http://www.acupuncturereliefproject.org/

Acupuncture Relief Project, Thaha Municipality, Kathmandu (2026)

02/01/2026

✨ Meet ARP Board Member and Treasurer: Sheri Barrows ✨

When Acupuncture Relief Project was still just an idea (before the legal paperwork, before the clinics, before the first volunteers arrived) there was Sheri Barrows.

A long-time friend of ARP Founder and President Andrew Schlabach, Sheri stepped in when the project needed infrastructure: bank accounts, bylaws, nonprofit registration, financial oversight, and systems to hold a growing vision. As she described in her blog, “My ‘type A’ brain was needed to manage the mounds of information we were accumulating… that’s where I came in.”

She had visited Nepal in 2004 and “had experienced first-hand how incredible the people were and how hard village life was. Andrew’s concept for the project had a good chance of making their lives better and that has proven to be true.”

As Secretary and Treasurer, her responsibilities are extensive. She does all the monthly bookkeeping, setups volunteers on our donation platform and tracks all fundraising, files the state required documents we need for 501(c)3 status, manages all receipts and credit card payments, annually renews our access to charity-related sites like Benevity and Fidelity, wires funds to Good Health Nepal every few months so they can pay staff salaries and the expenses related to having practitioners on site. “I’m pleased that I can bring my skills and expertise to the project so that I can serve the community too even though I am not a practitioner.”

In 2016, Sheri spent several months in Nepal, witnessing firsthand the clinical impact her behind-the-scenes work supports. “The most transformative for me has been all of the time I have been able to spend in Nepal. Especially witnessing the stroke patients as they progress through treatment! Absolutely Incredible!!”

In her blog she wrote, “It wasn’t until I actually witnessed the impact of treatment that I truly understood how important these clinics are.” And later: “It is that shift to hopeful that moves me so deeply.”

What she hopes for next is clear and aligned with ARP’s long-term goals: “I hope the next decade has even more Nepali practitioners choosing to work at the Bajra clinic and other clinics in Nepal and that GHN grows to be able to manage it without ARP.”
And with candid practicality, she adds: “I am 65 years old so in a decade that makes me 75 and I don’t know how much bookkeeping I’m going to want to be doing.”

We could not do this work without Sheri’s steadiness, clarity, and care. Her contribution is foundational. This is the quiet, behind-the-scenes work that makes every treatment in Nepal possible.

We are profoundly grateful for her.

28/12/2025

New Blog Post by Andrew Schlabach:
🔗 https://acupuncturereliefproject.org/news-blog/337-stepping-back-far-enough

Some work only reveals itself with time.

With enough distance, the small moments (clinical encounters, conversations, careful decisions) begin to form a larger story.

After returning home from Nepal, our founder Andrew Schlabach wrote a reflection on nearly two decades of building care, mentorship, and trust with Acupuncture Relief Project & Good Health Nepal. It’s a piece about slowing down, questioning assumptions, holding ethical lines, and watching leadership grow: quietly, patiently, and from within the community itself.

This writing holds so much of what ARP is really about and we’re grateful to share it with you. 🤍

Wishing you a gentle close to the year and a meaningful beginning to the next.

19/12/2025

✨ Meet Sita Bakhrel ✨

Board Member, Coordinator & Clinician | Good Health Nepal

👉 Read the full story on the ARP News Blog:
https://www.acupuncturereliefproject.org/news-blog/336-from-student-to-leader

Sita Bakhrel first began working with Acupuncture Relief Project and Good Health Nepal in 2013 as a student at the Rural Health Education and Service Center (RHESC) in Kathmandu. Through early trainings, internships, and rural outreach camps, she developed a strong foundation in community-based, acupuncture-centered primary care.

What inspired Sita most was not only the clinical training, but the way care was delivered. “ARP/GHN taught me that care is more than treatment,” she shares. “It’s kindness, patience, listening, and dignity.”

Over the years, Sita’s role has grown alongside the organization. Today, she serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of Good Health Nepal and works as Coordinator for Acupuncture Relief Project, supporting governance, administration, volunteer coordination, education, and clinical care. She is also completing a Master’s degree in Psychology while continuing to treat patients.

Through her work in rural clinics and free health camps, Sita has seen that healing is deeply relational. Many patients travel long distances not only for medicine, but for respect, hope, and understanding. “Primary care in Nepal is community work,” she says. “It’s about connection, education, and trust.”

We are excited to include Sita as part of our leadership team as we welcome her to the Board of Directors for Good Health Nepal and are grateful for her commitment to locally led, compassionate care.

