The idea of Nepal Project to Nepalese women to gain their financial and social independence was born during personal meeting between Ewa Konczal, co-founder and President of Magic Mountain Foundation and Lucky Chetri, Founder and President of Empowering Women of Nepal.

Ewa Konczal, Magic Mountain: The idea came with meeting Lucky Chetri, who found the Empowering Women of Nepal Association. Participants of our climbing-rehabilitation camps were high source of motivation as well. Every year they are more eager to find out about other countries and mountain regions. We are going to Nepal for them as well – after coming back we will share new adventures to inspire them to find and climb their own Everests.

Lucky Chetri, Founder of EWN: We want to create opportunities for women at work and at home. For years Nepali women’s voices have been silent, while men have dominated the economic and social dynamics of the house. Through our training program we show that by acquiring financial independence, women can elevate their social status, gain self-confidence, and take their rightful role as leaders of social and cultural change.

With the support of Magic Mountain trainees of EWN gain new knowledge and uplift their mountain skills to strengthen their position in the male dominated industry. This joined effort supports participants to transform stereotypes and discrimination that have hindered Nepalese women for hundreds of years. Read more at www.3sistersadventure.com/EWN/

Joint project of MMF and EWN includes the following elements:

I. 2007, December/January. First ice-climbing training in Nepal for 12 Nepalese girls. The training program has been preceded with national collection of mountain clothes and equipment promoted by National Geographic Traveller. The training took place in Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) and was combined with climbing TENT PEAK (5860 m).

II. 2009, November – December. Second ice-climbing training in Nepal for 6 Nepalese Women. Training took place in the massiv of Annapurna and was combined with climb of CHULU WEST (6700 m).

III. 2010, August – September. Third ice-climbing training for 5 Nepalese girls in the rocks in Poland and in Chamonix, France. As part of their training program the girls will mount the highest peak of Europe MT. BLANC (4807 m).

IV. 2011, Spring or autumn. Joint climb of MT. EVERST (8848 m). The highest mountain of the world.

The results of the program are astounding and it motivates us to further continuation of the program. We plan to embrace next group of Nepalese women in this program, offering them exciting learning opportunities and broadening their horizons through travelling and learning in Europe.

Goals of the project

Nepal lives on tourism. Many women in Nepal lack nutrition, education, employment. In the rural areas, only 14 percent of women are literate, compared to 44 percent of men. More than 85 percent of Nepalese women live outside cities, entangled by social and economic systems that too often leave them uneducated and underprivileged. Getting education and job in the tourism field becomes one of the few avenues for Nepalese women, where they can learn various skills, English, and most of all, build their own financial independence.
When planning the project we have set for ourselves following expectations:
1) uplifting professional skills and hence increasing opportunities for employment in the area of tourism
2) awareness change among the patriarchal Nepalese society towards women attempting to work professionally – thanks to media this is broadly discussed topic
3) Inspire young Nepalese women to undertake education and employment based on the example of women trekking guides.

Joint climbing of tent Peak, Chulu West, Mt. Blanc and in the future also Everest, is a symbolic conquer of mountain of stereotypes and prejudices, that Nepalese women need to fight everyday in their home country. Through implementation of our work, we prove that women in Nepal has similar, or even equal chances for further education and financial independence. Their travelling in Europe helps them to expand their horizons and inspire for further education and development of young women in Nepal.
Activities to date
In 2007 Magic Mountain Foundation (MM) and Empowering Women of Nepal Association (EWN) in Pokhara, led by Lucky Chetri, launched first unique ice-climbing training program for Nepalese women. Together with National Geographic Traveler, Geopost/DPD (cargo), HiMountain and SALEWA – leading mountain gear companies, Magic Mountain organized in Poland national collection of mountain equipment and gear to be distributed to the Nepalese women, that are trained to become trekking and mountain guides.

About
Check-out the photos and video from the Nepal Project: photos & video

The idea of Nepal Project to Nepalese women to gain their financial and social independence was born during personal meeting between Ewa Konczal, co-founder and President of Magic Mountain Foundation and Lucky Chetri, Founder and President of Empowering Women of Nepal.

