Education opens eyes

Sir Ed knew that education, more than anything else, has the power to lift people out of poverty.

Yet too many young people in the Everest region face a lifetime of disadvantage because they can’t get anything more than the most basic education.

Thanks to you, the Himalayan Trust works to improve the quality education in the Everest region, keeping alive Sir Edmund’s vision of a brighter future for as many children and young people as possible.

Ed begins it all

It all began in the early 1960s when Sir Ed asked his Sherpa friend: “If there was anything I could do for the Sherpa people, what do you think that would be?” His friend said: “Our children have eyes but they cannot see. We would like you to open their eyes by building a school in our village.”

This touched Sir Ed’s heart. He replied: “Together we will build a school.”

With the help of his Sherpa friends, he immediately set about building the first school in Khumjung – the “school house in the clouds”. He then went on to build 28 schools in the area and supported many more.

New opportunities

Thanks to our supporters, the Himalayan Trust continues to open up new opportunities for young people in the Everest region through quality education.

Working with our partners Himalayan Trust Nepal, Action for Nepal and REED-Nepal, we support over 60 schools to help:

• students achieve higher levels of success in literacy and core subjects
• increase student retention through to higher grades and tertiary
• increase local ownership of education outcomes

We supply resources and equipment – having the right tools to learn at schools in this region remains a huge challenge because of difficult and expensive transportation, and the cost of buying stationary for families that earn very little.

We also provide training for teachers, upgrade furniture and libraries, and provide scholarships to help young people from the mountain villages pursue higher studies. The scholarships are helping produce doctors, environmentalists, engineers, teachers, health workers, and community leaders, to help address skills shortages in the region.

Breaking the cycle of poverty

Nepal currently ranks in 145^th place on the Human Development Index (HDI) making it one of the least developed nations in the world. Over 7.5 million people can’t yet read and write, and 66% of these are female. Literacy levels are lowest in the most remote districts.

The Himalayan Trust works in the mountainous district of Solukhumbu in the watershed of Everest. As one of the most remote mountain districts of Nepal, transportation of supplies still depends on air, porters, donkeys and yaks. Though some communities living near the main trekking trails have achieved better economic opportunities from the development of tourism, the majority of people still live on traditional agriculture and experience economic hardship.

Many young people in Solukhumbu do not have access to a decent basic education in the early years of schooling, and this has a huge impact on their overall engagement and achievement in school.

With quality education, we can help break the cycle of poverty in Nepal, allowing young people to contribute to the local and national economy.  

Lucky enough to go to school

Lhakpa Sherpa’s walk to school takes him over an hour, and he has to watch his step across the steep and uneven mountain paths. But he knows he’s one of the lucky ones and is thankful for the opportunity to go to high school. 

“I know I’m very lucky to be able to go to school. Many children here don’t get to go to school, because their parents can’t afford to send them.”

Meet Lhakpa: Lucky enough to go to school