THE AMERICAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION

Nothing looks as squarely toward the future as education. And nothing else has education’s power to transform lives. For Tibetan refugees, Sherpas, Lobas in Mustang, village girls—for any child facing daunting odds because of caste, gender, disability or poverty—education offers a path forward to opportunity and hope, and the freedom to make choices in a world that will often be very different from their parents’.

Our homework is to clear the obstacles that keep kids from going to school. A school might be too small: add classrooms. Or too far away: build a hostel for students to stay in. Even help with school supplies and uniforms can be essential to allow students to succeed. And when they do, we all win.

For many across the Himalaya, healthcare is unaffordable and out of reach. We build and support health clinics, fund health workers, and supply medicines to bring care to poor, off-the-grid communities—often to Tibetans and Nepalis who may have never seen a doctor before.

In Nepal 27% of children under the age of 15 suffer from some form of disability, often from untreated injuries, that can condemn them to a lifetime of suffering and isolation. We support the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children, a world-class orthopedic hospital whose caring staff skillfully mend the bodies and spirits of the poorest Nepali kids in need of care, for little or no cost.

In the Everest area, the Khunde Hospital and its 3 outreach clinics see over 6,000 patients each year. And Namche Dental Clinic, the world's highest dental clinic, serves locals and trekkers in the Khumbu—and teaches Sherpa children how to keep their smiles bright.

After half a century or more in exile, most Tibetan refugees are still struggling to survive. And for those who remained in Tibet, home has become an increasingly difficult and uncertain place.

The Tibetans who followed His Holiness the Dalai Lama into exile after 1959, hazarding the treacherous mountains along Tibet’s southern border, did not expect it to be permanent. 60 years later, many Tibetan settlements remain isolated, with few resources to move beyond subsistence farming. We help Tibetan refugees maintain their culture in exile and improve their quality of life through education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.

After the first ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the spirit of their achievement was heralded around the world, attracting thousands of trekkers and climbers to the Khumbu region. The feat shone a spotlight on Sherpas, who were honored for their kindness and strength on the mountain. Yet, in the shadow of the world’s tallest peak, life for them was as it had been for centuries. They lacked basics like clean water and electricity, and there were no schools or clinics.

One of AHF’s very first partners was Sir Edmund Hillary and his Himalayan Trust. For 30 years, we worked together to improve lives in every corner of the Khumbu, giving thousands of children an education, supporting clinics and hospitals, restoring Buddhist monasteries that are the heart of Sherpa culture, and building infrastructure that makes life at high altitude less demanding. The late Sir Ed is no longer with us, but we continue to support education for Sherpa children, rebuild after the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, and support the Khunde Hospital, which sees over 6,000 patients each year.

In the once forbidden kingdom of Mustang, isolation had left the people impoverished, traditions faded, and ancient temples a shadow of what they once were. When AHF first visited this enclave of Tibetan culture within Nepal, the king asked for help restoring the soul of his ancient kingdom—starting with its gompas and monastic schools.

Their restoration sparked a cultural renaissance: long abandoned festivals have been revived, magnificent wall paintings are again fit for worship, and monasteries and nunneries are flourishing. We and our partners have also worked to bring healthcare, education, and infrastructure to villages across Mustang, and today the spirit of the Lobas, the people of Mustang, is evident everywhere.