By Suzie Harrison, Coastline Pilot
What started out as a spiritual journey in Nepal for Laguna Beach resident Rosalind Russell 16 years ago has turned into a quest to help others.
Much has happened since Russell’s first visit to Nepal, including the establishment of her nonprofit organization the R Star Foundation.
With her foundation, the money she raised and contributed allowed for two goats for each woman in two Nepal villages during her trip last winter. She will be returning to Nepal from Jan. 22 through March 5. Not only will Russell be bringing goats, but she is also raising money to build a school, and for this she needs the public’s help.
Russell’s quest started in a chance meeting of a then 10-year-old poor village boy Rabin Sitaula in the Kavre District.
“I met Rabin walking around Nepal in the Patan area,” Russell said. “He came up to me with all these children begging. Rabin spoke really good English and said, ‘Please I’m not interested in your money I’m interested in speaking English with you.’”
So, Russell helped Sitaula with language and he was her tour guide in exchange. Since Russell’s visit they kept in touch over the years through letters.
“Rabin showed us everything. He was very bright,” Russell said. “He was also very hungry, but I didn’t know it until last year. I never went again until last year.”
Before her return, Russell mentioned to some friends that she was going back to deliver goats to help the women in the villages.
Sitaula became the regional director of her foundation and facilitated with the government on his end.
Russell brought enough money for 87 goats, most of them pregnant, at $125 each and made sure they were vaccinated.
“The excitement when I first delivered the goats … I wanted to jump up and down,” Russell said.
The journey was arduous along narrow dirt roads, through potato fields and across the river to the village.
“The women got very excited they usually don’t hug, but they hugged me,” Russell said.
They sang and danced and put flowers in her hair and garlands around her neck.
“I taught the women how to manage the goats and trained them,” Russell said. “I got women together from different caste systems. They said you can’t put these women in mixed caste groups.”
It was unheard of to mix classes.
“We had the women sign agreements [to care for the goats],” Russell said. “Women don’t read and write so they would put their thumb print next to their name.”
With her mission accomplished she thought it ended there.
“It took me one to two months to acclimate here because my soul was left there,” Russell said. “I really missed them and I knew I needed to do more.”
This time she will bring more goats to women in villages and also wants to build a school in Ojhetar. The project is called “Women Helping Women” and her goal is to enlighten the villagers with literacy and self-dependence out of poverty.
To make a donation, please call her at (949) 497-4911, e-mail at rstar@pacbell.net or send a check to R. Star Foundation P.O. Box 4183, Laguna Beach, CA 92652.
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.
