Here’s a wonderful story from Ama Foundation Board Member Manoj Kanskar, whose vow to climb to Everest Base Camp before he turned 50 became a fundraising success for Ama Ghar:
“Before I set out, trying to keep the promise to myself, to trek to Everest Basecamp before turning 50, I had some trepidation. Though I had been up to the same altitude 25 years ago crossing Thorang La in the Annapurna circuit, I felt this time was going to be different. Looking back, now it seems fairly ordinary – especially after meeting a nine year old boy, a seventy-eight year old man a couple in their seventies who made to EBC as well. It certainly helped me set a new goal – a trek up Island Peak (20,300 ft).
Manoj at Everest
Nonetheless, it was a personal challenge. My goal was to raise $18,000 for Ama Ghar before reaching 18,000 feet – that resonated well and sounded like a good challenge for my friends, and Ama Foundation needed something on that order to cover the cost of solar power for the new Ama Ghar home.
I launched a fundraising site on Crowdrise around midnight before I left the US for my trek and the next morning at 6 am I woke up to an email from Linda West with $100 donation. That was very exciting!
Personally, launching this challenge helped me tell the Ama Ghar story all along the trail with other fellow trekkers and while I was in Kathmandu. I also heard many stories from friends I made along the way on numerous projects that they themselves were involved with or spearheading in Nepal and other countries. This was certainly the best part about my trek and Nepal visit this time. I did a lot of networking trying to learn more about numerous projects – educational, socio-cultural, environmental and other development related projects. I was very happy not just to see so many worthwhile projects going on in Nepal – but hearing about those stories also gave me hope that all these projects are, for sure in one way or another, going to help Nepal.
I was happy and proud to be part of Ama Foundation and being a part, albeit a small one, of this ongoing effort to help Nepal.
So, I flew to Lukla which is at around 9,000 ft and hiked a week to get up to Everest Basecamp and Kala Pathar (around 18,000 ft). Looks like I raised around a total of $9,000 ($3,000 in Nepal and $6,000 in the US). So looks like I was rewarded with a $1 for every foot that I actually hiked! It was really a rewarding trip.”
Manoj Kanskar