Who We Are
Inception & Vision
Nepal is a country of vast cultural richness, historical monuments and the home to the world’s most majestic mountains. The hospitality of the Nepali people and their welcoming smiles never fail to win the hearts of those who visit the country. In spite of its breath-taking beauty and a deeply spiritual milieu, Nepal has a turbulent history of political and socio-economic instability, leaving a significant portion of the population below the poverty line. The sad reality has touched the hearts of many tourists and led them to contribute personally for the improvement of the situation.
A number of guests who have trekked with Nima and Friendship World Treks over the years have expressed their concern regarding the degraded living conditions of Gorakhani-8, and Lura-9 salleri Solukhumbhu. One prominent person was the Taiwan national Chang Helen who met Nima as his trekking guide in 2003. The duo remained in regular contact and their professional rapport soon turned into friendship. The second time around when Chang Helen visited Nepal, he got the opportunity to visit Nima’s village in Solukhumbhu and was also informed of the hardships and greater challenges faced by the common Nepalese in the region. The education sector, among others, required immediate attention, given the absence of the government’s reach, resulting in worn-out buildings and a lack of proper resources, including qualified teachers.
Nima and Helen discussed possible ways to better the situation; subsequently, Friendship Society Nepal was founded in 2004 year in collaboration with Chang Helen, Brigitte Muir, also from Australia and a member of the Rotary Club of Wahroonga – Sydney, Australia. Though the main supporters are from Australia, we do have special contribution and support from other countries like Taiwan, United Kingdom,United States of America, German, Israel, Europe, Nepal and various rotary clubs. The team is dedicated to raising community awareness while searching for worldwide channels and opportunities to seek support from Western countries.
Mission & Objectives
Friendship Society Nepal current mission is to achieve grassroots reforms in education, poverty, health and sanitation and also community support to women, various youth clubs, vocational skills and training programs along with supplying necessary stationary and sports equipments in 35 village development community (VDC) of Solukhumbhu district in Nepal, so as to uplift the living condition of the underprivileged.
It is an established fact that early learning makes a significant and positive impact in the intellectual and psychological development of children. We focus on ameliorating the welfare of the uneducated, the underprivileged and the people of lower castes who lack the opportunity for self-growth. We have sought to achieve this goal of restoring dilapidated schools, improving existing resources, and providing assistance and skills training to the teachers in order to create a better learning environment for the children. Additionally, by organizing health camps, creating access to improved water sources, and providing vocational trainings, we aim to improve the living conditions of the locals through empowerment and opportunity. Besides, these activities also provide a platform for social gatherings which help individuals maintain a sound relationship with each other and Friendship Society Nepal as well.
Friendship Society Nepal website provides information on project-specific objectives. Although the nature of our projects differs with each school, the end-objective of our undertaking is directed towards collectively upgrading the resources of the schools.
Board Members & Field Support
Friendship Society Nepal board member hails from Solukhumbu district. It is lead by Mr. Nima Dorjee Tamang native of Solukhumbu and the Managing Director of Friendship World Treks and Friendship Home Stays. He possesses wide knowledge and has experience of leading various social organizations as past Chairman of Lura Society and Member of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN). Currently he is involved as the member of the Lions Club of Mount Makalu. He has been awarded with many awards in Nepal.
Friendship Society Nepal team is working closely together with the local community as well as the domestic and the international donors to bring developmental projects to this backward region. We have witnessed and more often than not, experienced firsthand, the hardships and other socioeconomic issues that have impeded the prospects of growth. We are committed to deliver continued support to accomplish our goals for safeguarding the future of the children and the nation.
Generally we are the ordinary people ranging from a butcher to a small and large business operator and a financial adviser to a Rotarian. Everyone has one thing in common - uniting to realize the importance and contribution of the Friendship Society Nepal for making a difference in the world where it is most needed. We collaborate with individuals, business owners, schools, universities, hospitals, sporting and church groups, along with those that have a desire to commit to a noble cause. Through our guidance, we strive to help children learn to be proud of who they are and what they can achieve.
Funding
Be assured that your money will be used wisely and well. Every cent donated goes directly to our projects. The volunteers from Friendship World Treks, their staff and other international volunteers do all the admin works.
HOW WE WORK
Friendship Society Nepal is legally registered NGO and affiliated with the Social Welfare Council (SWC) Nepal. We approach donors based domestically or internationally to fund its projects in different Remote villages in Nepal.
Prior to the commencement of a project, Friendship Society Nepal is required to prepare a formal proposal on state-based guidelines. Once the SWC approves the proposal, the management committees of Friendship Society Nepal are required to document the details of all expenditures in writing. The progress report is submitted to the donors, SWC and all the concern parties on a regular basis. We focus on the local community to have a wider impact on the lives of the children and families deprived of basic needs. All the projects are filed and monitored by the SWC and local government authorities after its completion. The Local government authority, the Village development council, and the Provincial government authority in Solukhumbu are aware of our activities and have issued all necessary formal credentials for Friendship Society Nepal to undertake the projects. The annual audit report of Friendship Society Nepal is submitted to the Social Welfare Council, the Tax Office and the Government District Office in Kathmandu.
Presently, we are serving to improve the infrastructures in health and education sector in around 29 Village Development Committee (VDC) of Solukhumbu district, benefiting over 30,000 people. Besides these 35 VDC’s, we are also planning to extend our helping hands to other remote villages. As the organization grows in size, the responsibility it has assumed has also increased significantly. Our goal is about transforming those villages of Nepal for its betterment. We aim to provide sustainable systems, quality resources and new growth within this area, and continually monitor each project during and after completion. The team’s focus is a constant support to fund, maintain, employ and manage what it has created. We do not believe in walking away after the completion of a project; the major task and challenge is to bring the facility into smooth and effective operation and ensure that the any potential problems (logistical, financial or otherwise) are well dealt with.
This is a remarkable aspect of the organization that all the team members contribute their endless time, skills, labor, patience and knowledge to materialize our concepts of community development. Almost all the members are from the local villages where our work is based, thus creating an encouraging environment to work in.
want to join the Friendship Society Nepal Group?
Would you like to join Friendship Society Nepal? Are you interested in helping the underprivileged children of rural communities of the Solukhumbhu region? Join us and become a part of our family! Your support reaches to the most remote corners of the Himalayas and helps the people most in need.
For more information on supporting Friendship Society Nepal please contact us at helpnepal@friendshipsocietynepal.org or visit How You Can Help page.