17/12/2025

✨ Volunteer Spotlight: Lindsay Drescher ✨
Oct 10, 2025 – Dec 13, 2025
🇨🇦 Canada

Lindsay was drawn to Chinese medicine through a curiosity about “optimizing the human experience.” She has always felt called to help people, and Chinese Medicine’s view of the body, mind, and spirit as interconnected deeply resonated with her. “I felt called to work in a way that supports people on multiple levels.”

She applied to the ARP during a period of transition in her life. The opportunity felt like a chance to learn, be humbled, and offer service in a way that challenged her personally and professionally, while shifting her focus beyond herself.

During her time with us, Lindsay provided nearly 450 treatments. What surprised her most was seeing what happens when acupuncture is given with consistency and frequency. “The changes in pain, mobility, and healing have been undeniable, and it’s deepened my trust in what this medicine can do.”

Living with our Nepali acupuncturists and their family showed her that care begins far beyond the clinic. Through shared meals, daily check-ins, and inclusion in celebrations, she experienced a generosity that made her feel genuinely part of the family.

In clinic, Lindsay was struck by how much people endure before seeking care. Without accessible healthcare, many live with chronic conditions and significant pain before coming to the clinic.

This experience expanded her sense of responsibility as a clinician to thinking beyond point selection. It’s important to know when to treat and when to refer.

What will stay with her most is the warmth of the village: daily smiles, quiet “namaste,” and moments of shared kindness. Lindsay said that “even without sharing the same language, kindness was consistently felt and exchanged.”

15/12/2025

✨ Volunteer Spotlight: Gemma Beck ✨

Nov 5, 2025 – Jan 5, 2026

From a young age, Gemma felt drawn toward plants and medicine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in botany and spent many hours in medicinal gardens and greenhouses, developing an appreciation for the natural world. She also worked at an upscale vegan restaurant in Minnesota, where she saw how those plants become nourishment. Discovering Chinese herbal medicine later felt like “the path I had been searching for my entire life had opened up to me.”

She applied to this program because “serving others has always been one of the truest sources of nourishment for me.” As a new practitioner, she wanted to be useful, challenged, humbled, and transformed.

In our clinic, Gemma works closely with Clinic Director Sushila Gurung and Clinic Manager Satyamohan Dangol, whose home she describes as profoundly welcoming. She and Lead Acupuncturist Sanita Gopali work side by side each day, blending what Gemma learned in school with Sanita’s expertise in Nepali culture and rural primary care.

“Being here has accelerated my growth in ways I didn’t expect,” she says. Living with a Nepali family has softened homesickness: “To be welcomed so generously by a family who had never met me yet embraced me as their own has touched me deeply.”
Her understanding of limited resources has shifted, especially how something as simple as a road shapes healthcare access. Preventative screenings now feel essential: “A weekly blood pressure check might be the difference between life continuing normally or life being forever altered.”

One moment that stays with her is running into a patient outside the clinic and sharing a warm, joyful conversation despite barely sharing a common language. “The connection was effortless. It reminded me that care lives far beyond words; it lives in presence, sincerity, and the willingness to meet another human being exactly where they are.”

“Being here has clarified what truly matters—how I want to show up for my patients, for the people I love, and for myself.”

📸 .schlabach

12/12/2025

✨ Winter Volunteer Team: Eden, Gemma & Lindsay ✨

This winter we’ve been lucky to host three foreign acupuncturists at our Bajrabarahi clinic: Lindsay Drescher (Canada), Eden Choi (USA) and Gemma Beck (USA). Living together above the clinic, they share early mornings, long clinic days, evening debriefs, and plenty of laughter with the family who hosts them: Clinic Director Sushila Gurung, Clinic Manager Satyamohan Dangol, and their daughter. They are also well fed and cared for by our beloved chef, Sakali (“Didi”) Gopali.

RP President Andrew Schlabach, happens to be on the ground at the same time, and under his guidance they are deepening their skills in orthopedic acupuncture, an approach that includes techniques some providers describe as “dry needling,” and learning to integrate hands-on assessment with careful clinical reasoning.

They are also practicing something essential to our program: screening for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) using the tools in their kits, including blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes and pulse oximeters. These basic instruments help detect conditions that are major causes of illness and death in Nepal. Learning to use them well is part of becoming a safe and effective rural primary-care provider.
Between treating patients, learning from Andrew, and collaborating with our Nepali practitioners, the three have also spent time outside the clinic helping clean the gardens, planting herbs and vegetables, and becoming part of the daily rhythm of the household that holds them.

