Filed under: Hiking, History, Learning, Asia, Nepal
May 29th marked the 58th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary. Among those celebrating this momentous accomplishment were the staff and students at the Khumjung School in the Nepalese village of Khumjung. This is the first school built by the Himalayan Trust, the foundation Hillary established after his return from the mountain.
The school has a special reason to celebrate: This year is its 50th anniversary, and as such, it is an inspiring symbol of the enduring bond between Hillary and the people of Nepal, and of the vital, life-changing work - not only with schools, but also with clinics, monasteries and reforestation efforts - that the organization has done and continues to do.
Hillary passed away in 2008, but the work of his Trust continues in partnership with the American Himalayan Foundation. I recently had the pleasure of discussing Sir Edmund's legacy and the Trust's ongoing projects with Norbu Tenzing, son of Tenzing Norgay and Vice President of the American Himalayan Foundation, at the organization's headquarters in San Francisco.
Don George: When and how did you first meet Sir Edmund Hillary?
Norbu Tenzing: I first met Sir Ed and his son Peter in Darjeeling when I was 3 or 4, but it wasn't until I was 7 that I went on a trek to the Khumbu with my father for the first time. This was in 1969. While I remember celebrating my 7th birthday playing soccer at Everest Base camp and spending time with my grandparents at their village, I also remember that Sherpas back then lived very traditional lives and very few children were in school.Continue reading Giving back in Nepal: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Sherpa school built by Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan TrustGiving back in Nepal: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Sherpa school built by Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 31 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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