Who We Are
Himalaya Project is a nonprofit organization founded in 2011, dedicated to providing sustainable education and healthcare to underserved rural communities in Nepal by providing academic scholarships to students of Tibetan medicine.
What we do
We provide varying levels of scholarship support based on aptitude and need, towards students’ tuition, room, board, books, supplies, and stipend while they attend the qualified Tibetan medicine institution of their choice.
For students whom we provide scholarships towards tuition, Himalaya Project also sponsors the student’s salary at a clinic nearest their home village for a period of 2 years after graduation.
Scholarship REcipients
KARMA PHUNTSOK, MENTSEEKHANG, DHARAMSALA, INDIA
Karma Phuntsok was born in Tsum Valley which is not far from Manaslu, one of the world's highest and most dangerous peaks. His mother and father are semi-nomadic subsistence farmers and without our support, Karma Phuntsok would not be able to afford his education to become a doctor of Tibetan medicine.
Karma Phuntsok is was accepted into the Tibetan Medicine and Astro-Science Institute (Mentseekhang) in Dharamsala, a school founded by the Dalai Lama in 1961. Because of this financial need for support and because of his particular aptitude for scholastics, classical Tibetan language, and interest in Tibetan medicine, we decided unanimously to set aside funds for his full tuition, room, board, school supplies, and stipend, while he undergoes his studies for the next 5 years.
Once Karma Phuntsok has graduated, Himalaya Project will pay his salary for the first 2 years of his practice in Tsum Valley.
PRINCESS SHAH, SOWA RIGPA INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE, KATHMANDU, NEPAL
Princess Shah comes from the Syangja district of Nepal and is in her second year of school at the Sowa Rigpa International College in Kathmandu. Princess comes from a small farming family and was first introduced to Tibetan medicine by her father, who received some Tibetan medical training himself.
Inspired by her father, Princess herself participated in a Tibetan medicine training in Illam district of Nepal, very far from her home village and family, soon after completing high school. This then inspired her to apply to the Sowa Rigpa International School in Kathmandu.
Before receiving sponsorship from Himalaya Project, Princess and her family endured several hardships just so she could attend school; in addition to the significant economic strain on her family paying for her tuition posed, Princess had to learn Tibetan as a second language and she had to move far from her home village to attend school.
It was Princess’ perseverance despite several challenges, that our board decided to provide her with a scholarship for 100% of her tuition, and a rent stipend, for the remainder of her academic career.
After Princess has graduation, Himalaya Project will provide for her salary for 2 years of clinical practice in her home village.
Tsering Lhamu Lama, sowa rigpa international college, kathmandu, Nepal [november 2020-November 2021]
Tsering Lhamu Lama is from the remote district of Rasuwa, Nepal, an area adversely affected by the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
After completing her high school education focusing on Travel and Tourism at Amardeep Secondary School in Punjab, India, Tsering Lhamu returned to her village where she met the prominent doctor of Tibetan medicine, Dr. Tenzin Darke Guge. At that time, Dr. Tenzin Darke Guge was providing introductory Tibetan medicine training to the villagers there, which Tsering Lhamu participated in. This experience piqued Tsering Lhamu’s interest and was her inspiration to apply and subsequently attend the Sowa Rigpa International College in Kathmandu, where Dr. Tenzin Darke is chair-person / director.
Tsering Lhamu states, “I love traveling and I love helping people in need,” and is the first in her family to attend college. Her family has made many sacrifices to allow her to attend elementary and secondary school and we are happy to be able to support her on her educational journey.
Due to Tsering Lhamu’s dedication to education and healthcare, along with her stellar academic performance and financial need, Himalaya Project chose to fund the remainder of Tsering Lhamu’s amount owed to the university, so that her tuition, room, and board were fully covered.
kungyal lama, sorig bumshi medical college, kathmandu, nepal
Kungyal Lama hails from the rural district of Dolpo, Nepal where he was born to a semi-nomadic agri-pastoralist family in the company of 7 siblings in the valley of Dho Tarap.
Kungyal Lama studied at the Crystal Mountain school in Tarap up until the fifth grade and currently is attending the Sorig Bumshi Medical School where he is now in his third year.
The degree Kungyal Lama is pursuing is that of the Kuchapa degree and after completing this course of study, Kungyal Lama plans to return to his home village where he intends to continue his family’s tradition of providing care to their community through the practices of Tibetan medicine.
Kungyal Lama states, “As my father is an Amchi I should continue his linage so I will try my best to fulfill his wishes and make myself a good Amchi. Without your love and support, it seems impossible so humble request for your kindness towards me. Thank you so much.”
Due to Kungyal Lama’s aptitude and economic need, Himalaya Project has agreed to provide funds for Kungyal Lama’s books, school supplies, clothing, and travel expenses to see his family in rural Dolpo, for the remainder of his course of studies.
URGYEN JIGTAK GURUNG, SOWA RIGPA INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE, KATHMANDU NEPAL
Urgyen Jigtak Gurung is from Tinje village of Dolpa which is located at the top of Nepal and shared border with Tibet.
