The mighty Himalaya reveals its awesome beauty in the Northern Indian states of Kashmir, Himachal, Uttarakhand... all the way  East up to Arunachal. It's the kind of beauty that brings tears to your eyes for no apparent reason. Being in the presence of the Himalayas gives you a feeling that cannot, and perhaps should not, be explained.


Folks visit from all over the world again and again - just to experience those few special magical moments. They say "you don't go to the Himalaya... the Himalaya comes to you"!


Living among the majestic peaks are men, women and children who, despite their barebones existence, emanate a warmth and joy.


Spend a few minutes with the local people there and you realize that they are extremely hardworking, sincere and very simple people. They certainly know that they are in a special place. They also realize what they lack, but they will never ask for anything from you.


On a recent trip to the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand (2008), I stumbled upon a modest English-medium school in the village of Chaukori. You could see the snow-peaked Himalayas from the classroom windows. But far more impressive was the dedication of the school administrators and teachers to try and better the livelihood of the people despite having meager resources.

You will be inspired as I was when you read the story of Chaukori's Himalaya Public School (HPS).  Living in the mountains is hard enough but doing so while helping others to live better is even harder. The Karki family that runs the non-profit HPS does exactly that with a characteristically gentle Himalayan smile that seems to say "It's okay. We'll do the best we can with whatever we have". The smiles on the faces of the kids seem to say "I am so proud of how much I've learned. I want to keep it up and become ... an astronaut - just give me a chance"


There are scores of other schools in the Himalayas that run on a similar shoestring budgets and big hearts. There are thousands of kids who could be tomorrow's environmental scientists, doctors, or teachers who provide better living standards for their community. Many families realize that in this global economy, their children can have a better life only through better education, but so many cannot afford $7 (US) a month for one child's English-medium education. The alternatives are not pleasant and are even harder in the long run. Challenges are plenty, as you can see.


On my return to my home in the U.S, as I was paying the $85 bill for a special-occasion dinner at a restaurant, it hit me hard... I just ate a year's worth of school tuition for one child!


The good news is - you and I can make a huge difference in the lives of these children of the Himalayas.


The Himalayan Education Foundation (HEF) is a U.S based non-profit organization whose goal is to raise funds from kind-hearted folks like you and target them towards specific projects that we plan to undertake. You can learn more about HEF on this website.


Here is how you can help.



- Jayant