KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 22A joint initiative of the US-based The Juniper Fund and the Shangri-La Nepal Foundation is providing livelihood and educational assistance to widows and children of Nepali mountain workers who lost their lives in the Himalayas.Under the three-year "Livelihood and Capacity Building Skill Development Programme" launched in 2023, more than 76 bereaved families have received support, directly benefiting over 300 individuals, according to SNF President Jiban Ghimire. The project, funded by The Juniper Fund with an investment of 450,000 US dollars, is being implemented in Nepal by SNF.Speaking at a social audit and review meeting of the programme, Ghimire said the initiative aims to assist families who lost members while working in high-altitude expeditions, most of them on Mount Everest, though beneficiaries come from across the Himalayan region.Programme Director Ang Chokpa Sherpa said the project has organised 144 livelihood support activities, four leadership trainings, three craft-based skill trainings, six trekking guide trainings, cooking classes and 11 hotel management trainings. In addition, 38 educational support initiatives have been conducted.The programme also includes entrepreneurship and business development training, organic vegetable farming assistance, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) awareness. Support has also been extended to the Khumbu Climbing Centre to provide mountaineering skills training to aspiring female climbers.The Juniper Fund has further provided full scholarships to 73 students for Grades 11 and 12, aiming to ensure continued education for children of deceased mountain workers.Beneficiaries shared personal testimonies during the review meeting. Mingma Dawa Sherpa, who lost his father in the mountains, said the programme helped his family cope with trauma and rebuild their future. Phur Diki Sherpa, who lost her husband while working in the mountains, said the support enabled her to pursue mountaineering herself.Mingma Chhiri Sherpa, Chairperson of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, expressed commitment to cooperate with the partners to ensure sustainability of the initiative. Ward Chair Nuru Jangbu Sherpa described the programme as a meaningful intervention for families affected by mountain fatalities.According to Ghimire, The Juniper Fund was founded by American mountaineers David Morton and Melissa Arnot Reid to address the unmet needs of Nepali high-altitude workers and their families. The organisation continues to focus on long-term support for communities dependent on mountaineering and expedition work in Nepal.
