THE CHALLENGE

NB: This is a self funded expedition, all donations will go to the project.

THE TEAM

Jim, from Manchester, joined the army straight from school in 1980 and served with 9 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers and the Parachute Regiment. Having left the army Jim trained as a teacher and became involved with voluntary youth work; scouts, D of E and cadets. Jim is a qualified Mountain Leader and has worked with Roy on tri-service cadet expeditions in the Nepal Himalaya and the west coast mountains of Canada.

Roy, originally from Gobowen, Shropshire, joined the army in 1970 and served with 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. In 1975 he was posted to the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre as an instructor, and in 1976 was a member of the army Mt. Everest expedition. In 1980 Roy volunteered for Special Duties where he spent the remainder of his army career and was awarded the Military Medal and Mentioned In Dispatches. Having retired from the army Roy set up Pilgrim Expeditions, a small adventure company introducing students, scouts and cadets to the mountains and jungle. Retired once more Roy now leads the Aide Nepal team.

Jim and Roy will be joined on the expedition by Tenging Sherpa. Tengi has been Roy's guide and right-hand-man on many treks and expeditions. To help carry equipment and rations to base camp the team will hire a couple of local porters.

THE CAUSE

https://aidenepalmagnoac.org

In 2015 Nepal was struck by two massive earthquakes. Many thousands were killed and whole villages were destroyed. Aide Nepal was set up to help fund re-building of schools that were damaged or completely destroyed. In 2016 we funded our first school in Taruka, a subsistance farming community in the foothills of the Himalaya to the west of Kathmandu. The school has 150 pupils from 5 to 10 years old. This picture was taken in the February 2016 when I opened the school. It was quite a party!

We have now been asked to help re-build the school in Budhasing, another farming village in the north of the region. If anything, the families in Budhasing are in greater need! The school there was completely demolished and the children have spent the last two years in a makeshift shelter of bamboo and corrugated metal sheets. With £20,000 we can build a fully equipped four classroom school with toilet and shower.

As with our previous school, this school will be built to western standards making it resistant to earthquakes. In time of emergency it can be used as a shelter and aid post. The desks, benches and lockers will be made in Kathmandu. Although the build will be supervised by a qualified architect we will employ local men, and women, to do much of the construction work.

Families in this region exist on about $3 per day and with no funding from the government the village cannot afford to build a new school. Education is so important to these youngsters as it is the only way they can escape the poverty trap.

Please help if you can, even a couple of pounds makes a real difference.

Thank you!

Roy (for the children)

https://aidenepalmagnoac.org