Lukeko Gaun : ICST Center & Venue
" Lukeko Gaun (translate: Hidden Village), A Village for Arts and Farming, was established in 2018 in Bhukhel, Lalitpur, with the aim of facilitating sustainable and holistic development of the community. Despite of being so close to the capital of the country, Bhukhel still faces various shortcomings which have directly affected the lives of the local population. The village still remains hidden from most of the world and the local community remains untouched by the development that has been taking place around the world. The main goal of LukekoGaun is to bridge the gap between the local community and the outside world whilst maintaining the organic manner of the community. "

Lukeko Gaun has come up with many plans to help the community foster and grow its reach in various sectors of development. Our first and foremost concern, at the moment, is to establish a Youth Club to bring in the energy and enthusiasm of the young for the sustainable development of the community. As Youth Club will be formed under the guidance of LukekoGaun and will perform various tasks to promote and preserve the local resources. LukekoGaun has drafted a sketch of how its presence in Mahankal Rural Municipality is going to benefit the community.

TOURISM
Lukeko Gaun aims to bring travellers and artists from all around the world who wish to spend a peaceful and fruitful time in Nepal. As the centre brings in more visitors, the tourism aspect of the village is highlighted in a significant way. The travellers will bring in more knowledge and skills to share with locals in exchange with the local culture and lifestyle. The ones who have visited us will eventually spread the word about our community which will in turn help us host more travellers to sustain us in the long term.

NEIGHBOURS AND FARMERS
The initiative will not only benefit the centre but will prove beneficial to the neighbours and also the farmers of the village. As an economic surplus, there is a great scope for establishing homestays in the village to manage the flow of travellers seeking to discover themselves while in our community.The centre will work in promoting organic farming and will also acquire the market for the sales of local farm products. Local arts and crafts will also be promoted by the centre and the neighbours will get employment opportunities at the centre as the centre has to be maintained in an authentic manner.

SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN
The centre also is looking forward to bringing various volunteering programs in the schools in Mahankal Rural Municipality to assist in the holistic growth of children. We believe that education is not limited to the walls of classrooms, so we are also working on introducing participatory education system in the schools in the village. The centre will provide theatre workshops in the schools which will ultimately help children build strong coping mechanism. Also with students from all around the world visiting the schools, there is a great prospect of cultural exchange. Various other activities related to the overall growth of children will also be conducted by the centre, including scholarships.

YOUTH
LukekoGaun believes that a community can only flourish if the youth participate in the process or take the lead. Through the centre and its many programs, we aim to empower the youth of Mahankal Rural Municipality and mobilize them to work for the betterment of the community. After the establishment of a Youth Club in LukekoGaun, the centre will focus on providing them with various workshops to develop their skills in sectors like sports, education, culture, theatre, photography/videography, internet usage, and many more.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
With our centre, we want to ensure that the community does not face the cons of unplanned development. Various awareness programs will be organized in relation with environmental conservation, and the rivers, the forest and the village will be kept clean to maintain the purity of the place. We also plan on starting permaculture farming system in the village so that the natural ecosystem is kept unaffected. Nature is our mother and we plan on keeping her safe as long as we can.
|To help us reach aforementioned goals, we seek the companionship of responsible government bodies, local leaders and local youths of Mahankal Rural Municipality. We are looking forward to work together with the community members in order to explore astounding prospects for the community.
Our Services
- Working space for artists, writers, filmmakers and organizations
- Theatre for social healing
- Venue for residential and non-residential events with food and accommodation
- Agricultural products (in future)
- Winter and summer camps for schools