Overview
Follow Jack Sparks as he makes his way to Kathmandu, Nepal to meet with iATN member Irwin Bikram Chaudri and other Nepalese automotive technicians. Jack has volunteered his time and expertise to help them get the training they desperately need.

History
A few years ago, in a letter to iATN, Irwin Bikram Chaudri detailed the conditions of automotive repair in Nepal. Mr. Chaudri noted, "For example, a full engine tune-up for a Toyota Corolla works out to NRs. 225.00. Which means a full tune-up works out to US $3.30 out of which salaries, overheads and taxes all have to be worked out.", he also made mention that, "Kathmandu is also one of the most polluted [air-pollution] cities in the world. Technicians and repair facilities are not aware of the long term impacts of air pollution."

The huge response to the letter and forum posting led to a crusade among iATN members. Their intention, to bring aid to Nepali technicians by donating used equipment and sending technicians to the area in order to better train the locals.

Jack Sparks was one of the only people who responded to Irwin's request. With support of other members, Jack accepted Irwin's invitation to travel to Nepal. Jack posted several messages to the network asking people to donate money or equipment to help with the trip.

iATN members have shown an extreme interest and appreciation for Jack's adventure. Jack shared a journal of his preparations and of his trip during his month long stay in Nepal. When he returned he was honored to present a slide and video documentary to the delight of the membership at the iATN convention in October of 2002. We invite you to read these entries as though you were following Jack's journey in realtime during the trainings in Kathmandu, Nepal.