Urgyen Jigtak comes from a family whose livelihood is dependent on farming and animal husbandry, similar to most families from the region. Additionally, Urgyen Jigtak’s father is now a monk who lives simply and looks after an old monastery in the area which is rewarding, yet does not provide income to the family.
In Tinje village, though the tradition of Tibetan medicine has a long tradition of practice, there is only one remaining Tibetan medicine practitioner remaining who is nearing retirement.
Urgyen Jigtak’s wish to study Tibetan medicine stems from the wish to be a part of the long history of cultural practice in his place of origin and his wish to serve his community directly.
It was Urgyen Jigtak’s rooted desire to assist his community directly along with his exceptional academic performance prior to pursuing his college degree and his need, that prompted our Board to agree to sponsor Urgyen Jigtak’s tuition for a period of 5.5 years at 100%.
Additionally, Himalaya Project will provide funds for his salary for a two-year period of time after Urgyen Jigtak graduates, provided he practice in a clinic near his home village.
Kunchok Wangmo, Rural Health Education And Services Center Institution College
Kunchok Wangmo Lama is from Tsum Valley of Gorkha District, a far-flung village in the Himalayas where basic amenities are lacking. Her parents are farmers.
Kunchok moved from her home village at the age of four in pursuit of education, and with help from her uncle, became the first person in her family to receive a high school education.
On a visit to her home village after her studies concluded, Kunchok noticed that most villagers had back pain, knee pain, and insomnia due to the intense physical labor of farming. After witnessing these physical maladies, Kunchok enrolled at the Rural Health Education And Services Center Institution College, where she is learning acupuncture, acupressure, and moxibustion. Kunchok is currently attending her first of three years of study.
After completing her acupuncture certificate program, Kunchok is eager to serve and enhance healthcare in her home village.
The Himalaya Project has provided a scholarship to Kunchok Wangmo to cover her tuition in full for two years.
Pem Lhaton, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, India
Pem Lhaton is from Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India, and is in her second year of Tibetan medicine studies at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, India.
Pem comes from a large family in a rural area of the Indian Himalayas whose livelihood depends upon agriculture.
Pem is motivated to learn Tibetan medicine by her wish to help her community which lacks essential services in terms of healthcare on account of its remote location. Pem also references cultural preservation as another motivation to pursue her studies.
After graduation, Pem intends to complete one year of working in a local clinic to gain more experience before moving back to her home village to start her clinic there.
Pem states, "Of all the modalities included within Tibetan medicine, I find the tradition of massage and gentle touch-based therapies contained within Sowa Rigpa fantastic and fascinating. These techniques are called Kunye and are my favorite part of Tibetan medicine."
The Himalaya Project has provided Pem with a 700 USD scholarship to purchase a laptop and school supplies for the remainder of her studies.
Gyurme Ghale, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, India
Gyurme Ghale is from Nepal and completed an 8th-grade education at his monastery in Nepal before traveling to India to complete his high school and college education at Sarah College in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.
Gyurme developed a keen interest in ancient Buddhist medical knowledge and, for this reason, enrolled at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, India, to study Tibetan medicine.
Gyurme states that he is currently learning about and appreciating Tibetan medicine's applications for gynecological conditions.
Gyurme states, "I made a promise to myself that I am going to study hard so that I can help my community and make them happy by healing their conditions."
Himalaya Project has granted Gyurme a 700 USD scholarship to purchase a laptop and school supplies during his studies.
Sonam Dorji, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, India
Following receiving his primary school education in his home country of Bhutan, Sonam Dorji pursued his path as a Buddhist monk. At Namdroling Monastery in the South of India, Sonam Dorji completed his education in Buddhist Studies.
In 2019, Sonam joined the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, India, to pursue the study of Sowa Rigpa, Tibetan medicine.
Sonam reflects that "Sowa Rigpa gives me a lot of nature exploration knowledge which motivates my passion for becoming an exemplary practitioner of Tibetan medicine. I plan to pursue studies in this field as far as possible."
Himalaya Project granted Sonam Dorji a 700 USD scholarship to purchase a laptop and school supplies during his studies.
Past Projects
PANDEMIC TELEMEDICINE SUPPORT IN NEPAL, 2020-2021
Himalaya Project provided funds to assist a Nepali NGO, Sano Paila, in providing telehealth COVID care to minor to moderate COVID cases via toll-free consultations anywhere in Nepal in order to lighten the load of the regional hospitals, whose resources needed to be reserved for moderate to severe cases of COVID-19.
As COVID-19 cases sky-rocketed in Nepal in 2020 and 2021, hospitals were quickly overwhelmed. The aim of the telemedicine program was to liaise with patients of minor to moderate infections of COVID-19 remotely, thus reducing the number of patients heading to the hospitals for the treatment of non-critical cases.
In rural areas, the toll-free service also spared the patient from traveling long distances while infected. If the telemedicine medical team deemed that the patient whom they were consulting with over the phone needed further care, referrals to regional hospitals were then made at that time and plans were made to transport the patient safely.
