Special Projects
Emergency Funding Support Request After Devastating Flood Destroys the Village of Thame
Dear friends of the Sherpa Education Project,
Our Project Director Pattie Moon is currently in Nepal and sent this report about her visit to Thame, a village in the Khumbu that all of our board members visited in 2023. We were treated to magnificent scenery and wonderful hospitality, including music played on a traditional stringed instrument by our guest house’s owner.
A glacial lake above the village burst on the 16th of August, devastating Thame and areas downstream, please see this story from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c785nwq568zo. Pattie sends the attached account of what she found there.
She has asked, and the board has agreed, to ask for special donations to help offset the costs for the school children of Thame. As you’ll see in her description, they have moved to another town and school. Funds raised will be disbursed to well-known organizations in the area that work with schools to maximize the number of children attending.
Pattie will be home in late September and we will send out an account of her entire trip, including her meetings with the students currently sponsored by the SEP.
Namaste,
Valerie Davia, Secretary PS: To donate to this special appeal, please go to sherpaeducationproject.org/donations and click on Donate. Please include that it is for the Thame Children’s Fund.
Funding for Post-graduation Training or College
The Sherpa Education Project provides special funding by contributions from individual donors for Sherpa girls who have graduated from our sponsored education program. The girls are provided tuition for continuing education whether it be college or vocational training. Dali Sherpa is our first girl to be sponsored and is working towards a degree in “Health Assistance.”
Secular Education for Young Student Monks
The young monks or “tawas” of the Changmityang Monastery in the village of Mera are given classes in English, math, social sciences and health. These subjects round out their spiritual teaching and provide them with a larger world view. In spite of their remote location and basic living conditions, computers are considered an integral part of their education.
Monastery Improvements
The Sherpa Education Project is currently supporting the building of a new entrance into the Mera monastery and a new kitchen for healthier and more efficient food preparation for the monks.
Co-sponsoring a Local Health Clinic
Organize and Fund Emergency Relief Programs
Every dollar donated for the Relief Programs goes directly to the Khumbu region of Nepal with on-site supervision. We use our network of local individuals to obtain and distribute items for the Sherpa people in need.
2015 Earthquake Relief Program
The Sherpa Education Project donated $35,000.00 to help repair damages caused by the 2015 Earthquake.
2020 Pandemic Relief Program
Pandemic Emergency Food Donation Appeal to Help feed our Sherpa families in Nepal. The photo below shows the success of our 2020 pandemic food distribution program in the Khumbu region of Nepal.
