After meeting with a team of Sherpas who come from the Khumbu region, it was decided the priority of Everest Aid had to be to get trekkers and tourists coming back to the Everest region. This alone would affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of poor people. With the help of great people throughout the country, we are in the process of putting together plans that will be set in place by the winter of 2016 and continue to provide relief and miracles for decades to come.
The immediate goal of EVEREST AID is to get the trekking industry back up and running. Putting Sherpas back to work leading treks and assisting in tourism will be the first step towards this goal. After much discussion, it was decided Everest Aid in collaboration with Trek Himalayan.com will begin to organize “Tent Camping Treks” in the fall of 2015. This will be a wonderful way to hike the Old Hillary Everest trail, see villages rarely seen, and make the trek to Everest.
Our long terms goals outline a five-year plan that begins with forming a team of men and women dedicated to helping the people of the Everest region. We are creating a Board of Directors: leaders who will be willing to work with Trek Himalayan staff and the people of Nepal in seeking better ways to rehabilitate the devastated communities.
As soon as grant funds and donations are secured, we can put volunteers to work assisting villagers who are living without shelter or food.
Our short term goals of providing assistance remain paramount.
Our long term goals of rebuilding schools and restoring the trekking industry must begin immediately.
Everest Aid has been networking with outdoor education directors throughout America. We believe the best way to help the Everest region will be to put strong crews of Sherpa guides, teamed up with able college volunteers, to work in rehabilitating communities throughout the Everest region. The importance of education for the poor kids in this area cannot be emphasized enough.
1. Secure funds necessary to achieve our immediate goals, and continue seeking funds for long-term goals.
2.Calling on college outdoor education programs for dedicated volunteers, our aim is to put 2000 American college students to work in the remote villages by Spring of 2016. Trek Himalayan.com has a staff of 400 Sherpa guides, leaders, cooks, drivers, porter and support staff, who can lead these groups of college volunteers to the countryside of the Everest region.
3.Short term: In cooperation with volunteer help, we seek to put villagers back to work in rebuilding their homes and farms. The best thing for these people is to assist in building their homes, not to let them sit and watch them being built by someone else. Pasang knows his people, and has stated clearly they need to get work or they will be impaired psychologically.
4.Long term: Reaching out to the outdoor industry and the mountain biking industry, we will put local villagers and porters to work by constructing a system of biking trails. This will allow adventure bike enthusiasts to access the Khumbu region. The terrain and villages are well suited to biking. Getting tourist dollars coming to the people is essential in rebuilding. It is our hope that mountain bikers, hikers, and climbers will return to the trails as soon as possible.
5.Long term: Semesters abroad will be organized with the assistance of top level outdoor education directors and colleges interested in assisting the restoration of the devastated Everest region.
6.Reach out to volunteer medical doctors and staff who wish to serve in the greater Everest Region. We also need to be aware of sanitation issues and network with departments willing to improve local public health services.
In the coming months Everest Aid will be working with other foundations and organizations who are like minded in their cause. We can accomplish far more by joining together..
The immediate goal of EVEREST AID is to get the trekking industry back up and running.
