Himalayan Development Initiative

Namaste, 

We are the Himalayan Development Initiative, currently based in Dolpa. Dolpa remains one of the most under-developed districts of Nepal. Having a very large but harsh geography, the region experiences lack of infrastructural development. Geographically, the district is divided into a lower and upper belt, or Lower and Upper Dolpa.

With the villages situated at an average altitude of 3,700m to 3,900m above sea level in Upper Dolpa, people still live a semi-nomadic lifestyle deprived of infrastructures of education, health, communication, transportation and more. The schools operate only for six months in the region due to harsh weather conditions in the winter. However, due to tremendous geographical challenges the region is facing, the schools struggle to operate and deliver quality education to the children due to lack of resources.

In December 2019, Himalayan Development Initiative (HDI) came into existence with the similar vision of providing quality education to the children of Upper Dolpa (Dolpo) and other rural regions in the Himalayas. Since it was established by the people of Nyisal, the organization is currently managing Shree Yanjer Gumba Basic School which serves about 50 students from the villages of Nyisal, Lhuri, Musi and Sunjer.

As the school offers education only till grade 5, HDI has initiated a hostel at Bhaktapur for the kids graduating grade 5.

Since November 2021, the hostel caters to 5 children, with 3 more to join in November 2022. Coming from an isolated region, exposure and personality development has been one of the important aspects to work on. Interaction with leaders and youths from different sectors, exposure visits, participation in the workshops have been some of the priorities. However, the lack of funds remains one of the major barriers to bringing these initiatives to fruition.

Our students under the HDI are currently enrolled in Jyoti Secondary School. Despite it being a community school, they provide students with opportunities to participate in various extracurricular and leadership programs. They have joined music classes, dance classes and other clubs according to their interest. All of them have also joined the scouts. HDI also looks forward to engaging students in more sessions and workshops related to STEM, first-aid, photography, storytelling and more.

The funds provided by Books Beyond Borders will then be utilized for purchasing scout uniforms for the children and to pay enrollment fees in various extracurricular activities.