Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. Over half the population lives on $3 a day or less and many families often need to walk for hours to reach basic services like safe water, health care, and schools.
How it started?
It all began when Sir Edmund Hillary asked a Sherpa if there was anything he could do for the people of the Himalaya, what would it be?
The Sherpa responded and said that “our children have eyes but they cannot see, will you build us a school?”
Ed then built a basic aluminium school building which became the now-famous Khumjung school. It was a basic building but it represented an enormous step forward for the remote, mountainous region. Today, Khumjung school achieves the highest school exam results of all schools outside of Kathmandu.
A vehicle for change
Petitions for schools and hospitals began flooding in, and to meet this demand, Ed and Louise founded the Himalayan Trust New Zealand. We have been busy building and supporting schools and hospitals throughout the region since the early 1960’s, and we have no plans of stopping any time soon.
Soon after, brother and sister organisations of the Himalayan Trust sprung up across the globe in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the United States
International impact
These organisations have been committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in the Solukhumbu region since the early 1960s. They have become a consistent fixture in the lives of generations of Sherpa providing reliable support to the betterment of education, healthcare and livelihoods.
With the generous support of donors and fundraisers the world over, we continue to build computer labs, provide stationery and medical equipment, and train teachers amongst many other projects.
Commitment to change
Sir Ed’s vision was to deliver a strong education programme to the Everest region of Nepal and secure a brighter future for as many children and young people as possible. Sir Ed knew that education, more than anything else, has the power to lift people out of poverty.
Today, these programmes are helping produce doctors, environmentalists, engineers, teachers, health workers, and community leaders, to help address skills shortages in the region.
Alex Hillary, Himalayan Trust, New Zealand
