Mahabir’s plane touched down on tarmac with a view of mountains similar to his native Nepal. The cold dry air mimicked Nepal’s dry season in the high mountains but Mahabir was thousands of miles from home during a visit to Denver, Colorado.

On February 22, 2012 he gave a presentation to the medical students of the University of Colorado (UC) School of Medicine’s Center for Global Health. The 90 minute talk titled “Bridging Medical and Educational Gap in Nepal’s Isolated Villages via Wireless Internet” introduced students to the challenges of providing health care in austere environments.

That same evening he presented a similar talk to UC’s student group Engineers Without Borders in Boulder, Colorado. Mahabir outlined to the engineering students how they can help develop appropriate technologies in the rural areas of Nepal.

His final meeting in the mile high city was with “Bridges Between” an organization that focuses on women’s’ education in rural Nepal. The financial and technical issues of building a wireless network in Solukhumbu district of Nepal were discussed.

Mustering his well known endless energy Mahabir then flew to Kearney, Nebraska spending six days lecturing, networking and visiting supporters and old friends at his alma mater.

In less then one week he lectured to six University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) classes ranging from commerce to technology; developed plans with Good Samaritan Hospital TeleHealth staff and UNK School of Nursing for future TeleMedicine projects; provided an interview and commentary for the local newspaper; appeared on “Talk of the Town”, a local radio station; was interviewed for a Central Nebraska TV broadcast about his wireless projects; reviewed the progress of present projects with Himanchal Education Foundation supporters; met with community clubs such as the Kearney Dawn Rotary Club to speak about the success of his Nepal projects; and finally, acted as the gracious guest of honor at a reception hosted by the Dean of College of Education and attended by local Nepalese students.

Long time friends and supporters made every minute count before seeing Mahabir off on his long journey back to Nepal…a journey that started twenty years ago and still marches on fueled by the dreams and dedication of one man.

I put down the phone after the BOD meeting in December and laid my head on the table. Three board members; Jane Sabin-Davis, Jiwan Giri and Sandeep Giri had just resigned…board members who brought clear insights, experienced guidance and passion to HEF . This was a large bitter pill to swallow along with the fear that we were partially crippled by the loss of these dedicated and talented individuals. Why did they resign? Each had their own reasons.

Change was on the horizon and HEF could either keep it’s head down or embrace new opportunity. All organizations go through change…it is important to remember criticism and change are opportunity for improvement. So this is a call to all our supporters and former volunteers…HEF is looking for individuals to serve on the board of directors. But before starting the process of reorganization I thought it would be helpful to hear from the resigning BOD members. I asked each resigning BOD member to tell me about their work for HEF and why they resigned. One, Jane Sabin-Davis who worked with Chitra Pun Field Officer on income earning projects, stepped forward and sent the following reply which I have edited for reasons of clarity and space with her approval:

“I have a long history of non profit work both in the US and in Nepal.  From 2000 to 2004 I worked in the Khumbu region and beginning in 2005 I served on the Board of Directors of the Himanchal Educational Foundation.  Serving on a non-profit board in the US that operates in Nepal is a challenging adventure.  In both non-profits I struggled meshing western expectations, such as having clear guidelines, fiscal transparency, and person-to-person clear communication with Nepali expectations.  What I discovered is that there are Nepali organizations that understand the benefit of typical western operations and are invested in these values and many individuals and organizations that operate using typical Nepali customs that have worked for centuries.  It is important that you find what fits with your values.”

“While serving on the Board of Directors, I primarily worked with Chitra Pun to support the income producing projects in Nangi.  Chitra was hired by the HEF board; his job responsibilities were to support long established projects like the paper making and to further new projects such as cross breeding… I was the designated supervisor of Chitra but the community of Nangi was also his supervisor.  This resulted in Chitra getting multi messages from each side of the Pacific and ended up with a very confusing situation…”

“When you think about joining the HEF board or other international boards, make sure that you clearly understand the mission, vision and established expectations. I joined this board to help increase the quality of life in Nepal by helping the villagers become self-sufficient through the income producing projects.  It was my belief that if we teach skill sets, the community members would have their own income sources and not be reliant on the influx of western donations.

I would encourage any potential board members to learn as much as possible; you will need to be willing to spend time in Nepal, to learn about their culture and community, and to find how your expertise fits with the needs of Nangi.

I left the HEF Board due to differences in vision and am putting my skills to work with three local non-profits in Bend. Oregon.”

If you are interested in joining HEF BOD please contact Dr. Debra Stoner debra@himanchal.org We are looking for individuals with accounting experience, computer technician skills such as web design and blogging and NGO income earning project experience. Even if you do not fit this profile but feel you have a skill set that would blend with our mission please email and we can discuss your ideas.

As I sat in the dark, damp room, I heard chattering voices and the shuffle of paper all around me. I looked up to watch as razor blades were exchanged for rulers and a tub of glue was being passed around with a toothbrush in it for putting the glue on the paper’s seams.

