For the Children of Manaslu

A big, big hug for taking the time out to learn about this fundraiser.

And a Nepali namaste!

I am Pema. Most people know me or associate me through and with Mayalaya, a nonprofit I am animatedly a fan as well as the founder of. The Mayalaya team and whatever we do has every bit of my heart.

But this fundraiser is not for Mayalaya. This is from me for the children of Nepal.

This is for the beautiful children of west-central Nepal who walk for an hour each way to reach their classrooms-a flat roofed stone structure with four walls and an overused teaching board. Rain or shine, you will always see them with their handed down, worn out school bags or mostly reused shopping plastic bags and a broken pencil that three children share amongst each other in the class. The academic year usually begins with almost all the children from the village and surrounding villages attending lessons but as the year progresses on, there are many children who drop out because their families do not have surplus money to spend on their education-this means the parents are not able to afford their school fees of maybe Rs. 2000/$20 of a year, their stationaries, their school bags, lunch money, stitch new school uniforms for them that they grow out of so quick and maybe not prioritize education at all because they need an extra helping hand at home to bring in more money for day-to-day life. The children are forced to retreat and this way every year, a lot of children drop out of schools.

This fundraiser is my small effort in ensuring that the children you and I help through this will not have to leave classrooms because they cannot afford to, for this year. If there is ever a reason, let their reasons to leave be other than this.

I am trekking the Manaslu region of Nepal this October for roughly 15 days and the children I plan to reach out to support are from this beautiful region. The region gets its name because it has the majestic eighth highest mountain in the world-Mt. Manaslu at 8163 metres. I think the children here carry the name quite literally as Manaslu translates to “mountain of the spirit” and is derived from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning “intellect” or “soul.” The ones I have previously met around the circuit certainly have that spirit and intellect in them!

I have a super soft spot for children everywhere and to know that I will be meeting children with such an eagerness, such spirit to learn and understand the world around them but are restricted because of resources makes me want to reach out and help resolve that issue, any way I can. Mountain treks have always fueled my soul and I do it religiously every year, just this year I want to add something to that tradition-giving back and uplifting the communities along the trails. The people I have met in my past trails in Nepal have been some of the kindest, most giving and has the warmest hospitality to offer. Taking the trail as an opportunity to do something back for them is truly an honour in itself. This added tradition will stick with me, hereon and will be the most important part of every other trail I get to complete, around the world. This is starting off as a drop of water in the ocean but I have a very strong feeling it will develop into a MayalayaxNepal special; through building classrooms, hostels for children, sponsoring lunch boxes maybe, we never know!

I do not want to see this as a $3000 goal. I would love for everyone who donates here to know that they are a part of someone’s learning, a very important part because your donation means supporting their desire to learn and understand themselves and whatever fuels their soul. You are now a part of their happy school memories.

For now, the $3,000 is for 30 school children along the trail. For every child, the school kit will have:

1. One school bag-inside which has

a. A stationery set- and color pencils

b. 3 notebooks

c. A story book/A puzzle set

d. A beanie/bobble hat (the region gets icy cold!)

e. Socks

f. Nepali snacks

g. Rs. 2000/$20 to ensure the bills for the year are paid.

October is my favourite month of the year; it is the month I celebrate my birthday so this could qualify as a Birthday fundraiser, maybe? :D

Also, this month happens to be the most festive time for Nepali people-we celebrate the biggest Hindu festival Dashain. This school kits then are our Dashain gifts for the children I meet along the Manaslu Base Camp trail. They have a gift coming their way and they don’t even know it! Isn’t that exciting?

For you, for the love you are helping spread to children around this part of the world, mann dekhi nai dhanyabad (thank you from the bottom of my heart).

THANK YOU. You are a child’s prayer come true and now, you are in mine.

I am ready to witness and share all the incredible maya moments this fundraiser leads to.

From you and me, to the children in Nepal.

In prayer.

And warmest love.