Sharing the Load in Gorkha Nepal

Company founder, Richard Goodey and one of our local guides, KP recently made their way to Mandali Primary School in the isolated village of Beluwa, located in the Gorkha region of Nepal in aid of our charity, The Share the Load Foundation.

The Share the Load Foundation was originally started to distribute clothing, sunglasses and outdoor trekking equipment to our porters, their families and communities while trekking, after seeing first hand the conditions that they so often live in. This grassroots initiative has now expanded to include other deprived areas of Nepal and to not only provide clothing and trekking equipment, but also to assist in the educational development of school children.

The road to Beluwa winds its way down bumpy terrain, past bazaars and farm land, slowly leaving the tourist trail behind and into the heart of Nepal. And while the road may be rough at times, the benefits far outweigh the effort to get there!

The village is in a relatively underdeveloped part of the country that is lacking in infrastructure. Mandali Primary School is the only school in this area and is also in serious need of a library, text books, calculators and general supplies. It also does not have any running water facilities, meaning they have to walk for over an hour each day to fetch water.

The majority of families work as farmers, living off of an average of £3.50/day. Sadly many families cannot afford to keep their child in education, keeping them home to tend the land or to work to bring in an income.  Although the going can be tough, Beluwa has a great sense of community pride, passion and spirit. The children are fun loving and always wanting to learn!

Richard and KP spent the day in the village distributing school books and pencils to the students. They also gave every child a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste teaching them how to properly brush their teeth. But the highlight of the day was donating volleyballs to the school children and watching the delight on their faces as they played games in the morning sunshine!

We’re proud to support Mandali Primary School in Bulewa. You too can help us, The Share the Load Foundation and the children by: donating much needed school supplies like text books, pencils, notebooks, calculators etc; sponsoring a child; or by volunteering at the school and teaching English. We can also organise treks into the region, visiting the village and school. The entire area is absolutely stunning and has outstanding views of Manaslu, the world’s 8th highest mountain!

You can find out more about The Share the Load Foundation and our ethos of Responsible Travel here.

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