Mother Everest, the Community Charity of the Himalaya
Mother Everest is a non-profitable charitable NGO established to bring about a change in the lives of hundreds of people affected by the decade-long insurgency. The conflict has disheveled the social fabric of the Nepalese society as well as destroyed schools, bridges and displaced thousands of people from their homeland. It is very important to bring a sense of normalcy into the lives of the people who have been secluded socially, economically and politically for years.

Nepal is arguably is one of the poorest countries in the world. The problems created by the “people’s war” a further complicated by lack of infrastructure like roads, sanitation, health etc and survival is a serious business for many people. Things like clean drinking water, primary health and education – things that are taken for granted in the west - are luxuries that only a few can afford. Although economically Nepal is very impoverished, nature has been very kind to Nepal and has blessed her with some of the most spectacular places on Earth. Guided by the principle “development through tourism” Mother Everest strives to use this boon of nature as a tool to make a difference in the lives of the people. Though tourism is an integral as well as a vital part of our economy, it has until the last couple of years mainly benefited a handful of people and the majority of the people, even those who are dependent on it directly, struggle to make both ends meets on a daily basis. The economic benefits are highly concentrated to certain areas and it is further aggravated by the fact that most of the foreign exchange earned from tourism goes right back in the form of international promotion, fees to experts, import of materials etc with a small trickle eventually reaching the area the travelers are actually visiting. Mother Everest looks at using a ‘hands on approach’ to transform tourism as a proactive force to bring about a change. Our emphasis is on tourism that makes the local management capacity stronger, local participation direct and at the same time ensures cultural integrity, more economic freedom and environmental awareness among the concerned people.