Project Warmth!

Namaste and Tashi Delek!

 

I am Dawa Dolma Lama, a social worker, and a conscious traveler. I love adventure and trekking to the mountains. I have trekked to Everest base camp, Chola pass and Gokyo lake Trek, Manaslu Circuit Trek, Thorangla pass, Tilicho Lake, Mardi Basecamp, Gosaikunda, Panch Pokhari, Rara Lake, and so forth. Apart from my passion for exploring and admiring the beauty of nature, I find it more meaningful to meet new people, hear their stories and find ways to help them and their community. There is beauty in people living in the Himalayas. Their hardship and authenticity make the traveler fall in love with these people and give back whatever/however we can. Whether it is a Pep talk, being a listening ear, or giving a pair of clothes or money, knowing that I can somehow manage when I return to the city. In the coming months, I plan to trek to Upper Dolpo and would like to help the children of Nyisal with Project Warmth which will provide shoes and jackets for the 50 students at Nyisal.

 

 

Project Warmth Initiation:

Himalayan Development Initiative (HDI) is an organization started with the aspiration of providing a better future to the children of Upper Dolpa. Established in 2019, the organization aims to cater to the need for quality education and quality health services for the people of rural areas, especially to Shree Yanjer Gumba Basic School in the village of Nyisal in Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality, Ward No 1, Dolpa. It is registered as a non-profit organization under the Social Welfare Council registered in Kathmandu. HDI believes that Dolpo will one day become self-sufficient and self-sustainable where all the youths and individuals will lead by being the example. Via quality education, opportunities, exposure, and privilege of infrastructures of development, Dolpo shall one day be self-sufficient and self-sustainable.

In my personal experience of being from the Himalayas and trekking to several areas in the region, I have seen and felt the need for warm clothes. I know the cold feeling of not having warm clothes to put on, and I have encountered many people during my travels; therefore, I fathom how much of a difference it is to have warm clothes in the freezing temperature. However, I cannot provide for 50 students at Nyisal all by myself and would very much appreciate your help. Therefore, I am setting up this campaign for the “Project Warmth” so that I can make some contribution to the community and children and be part of the bigger vision of HDI.

 

Goal:

The goal is to collect $1600. The amount will be used for transportation, procurement, and logistics of Shoes and warm Jackets for the 50 students of Nyisal’s Shree Yanjer Gumba Basic School during the month-long trekking. No amount is too small to make a difference in the lives of these helpless children. With your donation, I will be able to provide the necessities to bring a little smile and warmth to these students in the Himalayas.

 

Little About Me:

I was born in Lhi, a remote village in the Chumnubri valley of the Himalayan region in northern Nepal. People are still deprived of proper housing, food, clean water, education, and health services in these geographically challenging areas. It takes a family multiple days of walking to reach the nearest market. Even then, many struggles to purchase high-priced essential goods. Lack of education leaves children vulnerable to social problems such as early marriage and household chores. There are only a few schools, and the education quality is poor due to the scarcity of good teachers and resources.

I was one of the very fortunate few to continue studying and have completed a bachelor’s degree through sponsorship and scholarships. With the little knowledge of my mother, I was brought to the city so I could have a better chance to go to school. Financial difficulty made it extremely challenging  for her to find a school for me. Luckily, I met my godmother on the street of Boudhanath stupa, who could not endure seeing my helpless mother and me. She admitted me to my second home Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School (SMD). I am forever indebted to the founder of the school, my root lama, Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, and my godmother for protecting and mentoring me to be a good human being.

I have only made it to where I am today because of the love and generosity shown by many people throughout my life. This has molded me into helping people in need to the best of my ability. This reflects one of the visions of my Root Lama. It means a world to me to make even a tiny bit of difference in the life of other people. Love, kindness, and community service have always been a significant part of me. I love working with people, helping others, and growing from the experience. So, I am determined to extend such love and compassion to people in need. My motivation to go back to the mountains and help improve the life of my people drives me to pursue further knowledge and meaningful experience in the field of education and health service

Traveling wasn’t my cup of tea until I was interning at Snow Yak foundation during my sophomore year. Both SMD and Snow Yak aim to provide quality education to children in one of the most remote regions of the world. The tireless work and gratitude of our intern brother up in Dolpa made me see the world out there knowing that I shared the same values of social integrity, dignity, and worth of all people. From that day, my love for Traveling and Dolpa has grown fonder.

As time passed by, I have good connections with several like-minded people from the Himalayan development Initiative through Snow Yak. I have been  helping them since 2020  as the Assistant Communication Associate. With the motive to help vulnerable children who otherwise would not have an opportunity for basic rights to education or healthcare. Working with them has been a pure joy and would like to continue to do so with your help.

 

Thank you for your time! Please share and visit www.hdinepal.org for the children's updates and spread the word.

 

Thank you, Thuk Je Che, & Dhanyabad!