The majority of the cost of the program was the salaries of the team of two medical doctors and five case managers available 24 hours dedicated to providing free consultation to the patients over the phone. Minor costs were also associated with the cost of the toll-free number set-up and operation, headsets and phones for the staff, and advertising costs so that patients were aware of the free services. A toll-free number was set up and circulated via social media and additionally posted as hard copies in various places.
Regarding our involvement, the Board decided to specifically fund the salary of one of the medical specialists for a period of 3 months.
During that 3 month period, the following data were provided to us by Sano Paila:
A total of 87 patients were treated and advised by a group of medical specialists
Out of the 87 patients, 51 of the patients had COVID-19
Of the 51 patients, 20 patients were confirmed COVID-positive after screening by Sano Paila's medical team
3 out of the 87 consulted patients were moderate to serious cases and were subsequently referred to hospitals for further treatment
84 hours unnecessary hospital visits were prevented sparing hospitals this time to provide care to more critical patients
The majority of the phone calls for Telemedicine services were from Kathmandu Valley followed by Parsa, Saptari, Morang, Sunsari, and other districts of Nepal
To date, Sano Paila has provided free consultations and treatment to over 860 patients.
PANDEMIC FLOOD RELIEF IN THE TERAI REGION, NEPAL, 2020
Nepal was affected by heavy monsoon rainfall in July 2020, leading to intense flooding and devastating landslides across the country. According to the Nepal Red Cross Society, by July of 2020, 412 families were displaced in various districts and over 141 homes were fully destroyed, all during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the flooding and loss of shelter which exacerbated the risk of COVID in these regions, Himalaya Project partnered with our friends at the Dolpo Tulku Charitable Foundation to donate relief packages and build emergency shelters to help those families who lost their homes.
The coalition of organizations headed by the Dolpo Tulku Charitable Foundation was able to build 45 temporary shelters for 45 displaced families.
Out of those 45, Himalaya Project provided the funds needed to complete 10 of the structures, the cost of which primarily consisted of the roofing materials.
A secondary benefit of the flood relief construction was that these families were able to shelter independently of the rest of their community more quickly (instead of in large tents with many families together), thereby likely reducing COVID transmission in the community.
Per the suggestion and preference of the families, locally made cement roofing tiles were purchased instead of metal in order to roof the damaged homes.
In sum, 90 pieces of 2x3 ft long cement tiles were purchased to complete the roofs for the structures.
Each family's shelter was an estimated 175 square feet in area, which cost roughly $100 per structure to roof.
As of now, all of the roofing of the temporary shelters has been completed and all shelters were handed over to their respective families at the time of completion.
All families involved are happy with the final product and perhaps healthier as a result of the collective effort to help them avoid exposure to the elements and exposure to COVID-19.
Earthquake relief Medical camps to rural regions of Nepal, 2015
In response to the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Himalaya Project directors voted to participate in funding health camps in conjunction with Drokpa and the Himalayan Amchi Association (HAA) to provide financial and material support for for health camps in the underserved rural districts of Rasuwa and Dolakha.
The health camps were lead by Amchi Namgyal Rinpoche, Amchi Tenzin Gurung, and a retinue of supporting doctors and staff who provided western medicine, Tibetan medicine (herbal medicine, moxibustion), acupuncture, psychological counseling to traumatized individuals, and Buddhist ritual practice (including funerary rites) for the communities.
In sum, 522 individuals were treated ranging from 1 month old to 85 years of age.
Fundraising for Shechen Monastery EartHquake Relief, 2015
In 2015, we were happy to team up with Pacific College of Oriental Medicine-Chicago in order to throw a benefit for Karuna-Shechen, a trusted INGO working to provide disaster relief in Nepal. The benefit consisted of a volunteer clinic shift licensed acupuncturists, massage therapists, a silent auction, and bake sale.
In sum, we raised $2500.28. All proceeds went directly to Karuna-Shechen who, as of June 1 2015, had already helped 78,767 people in 266 villages located in the most affected areas including Dhading, Nuwakot, Lalitpur, Sindupalchok, Kavre, Dolakha, Kathmandu, Rasuwa, Ramecchap, Bhaktapur, and Gorkha.
Dolpo School of Himalayan Medicine, 2011-2019
Starting vocational school for Tibetan medicine in accordance with the CTEVT government curriculum in Dolpo, Nepal, was our initial initial objective and was the reason that Himalaya Project was founded.
We came close to reaching our goal of opening the school in 2019 after nearly 10 years of hard work, but ultimately shifted focus to implement our mission in another way. The change was primarily due to difficulties in finding a suitable secondary school in Dolpo to that we could partner with in order to institute the vocational program as in remote Himalayan places such as Dolpo, there are very schools to choose from that offer education beyond the 8th grade.
In 2019, after consulting with and surveying the communities members in Dolpo to gain insight as to what they would consider a reasonable substitute, we started our scholarship program for Himalayan students to attend school for Tibetan medicine at other institutions in SE Asia rather than opening a school ourselves; a solution that was satisfactory to our board, donors, and the community.
New projects underwaY!
Check back in later for more details.
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