The five Nepalese women I was working with were busily creasing, gluing and cutting their lokta paper. In a few short hours they had quickly picked up the ability to make several sizes of paper bags. As I taught them where to measure, cut and glue the paper, they followed along with me. Although I was the one who showed them how to make the bags, my output was steadily falling behind the number of bags that they were creating with their dexterous fingers and sharp eyes.

My name is Jessica and I am a senior high school student living in Singapore. For the past two years my family and I have gone to Nangi, Nepal, for a few weeks over the summer. The first year we went, we installed two solar water heaters so that the village can raise money for their school by charging hikers for taking showers when they trek through and stay at the new campground. Then this past summer, we helped to install a solar electric panel and battery system for the village’s new medical clinic. The clinic has medical and dental equipment , as well as a computer that has been set up to video conference with larger medical facilities. Since electricity in Nangi is not always reliable, having this source of energy will ensure that the clinic has a steady supply of electricity. Now Lila, Rupa, and Chitra will have the electricity that they need to take care of any illness or injury, no matter the circumstances.

Also this past year, as a more personal project, I taught several of the women in Nangi to make paper bags out of the lokta paper that they produce in the village. During our first trip in 2010, we noticed that the women made lots of beautiful paper, but, other than small journal books, there did not seem to be any other finished products to sell. At our home in Singapore, my mother and I sat and brainstormed ways to make their craftwork more easily sellable. One of our first ideas was to make paper bags. I figured out how to put a paper bag together from a piece of paper we had bought while in Nangi the previous summer, and after looking at the finished product, we knew that we had found just what we were looking for.

Over the summer, the women from Nangi and I made over 500 bags, which my family and I are now selling. We are selling them at the Singapore American School, where my siblings and I go to school. We are also looking into selling them on ebay. If anyone is interested in buying these bags (they would be great for holiday and birthday gifts!), please email me at scubadivingrl@yahoo.com. We intend to donate all of the money we raise to the school in Nangi.

by Timothy and Stephanie

After a week of travel and sight seeing in Pokhara and Kathmandu, while worrying about a banda (strike), we arrived in Nangi. We had been planning this trip for a year and a half, planning to arrive one year ago. Our trip was put off due to political unrest.

Our projects for the next three weeks were simple and straight forward. Steph, a teacher, had brought tools to help the local teachers to better teach English Language skills. Tim, a physician, also brought teaching tools to review basic anatomy, physiology, and physical diagnosis with the health care workers in the village. It was most enjoyable to interact with Lila and Rupa, Nangi’s Health Care Workers. Steph totally enjoyed her work and interactions with the teachers at the school. She fell in love with the children and came away with great admiration for the hard work and dedication demonstrated by the staff. From our perspective the projects went well. W certainly learned a great deal and hope that we were able to impart some knowledge as well.

Our spare time was spent exploring the area, especially the Sacred Forest, which was introduced to us by our guide and go to person Chitra. Day hikes, a weekend to Mohare, and attending local celebrations added to the fun we experienced in Nangi.

But most of all we enjoyed meeting and interacting with the people of Nangi. In addition to Lila and Rupa, we thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated all that Hectumari, Ganga, Krishna, Chitra, Kishan, the paper ladies, the mushroom ladies, Moti and the nursery, and so many more faces for whom we cannot attach names, did to help make this a truly extraordinary experience.
The beautiful smiles from the children and the countless greetings
of “Namaste” will stay with us forever. Nangi has done remarkable jobs with the mushroom house, the paper making project, the nursery, the fishery, the cross-breeding project and connecting so many of its people with the outside world through the internet project. The cleanliness and organization of the village was far superior to that of other villages we visited. This, in no small part, was aided by containing the domestic animals and having in place a system for collecting and disposing of trash.

Both of us left Nangi with much gratitude to Himanchal Education Foundation for affording us this amazing life experience. Only our active personal and professional lives in the US keep us from spending more time there. We look forward to the possibility of rekindling our acquaintances in the future.

For those people considering a volunteer project in Nangi, we heartily encourage you to do so. Your project should, as ours, be simple, straightforward and aligned with the goals and vision of the village. Prior experience in a resource poor environment would be of much help in understanding they rhythms of the village life.

Nangi, Nepal: September 7, 2011: Author: Chitra Pun

The Dhaulagiri Technical School in Lete is spending three months in Nangi training 20 unskilled workers to be the new chefs in lodges along the Parbat/Khopra trails.  There are two chefs Mr. Khadka Subba and Mr. Prasanta Gauchan and Mr. Amar G.C. is an English teacher.

The credit for this training goes to Mr Raman Pun, Headteacher at the Himanchal Secondary School, because he
successfully brought it to Nangi village. We were very stressed because we had to conduct a training before this fall season but we are happy that we could do it in time.

