Rokpa Himalayan Trek 2005
In Feb-Mar 2005, LShift MD Andy Wilson joined a trek in the Helambu, Melamchi Basin area of Nepal to raise money for Rokpa, a charity that supports a number of important projects in Nepal and elsewhere, and Community Action Nepal (CAN), which builds health centres and schools and supports a range of other projects in Nepal.
Thanks to my Sponsors
LShift staff, clients, friends and family were all extremely generous in sponsoring me on the trek. The final figures aren't in yet, but we raised several thousand pounds that will be put to good use supporting the projects that I saw on the trek. After what I saw there I know that the money will be put to good use, supporting some of the neediest people in Nepal. Below is a list of my sponsors.
The Trek
The trek lasted eight days, during which we walked from Sundarijal, just north of Kathmandu, through the villages of Chisopani, Kutumsang, Therapati, Melamchigaon, Tarkye Gyang, Kakani and Melamchi Pul before returning by road to Kathmandu. The first day started with a visit to the Kathmandu Rokpa Childrens Home, where children who have been abandoned to the streets are taken in and given a home and education. We also visited the soup kitchen at Bodhnath, also in Kathmandu, where the homeless are fed each day.
In Kutumsang we visited the health centre established by CAN, which serves a huge area. Like the schools we visited, the health centre receives only the most cursory support from the government, and depends almost entirely on charity and volunteer workers. Such centres are vital in remote communities like those we were travelling through, providing essential health care and education that can make the difference between life and death. At Melamchiogaon we visited a school, also established by CAN. The school children travel from miles around, many walking for hours each day up and down mountains to get to school. Again, little support is received from the government, and the school depends on CAN and the local community itself for survival.
I came away from Nepal in awe of the work done by Rokpa and CAN, but especially by the volunteers who give up their time to help people, many of whom are in desperate need. I hope in future to do more fundraising for various charities in Nepal, the soup kitchen in particular - it's hard to describe the impact of meeting the children there, most of whom have no family or home to support them, and yet whose good nature was an inspiration. I hope also to set up a relationship between LShift and the school at Melamchigaon, where we will try to help develop the science department there and contribute to the science curriculum.
All of the images above, and many more besides can be seen on this site.
Sponsors
Once again, I can only thank those who were so generous in sponsoring me: Mike Bridgen (LShift), Ann Clare, Sophie Clare (LShift), Karen Durham-Diggins (KDD), Paul Farrington (ClearlyBusiness), Tony Garnock-Jones (LShift), Sam Jones (LShift), Kumar and Co., Elaine Lynch and family (LShift), Tessa Merrie, Eamon O'Dwyer (ClearlyBusiness), Greg Plumbly (Beat That Quote), Edith Reeves, Mike Rowlands (LShift), Matthew Sackman (LShift), Sas (Merc), The Spectrum Partnership, Testline Ltd, Helene Venge (Levi's Europe), Alan and Linda West.