Mission and Vision
Mission
To serve Himalayan communities as they build strong futures with their pasts.
Vision
Himalayan communities where quality education and healthcare is affordable and accessible; where local opportunities exist as alternatives to out-migration and subsequent loss of culture; where local heritages are respected; where communities resolve disputes peacefully, and men and women have an equal and active voice in determining policies that affect their lives.
What We Do
Helambu Project’s mandate is broad. We play many roles and support the people of Helambu in many ways: fundraising, volunteering, advising, and implementing project. We work together with local communities to help address their needs, support their ideas, and help them as they try to improve their region and home. Volunteers and interns have done a lot of work in Nepal, either by teaching or working at the school or by advising and helping organize and improve the school’s management and logistics. We believe that community members are the primary agents for changing their environment and our goal is to be friends and advisors to their endeavors.
We have worked on a range of different types projects and have a whole host more planned – right now we are limited by the amount of funds we have available for projects. Therefore, we are currently focused on supporting the Pasang Memorial School and helping it through its second year. However, we are always on the look out for good projects, if you have an idea or would like to help us with another project or a school related project, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
To read more about our past and future projects, please visit our Projects page.
Where We Work
Helambu Project works in an area of the Nepali Himalayas called Helambu. Just located about 70 kilometers north of Kathmandu, Helambu is situated just south of the Langtang National park. It is host to many different ethnic groups of Nepal, primarily Sherpa, Yolmo, and Tamang and is a popular destination for trekking and tourism. The area has a culturally rich history of Himalayan Buddhism and the hillsides are populated with monasteries and stupas. Milarepa, Guru Rinpoche, and many Buddhist lamas have come to Helambu to meditate in Helambu’s remote caves over the centuries, making major contributions to the area’s heritage and Buddhist dharma.
Despite the area’s cultural richness, it is suffers from communal out-migration, a lack of infrastructure, limited opportunities for education and employment, limited access to healthcare, and other problems. Helambu Project currently supports the Pasang Memorial School, which is located in Gangkharka village, about a 5-hour walk from the nearest road. However, Helambu Project has conducted health camps and other smaller projects around the region.