Last April, when the Nepalese government offered $500 for each of the 16 Sherpas who were crushed by a huge ice boulder that dislodged on the Khumbu icefall on Mt. Everest, the world was shocked. Jon Krakauer's article in the New Yorker gives a vivid description of the hard work that the Sherpas do and the ridiculously low wages they are paid. The video of a Sherpa 30 minutes before he died in that accident, which appeared on the New York Times website, put a human face on all the statistics. As bad as their condition is, the Sherpas are at the top of the totem pole of the mountain workers of Nepal. Other workers like the porters and cooks have it much worse.
The mountain workers of Nepal have a highly irregular income. They earn what little they do during the climbing and trekking season which lasts for four months a year -- April-May, and October-November. During that time, a porter typically makes about $5 a day, for lugging up to a 100 pounds up the mountain trails. In most cases, their wives are not employed so there is no additional income. The weight of poverty results in their children not getting a good education -- where educational facilities even exist -- and they end up joining the same profession when they grow up.
There are many places in the world which are renowned for their hospitality. The Nepalese, however, stand apart not only for their hospitality but for the sense of ownership they have for our well being while we visit their country to enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. I believe we should reciprocate by doing our part for their well being.
When I spoke to my friend Bibhu Thakur of Mission Himalaya in Khatmandu about how to help, his advice was not to just donate money, but help them earn a better living. He had several ideas for micro enterprises to create employment for the women, as well as the mountain workers themselves during the off season. The first of these is to set up a small-scale potato chip and french fries factory about an hour east of Khatmandu. It will employ 10 people in the first year, half of them in production and half in sales and marketing, and grow in subsequent years. The cost of the structure, equipment, wages and raw material for the first year is estimated at $15,000. A part of the profits will be shared with the employees, and the rest will be plowed back into growing the business.
I am undertaking to raise the $15,000 by creating an awareness of their conditions. From July 6 to 15, I will ride my bike in U.K. from end to end, from Land's End in the southwestern corner of England to John O'Groats at the northeastern corner of Scotland (LEJOG). The route I will be following adds up to about 870 miles.
Dooley Intermed, a nonprofit organization based in New York, which has worked with Mission Himalaya on other projects, has stepped in as a partner for this project as well. Tax deductible (in the U.S.) donations can be made to them with instructions to direct the funds to the Nepal Micro Enterprise Project. Please see the flyer below.
I am doing this bike ride solo, on a shoestring budget. Whatever I save on this trip, I intend to make my contribution to the project.
I leave for London on July 4, arrive there on the 5th, and start my ride on July 6. I'll try to post a daily update on this blog.
Please pitch in your contributions, and spread the word to your friends and families. Let's get this done!
How to donate: You can Contribute Online or Send a Check
1. Please visit www.dooleyintermed.org and click on “Donate to a Project.” Before confirming your payment, in the “Special Instructions to the Vendor” box, please enter “Nepal Micro Enterprise Project.”
or
2. Make a check out to Dooley Intermed and put down “Nepal Micro Enterprise Project” on the check as well as the envelope. Mail check to Dooley Intermed, 125-28 Queens Blvd. Ste. 538, Kew Gardens, NY 11415, USA
The mountain workers of Nepal have a highly irregular income. They earn what little they do during the climbing and trekking season which lasts for four months a year -- April-May, and October-November. During that time, a porter typically makes about $5 a day, for lugging up to a 100 pounds up the mountain trails. In most cases, their wives are not employed so there is no additional income. The weight of poverty results in their children not getting a good education -- where educational facilities even exist -- and they end up joining the same profession when they grow up.
There are many places in the world which are renowned for their hospitality. The Nepalese, however, stand apart not only for their hospitality but for the sense of ownership they have for our well being while we visit their country to enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. I believe we should reciprocate by doing our part for their well being.
When I spoke to my friend Bibhu Thakur of Mission Himalaya in Khatmandu about how to help, his advice was not to just donate money, but help them earn a better living. He had several ideas for micro enterprises to create employment for the women, as well as the mountain workers themselves during the off season. The first of these is to set up a small-scale potato chip and french fries factory about an hour east of Khatmandu. It will employ 10 people in the first year, half of them in production and half in sales and marketing, and grow in subsequent years. The cost of the structure, equipment, wages and raw material for the first year is estimated at $15,000. A part of the profits will be shared with the employees, and the rest will be plowed back into growing the business.
I am undertaking to raise the $15,000 by creating an awareness of their conditions. From July 6 to 15, I will ride my bike in U.K. from end to end, from Land's End in the southwestern corner of England to John O'Groats at the northeastern corner of Scotland (LEJOG). The route I will be following adds up to about 870 miles.
Dooley Intermed, a nonprofit organization based in New York, which has worked with Mission Himalaya on other projects, has stepped in as a partner for this project as well. Tax deductible (in the U.S.) donations can be made to them with instructions to direct the funds to the Nepal Micro Enterprise Project. Please see the flyer below.
I am doing this bike ride solo, on a shoestring budget. Whatever I save on this trip, I intend to make my contribution to the project.
I leave for London on July 4, arrive there on the 5th, and start my ride on July 6. I'll try to post a daily update on this blog.
Please pitch in your contributions, and spread the word to your friends and families. Let's get this done!
How to donate: You can Contribute Online or Send a Check
1. Please visit www.dooleyintermed.org and click on “Donate to a Project.” Before confirming your payment, in the “Special Instructions to the Vendor” box, please enter “Nepal Micro Enterprise Project.”
or
2. Make a check out to Dooley Intermed and put down “Nepal Micro Enterprise Project” on the check as well as the envelope. Mail check to Dooley Intermed, 125-28 Queens Blvd. Ste. 538, Kew Gardens, NY 11415, USA
All the best.
ReplyDeleteWe are with you.