Together, Eden, Gemma, and Lindsay represent the kind of practitioners we hope to train: humble, curious, collaborative, and eager to build skills that will serve their home communities for years to come.

📸

08/12/2025

✨ Meet Nepali Acupuncturist & Clinic Manager: Satyamohan Dangol ✨

In 2008, when Acupuncture Relief Project first arrived in his village to treat patients at a local monastery, Satyamohan’s father, the monastery gardener, came home and told him they were looking for an interpreter.

“I didn’t even know what acupuncture was,” Satyamohan remembers. “But I applied, and fortunately, I got selected.”

He began by translating for visiting practitioners, watching patient after patient walk away relieved from conditions that had affected them for years. “Sometimes it looked almost magical,” he says. “People were so happy. That inspired me. I thought: I want to do this too.”

With steady mentorship from ARP President Andrew Schlabach (USA), and later Diane Wintzer (USA), Satyamohan began learning acupuncture during volunteer teaching trips. What limited him most wasn’t motivation, it was financial support. “But the project and donors made it possible,” he says. With their help, he enrolled in acupuncture school in Kathmandu and earned his professional license in 2017.

After graduating, he continued to grow through mentorship with Elissa Chapman (Australia), Bex Groebner (USA), and many generous volunteers who shared their knowledge in the clinic year after year. Their guidance, combined with his dedication, has shaped him into a skilled, clear-thinking rural primary care provider.

He also had to build trust in the community. “At first, people didn’t understand why needles were good,” he explains. “Some believed it would make Western medicine stop working. And culturally, it was hard to ask for bare skin exposure. But now people are more open. They’ve seen how much it can help.”

Today, Satyamohan is one of the pillars of our organization. As Clinic Manager and Remote Clinic Lead, he oversees logistics, infrastructure, supplies, government liaison work, and the mentorship of new volunteers, all while providing high-quality care to hundreds of patients each month.

Recently, he presented a case study and taught other healthcare providers in Kathmandu, sharing insights gathered from years of treating complex conditions in rural settings. His work is now influencing practitioners far beyond our clinic walls.
He credits his growth to many teachers, especially Andrew: “Andrew is the one who inspired me and gave me this opportunity. He is my first and favorite teacher and someone I deeply respect as a human being.”

But Satyamohan’s leadership is rooted in partnership as well. He works closely with his wife, Sushila Gurung, our Clinic Director. Together, they keep our clinic running and make sure the care being given is compassionate and honors the community we serve.

When he’s not treating patients, you might find him hiking, tending his garden, listening to music, or playing with his daughter, the heart of his world.
His life motto remains simple: “Be good and do good.” And he lives it every day.
We are privileged and grateful to have Satyamohan helping to drive this work forward.

📸 Schlabach, Bott, Groebner

Satyamohan Dangol Sushila Gurung

06/12/2025

✨ Butter Lamp Puja at Daman✨

Yesterday our ARP/GHN team traveled to Daman to honor 10 years of continuous service in Bajrabarahi: a decade of community partnership, rural primary care, and shared learning between local Nepali healthcare leaders and foreign visitors.

From Daman, a short hike took us to Rikheshwor Temple, a sacred hilltop shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Beside the temple is Chumik Changchup, a holy spring said to have emerged from Shiva’s grief and devotion. People come here seeking clarity and renewal, a fitting place to reflect on the work that has shaped us over the years.

At the temple, we offered a 108-butter-lamp puja, a traditional blessing for insight, protection, and the path ahead. Lighting lamps together felt like a quiet prayer for the decade to come: for our patients, our Nepali team, our volunteers, and the community that continues to welcome us with such generosity.

What made the day especially meaningful was being there together: our Nepali leadership, long-time staff, and current volunteers.

📸 Photos:
1 — Butter lamps beginning the puja
2 — Our littlest community member
3 — Sushila Waiba (senior interpreter) offering incense
4 — Andrew Schlabach (ARP president) & Satyamohan Dangol (GHN Clinic manager, acupuncturist) lighting lamps
5 — Andrew, volunteer Gemma Beck (acupuncturist, USA), Satyamohan & Sakali (“Didi,” our chef)
6 — Sanita Gopali (lead acupuncturist) & Sakali
7 — Sanita & volunteer Lindsay Drescher (acupuncturist, Canada)
8 — Sushila Gurung (GHN clinic director, acupuncturist), Satyamohan, and their daughter

Thank you to everyone, near and far, who has supported this work, not only in Bajrabarahi, but across 18 years in Nepal. Here’s to the decade behind us and to the one we are stepping into with clarity and open hands.

