Traveling across the world at the request of a complete stranger seems like a crazy idea, but one local Endwell man did just that and it's changed his life forever. Our Carmen Perez introduces us to Joseph Curtin and his quest to give a large gift to a tiny village half a world away.

BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- "He said I’m going in October want to come?,” said Curtin.

A simple question from a Buddhist monk named Lucky that led Joseph Curtin on a journey across the world to a tiny village nestled in the hills of Nepal.

"I've learned to be more open to these types of accidents," said Curtin.

The type of accident or random series of events that led him to a very special school that made him want to take action.

"They obviously value education they don't care about the ways they have to teach so much or the building they have to do it in," said Curtin.

The World Bank had already pledged to build the village a better school and playground but only if the village buys the land it sits on by March, a task Curtin feels will not be possible without his help.

"To get ten or eleven thousand dollars in a few months, in this rural community that thrives on rice production, they have one mill that’s their main source of income. Does even the village combined see that much money in a year? I didn't think so," said Curtin.

So now Curtin has made it his mission to raise the money for the village to buy that land. He has set up a website for people to donate and he says it is all he wants this holiday season.

"So for Christmas if someone could make a contribution that's more than I could ever ask for I don't really need anything but to help see the village reach their goal that would be an excellent Christmas gift," said Curtin.

Curtin says his efforts are a small gift in return for what the people in that village taught him.

"These people are so content and they have very little so I ask questions about what do we have to do differently?"

Joseph is now at 53-percent of his goal. If you would like to help him raise the money for the school by February you can visit the fundraising site at www.giveforward.com/namaste-nepal.