Giving Little Pasang a Chance

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make the biggest difference. Last year, on my way back from climbing in the Himalayas, there was a tiny little sign that said “To Pheriche”. Beyond it was nothing but a neglected trail that faded into overgrown brush. My GPS indicated that it was a shortcut to my next destination. Staying on the main trail obviously be the best choice, but I was so tempted to try it. As I stood there, several locals warned me about the trail. After debating with myself for several more minutes, I stood up and said “what the heck” and went for it. I hiked for six hours and the only person I saw was an elderly woman carrying Yak dung on her back. I started looking for shelter as the sun went down but all I could see were abandoned lodges and steep unforgiving slopes.

Exhausted, wet and cold, I suddenly heard a sweet and gently voice from up above me. It was little Pasang. “Halo Halo,” “Follow me..” he said from a overhanging rock above. Before I knew it, He took my hand and led me to his tiny dilapidated home. His mom greeting me from a dark room with no electricity some may call a “kitchen”. There was wood scattered around the floor and a branch shoved under a makeshift stove. She showed me three tiny plywood box rooms with beds above uneven rock and little holes where mice come and go.

And then it sank in. I was their one and only customer for days if not weeks. If it wasn’t for little Pasang, I would have continued onward. But as his mother cooked me tea, his little eyes met mine and I quickly realized that I needed to stay longer. It took a while for Pasang to get used to a foreigner in his home. First, he would peer out from a little hole in the wall between the kitchen and dining room. But as soon as I looked back, he would disappear. After a few tries, I decided to sneak up on him and jump out as soon as he looked out the hole. This completely broke the ice and for 6 hours afterwards I entered the little world of Pasang. After dinner he showed me all of his little haunts, which as a Sherpa child, of course included climbing huge boulders in front of his home. We played hide and seek behind rocks and trees with the most beautiful scenic background I’ve ever seen.

Pasang’s mom adores her son, smiling from ear to ear just watching him. He loves being the little man of the house, proudly helping his mother with practically everything. She told me that he has nobody other than her to socialize with since there are no neighbors and no schools around. And Pasang was the only person his mom could socialize with too. Her husband worked for what little money he could make in a town far away. There aren’t any public schools in the Khumbu valley and the government does not offer any assistance. Families often choose to send their children to live as monks in monasteries to at least provide them with the basic necessities of life.

Pasang’s only chance for an education would be to attend one of the few boarding schools in the Khumbu valley. Yet, generations have passed and nobody in Pasang’s family could afford going to school. His mother sadly told me that he was destined to stay in the same tiny lodge and make what little money he could to survive. As guides, Sherpas in the Khumbu valley have the potential to make a decent living compared to other Nepalis. But without a formal education, they have no choice but to stay home and barely make ends meet. Pasang’s mom wished nothing more than for him to break the tradition of desperateness and attend school.

UPDATE: Just last week, I was informed that his mom borrowed a little money from a local villager to get him into Home Away from Home – a boarding school about 5 hours trek from his home. Tuition is collected every three months and his mom is already in need of more funds to keep him in school longer. Tuition is $1500 a year and I am hoping to keep him in school for 10 years. My first goal is to raise $4000 dollars towards his education and if we succeed, continue to the next fundraising milestone.

100% of all donations will be transferred directly to to Home Away from Home for Pasang’s tuition. More information about Home Away from Home can be viewed at https://youtu.be/OtvsPTuQir4?si=fq7YOCE3AfaVdLeP

Pasang's Tiny Lodge

Pasang's mom in her kitchen.