📸 Schlabach

05/12/2025

✨ 🙏Ten Years in Bajrabarahi 🙏✨

Ten years ago, our Bajra Barahi Clinic opened its doors: a small building offered by a skeptical but hopeful development committee, and a community willing to give us a chance to earn their trust.

Today, that little clinic has become a regional model for rural, integrative primary care through Acupuncture Relief Project and Good Health Nepal.

What began as a ripple, asking patients “How can I help you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?” has grown into a wave of community-led healthcare.

This is a place where patients are treated with dignity, humor, and eye contact: still radical in many rural settings.

Here, NCD screening, prevention, and education happen alongside acupuncture, physical therapy, and herbal medicine.

Our volunteers learn as much from the community as they offer.

Home visits, emergency assessments, and quiet moments on cold mornings have become part of the fabric of care.

Trust is earned one wound cleaning, one diabetes screening, one conversation at a time.

This decade also marks the rise of local leadership — the real future of rural healthcare in Nepal.

Sushila Gurung and Satyamohan Dangol, who began as a teenage medical interpreters, are now respected acupuncturists, clinic director and clinic manager and mentors to local and foreign healthcare providers.

RHESC students and interns, many from villages near the clinic, are becoming the next generation of integrated health workers.

All of this traces back to a single act of generosity:
the loving memory of Caroline Iverson, whose support made the Bajrabarahi clinic possible and continues to touch thousands of lives.

To the community of Bajrabarahi, to our interpreters and staff, to every volunteer who has walked those winding roads, to every donor who believed in this work:

Thank you for helping turn a ripple into a wave.

Here’s to ten years and to the next ten. ❤️🇳🇵

05/12/2025

✨ Volunteer Spotlight: Eden Choi ✨

“I studied English and was pre-med before starting acu school. A public health study abroad in Kunming, China set my path towards a Chinese medicine degree. Receiving acupuncture and Tuina improved my health and changed my life.”

Eden applied because she wanted to practice, learn, and experience Nepal, without many expectations, just openness to challenge and service. What’s surprised her most is the kindness and trust she’s been offered as a foreigner, and how often she’s had the chance to develop hands-on skills that might only come up occasionally in the U.S.

Living with a Nepali family has been a highlight. “They give their love and support when clinic is hard… and make sure I’m safe and full of food.” Daily life has shown her the sweetness of community, care, and cultural exchange (and yes, momo-making!)

She’s learning Nepali bit by bit: “‘Tik cha? Alli kasto cha?’ translates to ‘Are you okay? How about now?’ When my patient realizes I’m asking in Nepali, there’s a moment of surprise followed by shared joy. There’s connection.”

In clinic, Eden has been struck by how many people have never seen a doctor before and how essential it is to screen for noncommunicable diseases, especially severe hypertension. She’s learning that sometimes the most important role she can play is guiding someone toward the care they truly need.

Her advice to future volunteers: “Be open, be generous, and seek to understand. Also, take breaks, drink hot tea, and get back in there!”

One of her favorite memories: a schoolgirl with a sprain who was nervous about needles. After gentle care (and KTape), she returned the next day with a friend… and then another. Soon the whole group was receiving treatment together—a testament to the trust built here over many years. “I hope I can build such trust in my own practice.”

💛 Thank you, Eden, for your openness, curiosity, and heart.

28/11/2025

This week, our Acupuncture Relief Project and Good Health Nepal teams, Andrew Schlabach (ARP President), Satyamohan Dangol (GHN Clinic Manager, L.Ac.), and Sushila Gurung (GHN Clinic Director, L.Ac.), led two days of hands-on clinical training.

Day 1 — Lumbar Degeneration with Satyamohan Dangol

Satya guided students through a full case presentation on lumbar disc degeneration, teaching case report writing, clinical assessment & physical testing, treatment planning and point selection, electroacupuncture techniques for the lumbar spine. Students were able to practice physical testing and acupuncture to help reduce pain and increase range of motion.

Day 2 — Knee Injury & Rehab with Sushila Gurung

Sushila presented a comprehensive knee case involving meniscal tear, ACL tear, and tibial fracture, showing how acupuncture supported healing after injury. Training included functional knee tests & accurate measurement taking, “Eyes and Wings” electroacupuncture, K-tape application, exercise guidance for improving stability and mobility and ands-on needling practice.

Across both days, the focus remained on safe, effective electroacupuncture, orthopedic assessment, and practical skills that clinicians can immediately apply in community clinics.

We’re grateful for this dedicated teaching team and for the students stepping forward to strengthen primary care in Nepal. This is sustainable, community-led healthcare in action.

Acupuncture Relief Project

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