Ask HN: How can I raise $8k to build a classroom in rural Tajikistan?

Hey HN,

This isn’t a startup pitch, just a simple, meaningful project.

I’m helping build a classroom in a remote village in southern Tajikistan, where kids as young as 6 walk 3–5 km every day just to reach school. No NGO, no big team — just a few of us trying to make it happen.

We’re aiming to raise $8,000 to construct a single-room classroom right in their village — with basic furniture, a roof, and safe access.

This is my first time doing anything like this. If anyone has experience with fundraising, storytelling, or just how to gain visibility without spamming, I’d be really grateful for advice or signal boosts.

Thanks for reading.

(I’ll post a GoFundMe link in the comments if anyone wants to see it.)

What is going on with the finger's on the girl's hand. Those aren't AI images on the gofundme are they? https://imgur.com/a/a3TXL8E https://imgur.com/a/VP4umzy

9 hours agoby mtmail

Sounds like a barn raising to me.

Posting a gofundme link and sharing your story on social media feels like a not unreasonable approach.

Otherwise, you are building infrastructure, eh? Can the building serve other purposes or provide value to the community at large? Say, it's a school during the day--can it be used in the evening and off school days for other purposes?

Also, let's say its not possible to raise the money. Can you start by making a gazebo? Can you build it from recycled or repurposed materials, i.e., wooden palettes or straw bales, etc? How are other buildings in Tajikistan constructed? (Is it possible to convince more wealthy individuals in the community and surrounding countryside to upgrade their own buildings, possibly in exchange for your own labor, so they can gift the original materials to the community for this enterprise?)

11 hours agoby squircle

The pictures on the gofundme look AI generated to me.

8 hours agoby jakabia

Have you tried contacting local business owners / chains inside or around this area or from a capital? What about local government (mayors, administration) to see if they can connect you with someone? Who will be paying teachers and maintaining the place after the premises is built? Are there any special requirements for buildings used for children education (kitchens equipment, materials used in construction, ventilation, etc)?

11 hours agoby achempion