After the launch of Everest Skydive in 2008, the skydiving event has become one of the world’s ultimate and elite adventures, with several world records set. Held in the remote Sherpa hamlet of Syangboche in the Everest region of Nepal, Everest Skydive strives to give back to the society by partnering with Global Angels Foundation, an international charity championing the causes of disadvantaged children, young people and communities.

Molly Bedingfield, mother of international pop stars Daniel and Natasha Bedingfield, founded global Angels. Molly was one of the first Everest skydivers along with world champion, Wendy Smith, and to date they have raised over $450,000 in their quest to collect $1 million for disadvantaged children in Nepal and other Asian nations through Everest Skydive.

The ‘Children’s Home Orphanage’ in Khokana, Kathmandu is one of the beneficiaries of Global Angels. With the funds, the orphanage has been equipped with a new kitchen and dining room, solar panels for heating water and computers to assist their studies. In 2010, British celebrity and car racing driver Nick Leventis made another record breaking charity jump for Global Angels.

Everest Skydive is currently working together with Global Angels to fund a Computer Education Project at the Khumjung School in Khumbu Himal. The ‘Himalayan Trust’ is responsible for dispersing and auditing the funds within Nepal.

Project Location – Khumjung Village, Everest Region, Solu-Khumbu District
The village of Khumjung is situated in the Solu Khumbu district, on a high valley above Namche, at the base of Khumbila Peak. The district lies in north-eastern Nepal and covers an area of 3,312 square kilometres. The district’s capital is Salleri, which administers 34 Village Development Committees. Its elevation ranges from 3,300 metres (11,000 feet) to 8,848 m (29,029 ft) – the summit of Mount Everest. Some of the highest peaks of the world lie within the Sagarmatha National Park, which is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. The Khumbu or Everest Region is part of the district and is one of three sub-regions of the main Sherpa settlement of the Himalaya. Villages in the Khumbu region include Lukla, Khumjung, Namche, Kunde, Ghat, Monjo, Pangboche, Phortse and Tengboche.

In 2002, the population in the district was 117,035 and its literacy rate stood at 46%. While the Sherpas inhabit the higher mountain regions, Rais and some other hill tribes are living at the lower elevations. People in the district are mainly involved in farming and agriculture.

Project Site - Khumjung Secondary School
As a token of his appreciation for his Sherpa guides who helped him scale the world’s highest peak to become the first climber to do so, Sir Edmund Hillary established the Khumjung School in 1961. The school was inaugurated on 11 June 1961 and opened with just two classrooms and 47 children enrolled from the villages of Khumjung, Khunde and Namche. From 1961 to 1975, Sir Edmund Hillary's foundation, ‘The Himalayan Trust’, was in charge for the school management and organization.

In 1975, the school’s management was handed over to the Government District Education Committee, however, the Himalayan Trust is still involved in the school by supplying teaching materials, teacher training, scholarships and funding for building projects. 

Present Status - Students & Teaching Faculty
From its humble beginning, the school has steadily expanded and now imparts education to 266 (139 boys and 127 girls) students from Nursery to Grade 10. As this is the only high school in the Khumbu region, students from the surrounding villages of Thame, Phortse, Namche, Thamo, Pangboche and Pharak also come here to complete their high school education. Headed by the school’s headmaster Mr. Mahendra Kathet, the staff is composed of 14 government teachers and seven community teachers. The school also provides hostel accommodation for 80 students, who get free lodging but have to pay for the food.

Computer education arrived in 2006, when a Korean expedition offered to help build a computer lab and donated 15 computers and furniture. Even though the students are now able to learn basic computer skills, most of the computers have become old and need replacing with seven or eight students sharing one computer. According to the headmaster, the school urgently needs good quality branded desktop computers, laptops, printers and a multi-media projector.

Global Angels is providing:

Six branded desktop computers – NRs 3,00,000/----(@ Nrs 50,000/- per computer)

Two printers- NRs 30,000/-- (@Nrs 15,000/- per printer)

1 Projector- NRs. 56,000/-

Internet Connection charge- NRs 50,000/-

Global Angels and Everest Skydive hope to extend their support to more such projects in the future through their fund raising programme. If you would like to donate to this project and help us give more computer support to these wonderful Sherpa schoolchildren please go to
http://www.globalangels.org/fundraiser/mollywendy and give.

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