhdev i Buddhas Smile School (BSS), Der fikk jeg se at hjelp når fram til de som trenger det mest. Der og da bestemte jeg meg for at jeg vil gjøre en innsats og prøve og hjelpe BSS etter jeg kommer hjem. Rajan lot seg intervjue på video, og den har jeg redigert, og laget en liten presentasjon av India og BSS. Jeg har vist den for 5., 6. og 7. kl og holdt et lite foredrag om mine inntrykk fra BSS og og planer jeg har for å hjelpe elevene der.

Jeg har to mål: Først vil jeg prøve og finne 100 givere som gir NOK 100.- hver måned. Da har vi nok til å gi de 200 elevene og lærere et varmt måltid mat hver dag. Fram til februar 2008 betaler Amistad for maten, men etter den tid håper jeg at Prosjekt Norge kan overta.

Det andre målet er å skaffe engangsgaver til et fond som vi kan sende renteavkastning ned til BSS en gang i året:

• Jeg vil sitte på kjøpesenter og andre plasser og samle inn engangsgaver og verve faste givere.
• Jeg vil ta kontakt med næringslivet om støtte.
• Jeg har planer om forskjellige aktiviteter utover høsten.

Jeg har fått veldig god hjelp i oppstartfasen. Markedsføring og trykksaker fra lokalavisa, betaling av diverse småutgifter fra Etne Sparebank. Så langt har jeg ingen utgifter.

Oppstart av innsamling 31. mai. Med et lite loppemarked, 7. klasse steikte vafler og solgte kaffe og saft. Ei gruppe toradermusikanter spilte en times tid. Vi samlet inn den dagen NOK 3.600.-

Til kunder og forbipaserende delte jeg ut bankgiro til bruk for engangsbeløp og skjema med givertjeneste kontrakter. Noen har allerede meldt seg på.

8. juni 2007 arrangerte skolen en idrettsdag for kl 4, 5, 6 og 7. BSS fikk startkontigenten og det ble Nok 1.350.-. Elevene betalte fra minimum Nok 20.- til Nok 100.-

Jeg synes dette er en god start og det gir inspirasjon til å jobbe videre med prosjektet.

You can see more of Geir’s photos here.

Geir Davidsen and friend visited Buddha’s Smile School a few months ago and was so impressed that on his return to Norway he started a program of fundraising.

This is an email he sent to Rajan a few weeks ago along with some photos that you can see here.

To Rajan and friends of BSS

“Today I started fundraising for BSS. I got good help from the pupils of class 7 and one teacher from our local school. They made and sold waffles, and we sold small things that I had received from people. A hobby music group played. We handed out a leaflet about BSS to many peoples, and I hope they will donate later on. We are hoping to contract 100 people who will donate 100 NOK each month – and then we’ll have enough for one hot meal for the BSS children every day in 2008.

“Time will tell – I will keep on working on this. The day made 3.700 NOK in 3 hours. It is a start. I have sent you 3 photos and a copy of the sheet we handed out.

“Have a nice weekend.

Geir”