Mahakulung: a far-flung Himalayan village in educational crisis
At the foothills of Nepal’s Mera Peak lies Mahakulung, a rural municipality where most of the Everest region’s trekking industry porters hail from. It’s so off the beaten path that it has been described as ‘one of the most remote areas in Solukhumbu’ and the people there are asking for help.
Mahakulung’s Deputy Mayor, Mrs. Bipana Kulung, recently spoke to The Small World (TSW) about some of the problems crippling the community. “Due to climate change, farming is struggling in Mahakulung. There’s not enough for families to eat, so kids go to Lukla, Namche, Phaplu to look for trekking work.” The children who venture out to earn money for their families are mostly boys, but there are also some girls, she says. This income is needed for families’ basic needs like food and school fees.
Apparently, the government in the region doesn’t enforce that students go to school, never mind encourage this crucial step in children’s development. A school building and some teachers are supplied, but that’s it. “The pass rate is very low,” Mrs. Kulung informs us, and even she - a deputy mayor - couldn’t go to school when she was younger and had to work as a porter.
Nowadays though, after having three children and realizing how important an education is, she returned to school. In fact, she was writing her Grade 12 exams when TSW met up with her in May 2023.
Mrs. Kulung expressed her gratitude for the work that TSW is doing in Mahakulung and around the Solukhumbu region. Which brings us to some exciting news about a new partnership with an intrepid mountaineer and wonderful philanthropist who recently visited Solukhumbu…
Martin Schranz and congrats for summiting Mera Peak!
Martin Schranz Climbing Mera Peak on May 2023
We’re very happy to announce a new friendship between ourselves and the co-founder of a Swiss organization, Martin Schranz of the My Idol Foundation, which is going to greatly benefit the young people of Mahakulung. We’d also like to congratulate Martin – who battled through snow, cold, and high altitude to successfully ascend Mera Peak Himal (6,654m or 21,831 feet).
Martin has traveled to Nepal several times for trekking and climbing its snow-capped peaks. Certainly, he was initially drawn to Nepal by its natural beauty, but now he feels called to come back again and again to make a difference in the lives of its people - especially orphans and those who are vulnerable and at high risk of abuse, trafficking, and child labor.
My Idol Foundation’s mission is to inspire and support children’s education. Martin first connected with TSW online and then visited Nepal for his Mera Peak expedition this May. He has committed to supporting children in need, especially in families that have been affected by Covid-19 and its subsequent loss of jobs, where daily wage workers and trekking porters are still being negatively impacted. Martin wants to help the children of Mahakulung by allowing them to continue going to school. His organization has made a generous donation of $5000 that will support kids’ tuition, and stationery costs, and supply them with school bags for this school year.
This donation from Martin Schranz and My Idol Foundation, along with additional funds from TSW’s Father & Son Fund (where TSW matched donations from private donors) will support 170 children in Mahakulung Rural Municipality. Because of these contributions to their education, young people in this impoverished area will be better able to attend school and focus on their studies for the next 12 months.
After his recent trek to Mera Peak, Mr. Schranz met up with TSW’s co-founders and chatted to them about the situation in Mahakulung. He feels that Nepal is one of the most beautiful countries in the world with such majestic views, but he is also saddened by the depths of people’s struggles. The stories he heard from locals really touched his heart, he said, and he hopes to be able to make a contribution to the children of Nepal who need urgent help.
Breaking the chains that keep people in poverty
Karma Sherpa, Executive & Co-Founder of TSW, says that after this year she hopes TSW can continue supporting this far-flung and isolated community. TSW recently organized a meeting day with parents, teachers and local government in Mahakulung to discuss the importance of education. Their main goal was to bring awareness to parents, many of whom are uneducated themselves. “We want to break the cycle of poverty through education,” he says, “we asked parents to not send their kids to work.”
While many parents responded positively at the meeting and said they would do their best to keep their kids in school, the reality is that their financial situations make that very difficult. Sanam says many parents voiced their anxieties about their future - where would they get money for tuition, uniforms, and food?
It costs around USD $200 to $250 per year to send a child to school in Mahakulung. While it’s tough to hear that a child’s progress in life could be halted for an amount that people in other parts of the world take for granted, we believe that education will eventually break the cycle of poverty that keeps people in chains. Therefore, we will keep trying to find ways to support the younger generation so that they may be empowered to build a better life for themselves and their community in the future.
Thanks for the help, but we’re not done yet!
We can already see positive changes rippling through communities, and the people of Solukhumbu are so grateful for all the help that has come their way from the generous donors and supporters of The Small World and Small World community because our continued work over one and a half decade in this Solukhumbu region, many families & communities lives have been changed, today many of their daughters are studying in college, became leaders in the community & many schools & health centers found teachers & nurses and they are replicating our work on the ground every day.
However, we feel that this is just the beginning of our journey and there is still so much work for us to do there.
With roughly half of the children in Mahakulung working, and facing perilous situations like avalanches while trekking, and a lack of access to healthcare and education, we invite you to connect with us and help them in any way you can.
warm welcomed The small World team not just into their community & school but also into their home and heart
Sponsor A Child
At TSW, we believe that to educate a child is to educate the world. In Nepal, many children's education is jeopardized by various factors and countless children are unable to receive this precious gift. Our Child Education Sponsorship Program offers an impactful way to help, even for just one child’s future.
TSW’s Child Education Sponsorship Program is deeply rooted within and bonded to the child's family, school, and community. This framework ensures a positive and supportive background that ripples throughout children’s lives, benefiting them as well as those closest to them.