KATHMANDU, JUNE 17
Nepal Consulate Office in Seattle, USA, has announced a ten-year-long campaign to bring over a million children of Non Resident Nepali nationals to Nepal, from across the globe.
Announcing the mega campaign, Honorary Consul for Seattle in Washington State AC Sherpa said that the campaign would be conducted in coordination with the NRNA.
During a meeting with the NRNA President Binod Kuwar, representatives from North and South America vowed their support to make the campaign a grand success.
Sherpa, who is also the chair of NRNA's tourism committee, shared that children from NRNA community would visit Nepal as an educational tour and other recreational activities. "The campaign would run for a ten year period starting this year," Sherpa, who coined the idea in 2015, said.
Necessary communications have already been made with the government of Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board and other diplomatic missions including Nepal's Embassy in Washington DC and the US Embassy in Kathmandu, according to Sherpa.
A resident of Solukhumbu district, Sherpa is a mountaineer and has already scaled all the highest peaks in seven continents including the Mt Everest. He has also been serving the financially marginalised communities in remote areas through the 7 Summits Foundation. The foundation is mainly active in health and education sectors as it offers support to communities in need in Solukhumbu and Sindhupalchowk districts, among others.
Sherpa has also climbed Mt Everest with the NRNA flag to spread the message of unity. He has led multiple business ventures in the US, Nepal and Canada.
Sherpa, who has served as Deputy Regional Coordinator (Americas) for the NRN's International Coordination Council, said that at least 40 children from the USA's West Coast and Canada have already obtained visas from the Consulate Office in Seattle to visit Nepal in 2022.
An attractive package will be offered to the visiting kids while they interact with Nepali culture and society, Sherpa added.
The NRN kids will be given multiple opportunities to understand the country's flora and fauna during their stay in over two weeks, Sherpa said, adding that they will be allowed to visit their relatives and they will also interact with high-profile dignitaries to know about the country's overall functioning and governance system. "The campaign will not only promote Nepal's tourism but also directly contribute to its economy," Sherpa believes.
During the campaign, targeted kids will spend over Rs 3 billion rupees, he estimates.
All 66 Nepal consulate offices in the world will facilitate the campaign, Sherpa said, elaborating that this campaign would be sustainable in the coming days.