Dhaulagiri Technical School (DTS) is conducted under Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training of Nepal Government. Financial support for this training is by Asian Development Bank (ADB) through Skill for Employment Project (SEP).

Students will be taught to make local dishes from local food, along with continental dishes; their training includes theory and practical training. The students will take their new skills back to their home villages: two from Banskharka and Dandakateri, four from Nangi, one each from Dandkharka, Tikot, Khibang, Dhankharka, Khopra Danda, Pauduwar, Ramche, and five from Kaphaldanda village.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE NEW CHEFS!

What does an Israeli Internet entrepreneur have in common with an Education student from England or an American photographer have in common with a Spanish sociologist? They were all 2011 volunteers with Himanchal Education Foundation.

Volunteers from America to Singapore spent anywhere from two weeks to four months giving their time and expertise to HEF’s network of projects. The individual projects included teaching at the school such diverse topics as English, rugby and dodge ball sports, photography, drama, flute music, writing, computer science and website building.

In addition; Miguel, from Spain, researched and helped development a business plan for the new trekking enterprise; Colin, from England, was able to conduct required university research examining how cultural changes impact the local Shamans, who are spiritual healers and advisers; a family of six from Singapore built a solar electric system for the new medical and dental clinics.

Mark, a university student from England, had this to say about his experience:

“I set out with the intention of teaching a UK sport, Rugby, to the Nepali children to introduce them to a not so world widely known sport and also the sport encourages teamwork and healthy lifestyle so I thought I would try to implement this as a fun and healthy change for the children… I had to write up a report of my findings and ended up writing about whether gender inequalities still existed in Nepali culture, with regards to education.”

He summed up the sentiments of many former volunteers:

“Everyone is so kind, welcoming and funny and are so eager to help you learn their customs as well as ask us about ours.”

He also offered a few words of advice and encouragement:

“My advice to other volunteers would be to make sure you have a clear objective of what you want to achieve before you get out there and also to have a few sips of Dutch courage before getting on the jeep to go to Nangi from Beni!”

HEF welcomes volunteers with a diversity of skills. The only requirement is to be 21 years of age or have at least two years of college or university studies completed. Contact Dr. Leonard Skov skovl@unk.edu for an application or Dr. Debra Stoner debra@himanchal.org for more information.

Mahabir Pun and the Himanchal Educational Foundation wants to extend a big THANK YOU to RANKS team (Rohit, Anurakta, Netra, Karma and Sunil) who raised $1,060 for HEF running the Colorado Marathon on Sunday May 1st. — Great job!!

Any money donated to the Himanchal Educational Foundation goes directly to Nepal to support the projects initiated by Mahabir Pun.  Mahabir has accomplished so much in a short period of time including installing wireless internet connections in many villages in the Myagdi District, allowing students and families to use the internet for educational purposes, and  medical staff to consult with far away specialists.

At present HEF is supporting various income producing projects that have been highlighted previously.  The idea of these projects is that HEF will train and support the project at the beginning and then after the initial success, the project support itself. 

If you want to help match the $1060 raised by RANKS, please make an on-line donation today.

If you want to see all of the pictures from the race, visit our facebook page or type in the following url:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.212562258762795.59194.204085609610460

Five kindred Nepali spirits – Rohit, Anurakta, Netra, Karma, and Sunil (RANKS for short) are running the Colorado Marathon on May 1st, 2011 in Fort Collins, CO, and better yet – they are dedicating their marathon run to raise funds for Himanchal Education Foundation and support Mahabir Pun.

We would greatly appreciate your pledging your support for their marathon by contributing here – http://www.himanchal.org/contribute/

Also – become their Facebook fan and follow their progress to the big race day

We just want to update you on the new trekking routes in and around Nangi, Nepal.

Work on the lodges continues and by the Fall trekking season we should be open and ready for business. Check out the progress we are making. Let’s start our virtual trek in Nangi.

Cloudless day in Nangi.

As you can see, the interior still needs some work.

                                                                                                                               So let’s walk up to Mohare and see what is happening at that site.  The climb from Nangi to Mohare intially goes past many incredible, old shrines topping a small ridge close to the village.  As you walk through the Enchanted Forest’s tall and lust rhododendrons,  you feel magically transported to another world.  After about two hours you get to the ridge walk, where you can see the Pokhara area on one side  and the Kali Ghandaki valley on the other.

Mohare Interior

And a few additional pictures from other lodges along the route for your enjoyment.

Ready and Waiting for Trekkers!

The new Nangi Trekking Lodge is almost done – just in time for the spring tourist season.  All of the villagers have been working diligently to get this completed. And a big thank you to Chitra Pun for all the work he has done with the trekking program in general.  

At present Chitra is learning how to become a trekking guide.

Chitra presenting information to trekking guides

As you can see this program is being presented to many interested in making the new Nangi Treks the best possible!

Trekking Guide Class