How It Began

Lhakpa Tsiring Sherpa was born in Lukla and attended the local school for 10 years.

Lhakpa, the second of 7 children didn’t get much support from his family. They lived in a very basic and small farm house near Lukla. Later, he went on to College in Kathmandu which he paid for with money earned from working hard as a trekking porter. He is now working as a successful trek and climbing guide. When returning to Lukla to start a trek or to visit his family, he is always confronted with children who have to work to help their family financially. Often this means carrying heavy loads regularly so the children can’t attend school on a daily basis. These are the children of poor families who can’t afford to go to school. The fathers work as porters for Lhakpa during the trekking season.

From Lhakpa’s Swiss friends' support and money earned while selling Nepali jewellery in Europe, he started a project called 'Swiss Sherpa Education Foundation' in February 2008.

He started by supporting 5 children and the local school in Lukla. He paid for the school uniform, the school fees, stationeries etc…

Additionally he supported the family with extra cover to help compensate for the wages the children would have been earned. Parents who have no education background do not value the important of educational needs, but instead often need the labour of their children to help feed their family.

This project was very successful during its first year so Lhakpa decided to found a charity here in Nepal, supported by his Australian friends. The name changed to 'Himalayan Education Charity Foundation'.

HECF become now a small but successful charity run by volunteers from Nepal and Australia. This small international charity compliments each other with commitment and dedication, hopes to make a difference for these children in the Solukhumbu and different part of remote regions of Nepal.

A few words from the President:

“I know what it is like to grow up in a place without even basic amenities and little support from your family concerning your education. I worked and fought hard for my own education and would now like to help spare children of this situation.

I would like to make a positive difference for these children and their families, to help them with a secure environment, and help them with the opportunities of a better education and in long term enable them to help themselves, to become independent and self-supporting.”