In 2001 the Matterhorn Treks -GuideSource staff and clients have passed through the small villages of Nepal during cultural hikes, base camp treks and approaches to Himalayan mountain climbs. On a daily basis we are wonderfully intertwined with the local people, many of whom are children. In 2001 our Asian Director, Ang Kami Sherpa, realized that many of these children were actually orphans, and further research exposed a startling fact: the tourist ‘Mecca’ of Nepal is home to nearly one million orphans in a population of only 25 million. This situation woke us up, and we decided MNGS could not continue our guiding business in Nepal without helping these children gain a chance for a better future. Since 80% of accredited Nepalese schools are located in large cities, education is not readily available to rural children; obviously a child with no family has no opportunity at all.
Soon thereafter a homeless orphan in dire circumstances was brought to our attention. After confirming her situation we took this child to Kathmandu, enrolled her in a boarding school and committed to supporting her out of MNGS company funds until she graduated with a Nepalese educational diploma. Since then MNGS has continued to help other orphans and currently supports fifteen children, funding their schooling, room and board, clothing and supplies. We often take them into staff members’ homes during holidays, in essence becoming their extended families, offering not just monetary help but also the emotional and spiritual support every child needs in life.
In 2010 the veteran mountain guides and co-owners of MNGS decided that if their clients and others learned about these children, some might wish to participate in this work. As a result they founded Education for Orphans of Nepal®, a charity offering orphan children the opportunity they needed to change their futures.
Every donation to EON directly helps these children accomplish their educational goals and eventually become a productive member of Nepalese society, rather than a burden in one of the poorest nations on Earth. There are few things more important in life than an education, and there is nothing more important than our children. We thank everyone for taking the time to learn more about these children and their desire to help themselves.
