Australia and USA Project Pasang!
Donation protected
Dear Old and New Friends,
My name is Pasang Dawa Sherpa and I am from the tiny town of Lukla in the Everest Region of Nepal. Lukla is the gateway to Mt. Everest. I am a Sherpa and we Sherpa people originally migrated from Tibet long ago and settled here in the high altitude towns of Nepal. In the Sherpa language the words “Sher” and “pa” translates to “East People”. Lukla is 2700m/9000 feet above sea level and most of the Sherpa people become trek & mountain guides for income to support ourselves and our families.
Being a guide runs in my family. My father was an incredible climber and professional mountain guide and summited all the peaks over 8000m/27,000 feet. Unfortunately, he lost his life returning from a successful climb when I was just 4 years old.
Growing up in Lukla, trekkers and trek guides have always been a part of my life along with the dream to become a professional mountain guide like my father. However, growing up without a father was hard on my mother, a subsistence farmer. At 14 years old, I left school to be a porter, carrying trekkers packs and gear weighing 50 kg/120 pounds. After 2 years I advanced to a porter guide and for the past 12 years I have been a trail guide, leading non-technical treks to Everest Base Camp and in the Annapurna Region. I enjoy sharing with trekkers from around the world the majesty of the Himalayas, as well as to sharing the Tibetan Buddhist religion and Nepalese food, language and culture.
When I was leading a trip in July to Everest Base Camp my new friends from Australia and the USA (Alex, Caroline, Mike, Emily, Wendy, Evan, Pi, Jordan and Felix) asked me about my hopes and dreams. When I told them that I have always wanted from my inner heart to be a professional certified mountain guide they asked, “What is stopping you from making your dream come true?” The truth is, that while I have the ambition, fortitude and skills to become a Certified Mountain Guide I lack the funds necessary - not only do the classes and travel cost $1000 but they are held during my guiding season and I cannot afford the lost wages of $7000.
The Nepal Mountaineering Instructors Association http://www.nmia.org.np/ is the organization that was founded in 2002 and offers the courses 5 courses I need to take that each cost on average $100 = $500
In addition, the cost of the plane trip back and forth from my home in Lukla to Kathmandu is $250 for each of the two trips I will need to make = $500
Finally, the real cost is that while I am in classes I will not be able to work as a guide. Each trip - of which there are 7 - means a lost income of $1000 per trip = $7000.
Being able to raise $8000 by the end of September 2018 from this Go Fund Me site will give me the resources I need for the classes, travel and cover my lost wages. This will help me advance my career and help me help others. Not only will I be able to guide others to achieve their mountain climbing goals, I will be able to achieve my personal goal of following in my father's foot steps, and the added income will help me support my aging mother and other family members.
I so appreciate your consideration and will gladly share with you my journey, photos and gratitude as I reach my dream.
With warm greetings from Nepal, Namaste.
Pasang.
____________________________
My name is Pasang Dawa Sherpa and I am from the tiny town of Lukla in the Everest Region of Nepal. Lukla is the gateway to Mt. Everest. I am a Sherpa and we Sherpa people originally migrated from Tibet long ago and settled here in the high altitude towns of Nepal. In the Sherpa language the words “Sher” and “pa” translates to “East People”. Lukla is 2700m/9000 feet above sea level and most of the Sherpa people become trek & mountain guides for income to support ourselves and our families.
Being a guide runs in my family. My father was an incredible climber and professional mountain guide and summited all the peaks over 8000m/27,000 feet. Unfortunately, he lost his life returning from a successful climb when I was just 4 years old.
Growing up in Lukla, trekkers and trek guides have always been a part of my life along with the dream to become a professional mountain guide like my father. However, growing up without a father was hard on my mother, a subsistence farmer. At 14 years old, I left school to be a porter, carrying trekkers packs and gear weighing 50 kg/120 pounds. After 2 years I advanced to a porter guide and for the past 12 years I have been a trail guide, leading non-technical treks to Everest Base Camp and in the Annapurna Region. I enjoy sharing with trekkers from around the world the majesty of the Himalayas, as well as to sharing the Tibetan Buddhist religion and Nepalese food, language and culture.
When I was leading a trip in July to Everest Base Camp my new friends from Australia and the USA (Alex, Caroline, Mike, Emily, Wendy, Evan, Pi, Jordan and Felix) asked me about my hopes and dreams. When I told them that I have always wanted from my inner heart to be a professional certified mountain guide they asked, “What is stopping you from making your dream come true?” The truth is, that while I have the ambition, fortitude and skills to become a Certified Mountain Guide I lack the funds necessary - not only do the classes and travel cost $1000 but they are held during my guiding season and I cannot afford the lost wages of $7000.
The Nepal Mountaineering Instructors Association http://www.nmia.org.np/ is the organization that was founded in 2002 and offers the courses 5 courses I need to take that each cost on average $100 = $500
In addition, the cost of the plane trip back and forth from my home in Lukla to Kathmandu is $250 for each of the two trips I will need to make = $500
Finally, the real cost is that while I am in classes I will not be able to work as a guide. Each trip - of which there are 7 - means a lost income of $1000 per trip = $7000.
Being able to raise $8000 by the end of September 2018 from this Go Fund Me site will give me the resources I need for the classes, travel and cover my lost wages. This will help me advance my career and help me help others. Not only will I be able to guide others to achieve their mountain climbing goals, I will be able to achieve my personal goal of following in my father's foot steps, and the added income will help me support my aging mother and other family members.
I so appreciate your consideration and will gladly share with you my journey, photos and gratitude as I reach my dream.
With warm greetings from Nepal, Namaste.
Pasang.
____________________________
Fundraising team: Project Pasang (3)
Wendy Swart Grossman
Organizer
Brookline, MA
Paul Morin
Team member
Caroline And Alex Lee
Team member
