A reflection on 2010 and anticipation of the opportunities in 2011.

Himanchal Educational Foundation definitely experienced an outstanding year.  The initial focus of our resources, the financial support of Himanchal Higher Secondary School, seems to show up just at the time we need to transfer funds and the school continues to provide a high quality education for the students in Nangi and the surrounding villages.

A second goal is to support incubator-type projects that support economic development projects throughout the region.  These projects provide quality opportunities for the graduates of the school, leading to stronger villages, a stronger consistent economic base in the region and developing a cadre of graduates that can see the economic potential in rural Nepal.

The projects underway include; using the Nepal Wireless to facilitate on-time communication among the villages, making commerce, communication, medical services and just quick/quality communication; development of a series of eco-tourism trails to bring trekkers to the region; and crossing yaks and cows to produce high quality milk to produce high quality cheeses.

While the early stages of our work in the region was focused on providing direct assistance,  we have now focused on a teaching model that, through the training programs, is developing  a cadre of trainers who can be working with the villagers year-around. The very effective volunteer program that brings high quality individuals and their skills to the village not only provides wonderful learning opportunities for the volunteers, but also, through the teaching mission, shares those skills with the students and villagers, leading to empowerment and capacity building that will benefit the region long after the volunteers are back home.

Thanks to all who have supported HEF during 2010.  We hope we have earned your support for the future years.   

Have a great 2011!
Leonard Skov, Chairman
Himanchal Educational Foundation
5610 Avenue N
Kearney, Nebraska  68847
308-234-1243
leonard@himanchal.org 
 

In the fall of 2009, my high school daughter, Jessica, and I attended an inspirational and moving assembly at her school, The Singapore American School.  The focus of the assembly was that everyone can volunteer and make a difference – either in big ways or small.  Later that day, Jessica told me that our family needed to do more to help other people.   We started searching on the internet for an organization that would be a good fit for our family. 

My husband, Bruce, and I agreed that we wanted all four of our kids, who ranged in age from 8 to 16, involved in whatever endeavor we chose.  We were looking for an opportunity to volunteer in a remote area with an organization that was small enough for us to feel like we were able to make a difference but structured enough that I was comfortable taking my four kids and staying there.  Also, my husband and I are both engineers, and we were hoping to find a project which would take advantage of our skills and background and would give us an opportunity to get our kids involved in an engineering project.  Finally, we were looking for an organization with which we could develop a relationship and could continue to volunteer year after year.  After many hours of searching, phone calls, and discussion, we decided that we wanted to work with the Himanchal Education Foundation in Nangi, Nepal.  Our main project was the installation of a solar water heater for the campground that is being built...”

 

Read the full narration about the family’s project on our web site:www.himanchal.org

 

New Trekking Route in Nangi 

This fall TAAN, the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal, launched three new treks – one of which will benefit the schools in and around Nangi village. 
 
Mahabir Pun has always had the vision of a trekking route close to home.  This dream became a reality when the Borderland Resorts' Director Megh Ale agreed to team with the Himanchal Educational Foundation to create this new route. Coordinated by Nature-Treks, these community eco-lodge treks emphasize communities, conservation, and environmentally sustainable travel.  

Trek #1 (see Map) starts in Galeswor and trekkers will travel for seven days to six villages whose elevations range from 2,700 feet at the starting point in Beni along the Kali Gandaki River to over 9,000 on the Mohare Ridge.  On a clear day you can see over 30 snow clad mountains including three mountains over eight thousand meters.  On Trek #2 you can extend your trip by hiking up to Khopra Ridge, which has an absolutely incredible view of Annapurna South.  On Trek #3 you visit to Khopra is completed by a hike downhill to Paudwar and Tatopani, a 2-day trek, or you can choose to take the 'direct' route down over 5,000 feet to Narchyang; it is possible to get from Khopra to Narychang and to Beni in one day.

 

In addition to the grandeur of Nepal, this trek is eco-friendly and the lodges are owned and operated by their local schools or villages: all proceeds after expenses go back to the communities for educational purposes and lodges are run by local villagers, thus providing local jobs.

 

This project was built by the 60% of the financial support from UNDP and the 40% from the community. TAAN and Nepal Tourism Board are supporting for software part of the project such as cook training, guide training, printing trekking map etc. Nature Trek is one of the major promoters of the trekking route. The elevation of Beni is 1,000 ft and that of the Mohare is 11,500 ft.

 

For more information visit theBorderlands Resort website  or go directly to the information from Nature-Treks, a sister company.   

If you have any questions, I took this trek last fall; just email me atjane@himanchal.org.

 

Cross Breeding Project

The villagers and school in Nangi are working hard to establish a Cheese Production Factory and the first step is to build a herd of cross-bred Jhopas.

As many of you may already know, at Khopra Lodge Mahabir has established a Yak Farm.  These yaks are primarily  for meat, milk and wool. They also work as pack animals in the higher elevation above snowline.   But the males serve another function which is to mate with a local female cow to produce a cross breed offspring called a Jhopa.  Because one of the parents is a Yak, it allows the cross bred animals to live in Mohare. We have breeding program that has been already successfully done. Now we need to increase the herd. Therefore we need more cows. We have attached the photo of some of the Jhopa and yak we have now in Mohare.

After the herd if built up, the next step will be to build more animal sheds and the actual Cheese Factory.  Mohare is in an excellent area, surrounded by uninhabited forest and great grazing.  The animals can go up to the Lodge for milking or birthing but then wander peacefully around the hills.

If you have ever had Yak milk in your tea or coffee you know what a treat locally produced milk and cheese products can be.  If you are interested in this project, the school plans to purchase local cows from Narchyang and they need 15 cows and the total cost is Rs 22500, or Rs.1500 ($22.00) per cow. You can sponsor a cow (or more) by going to HEF site and click on the "Donate Now" button--and make sure you designate your donation for  "Cross Breeding Project" as the project where you want your funds to go to.

By connecting Nangi village in 2002 to the Internet and slowly expanding the wireless network to neighboring villages step by step, now it has been expanded to more than 150 villages in 13 districts of Nepal. Until now HEF has received more than $30,000 through Donate One Dollar a Month Campaign to support the wireless project. Mahabir uses the contribution coming through HEF for the expansion of the wireless network. Currently Nepal Wireless project is providing different services to the people in the rural areas such as e-education, e-medicine, communication, local e-commerce, hotel booking system, credit card transaction system for the tourists through the Internet. In 2010, Nepal Wireless connected four districts in the network such as Gulmi, Baglung, Ramechap and Nuwakot. Now it is working to connect Syangja and Tanahun district to the network. We have attached photo of a relay station in Kagbeni Mustang.

 

We would like to thank to our volunteers and supporters for  donating  your time, money and effort to Nepal Wireless Project. You can support this " One Dollar a Month Program"  by donating money at "Donate Now" and make sure you designate your donation for  "Nepal Wireless Project" as the project where you want your funds to go to.  For more information,  just email Mahabir atmahabir@himanchal.org or Jiwan at jiwan@himanchal.org.