Ewa Konczal, Magic Mountain: The idea came with meeting Lucky Chetri, who found the Empowering Women of Nepal Association. Participants of our climbing-rehabilitation camps were high source of motivation as well. Every year they are more eager to find out about other countries and mountain regions. We are going to Nepal for them as well – after coming back we will share new adventures to inspire them to find and climb their own Everests.

Lucky Chetri, Founder of EWN: We want to create opportunities for women at work and at home. For years Nepali women’s voices have been silent, while men have dominated the economic and social dynamics of the house. Through our training program we show that by acquiring financial independence, women can elevate their social status, gain self-confidence, and take their rightful role as leaders of social and cultural change.

With the support of Magic Mountain trainees of EWN gain new knowledge and uplift their mountain skills to strengthen their position in the male dominated industry. This joined effort supports participants to transform stereotypes and discrimination that have hindered Nepalese women for hundreds of years. Read more at www.3sistersadventure.com/EWN/

Joint project of MMF and EWN includes the following elements:

I. 2007, December/January. First ice-climbing training in Nepal for 12 Nepalese girls. The training program has been preceded with national collection of mountain clothes and equipment promoted by National Geographic Traveller. The training took place in Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) and was combined with climbing TENT PEAK (5860 m).

II. 2009, November – December. Second ice-climbing training in Nepal for 6 Nepalese Women. Training took place in the massiv of Annapurna and was combined with climb of CHULU WEST (6700 m).

III. 2010, August – September. Third ice-climbing training for 5 Nepalese girls in the rocks in Poland and in Chamonix, France. As part of their training program the girls will mount the highest peak of Europe MT. BLANC (4807 m).

IV. 2011, Spring or autumn. Joint climb of MT. EVERST (8848 m). The highest mountain of the world.

The results of the program are astounding and it motivates us to further continuation of the program. We plan to embrace next group of Nepalese women in this program, offering them exciting learning opportunities and broadening their horizons through travelling and learning in Europe.

Goals of the project

Nepal lives on tourism. Many women in Nepal lack nutrition, education, employment. In the rural areas, only 14 percent of women are literate, compared to 44 percent of men. More than 85 percent of Nepalese women live outside cities, entangled by social and economic systems that too often leave them uneducated and underprivileged. Getting education and job in the tourism field becomes one of the few avenues for Nepalese women, where they can learn various skills, English, and most of all, build their own financial independence.
When planning the project we have set for ourselves following expectations:
1) uplifting professional skills and hence increasing opportunities for employment in the area of tourism
2) awareness change among the patriarchal Nepalese society towards women attempting to work professionally – thanks to media this is broadly discussed topic
3) Inspire young Nepalese women to undertake education and employment based on the example of women trekking guides.

Joint climbing of tent Peak, Chulu West, Mt. Blanc and in the future also Everest, is a symbolic conquer of mountain of stereotypes and prejudices, that Nepalese women need to fight everyday in their home country. Through implementation of our work, we prove that women in Nepal has similar, or even equal chances for further education and financial independence. Their travelling in Europe helps them to expand their horizons and inspire for further education and development of young women in Nepal.
Activities to date
In 2007 Magic Mountain Foundation (MM) and Empowering Women of Nepal Association (EWN) in Pokhara, led by Lucky Chetri, launched first unique ice-climbing training program for Nepalese women. Together with National Geographic Traveler, Geopost/DPD (cargo), HiMountain and SALEWA – leading mountain gear companies, Magic Mountain organized in Poland national collection of mountain equipment and gear to be distributed to the Nepalese women, that are trained to become trekking and mountain guides.

In January 2008 the first ice-climbing training took place with participation of 12 Nepalese women. The training was combined with the winter climb of Tent Peak (5700m) at the Annapurna Base Camp.

In October 2008 Lucky Chetri from Empowering Women of Nepal visited Poland and attended the premiere of the „Sisters of Himalaya” movie in Katowice, combined with press conference, where we have announced the continuation of the project and started raising funds for its realization.

On 20 November 2009 the group of climbing instructors from Magic Mountain Foundation (MMF) arrived in Pokhara, Nepal. Few days later the cargo sponsored by DPD Poland with the donated clothing and equipment from SALEWA reached the premise of the Empowering Women of Nepal Association (EWN) in Pokhara. This year training have been focused on advancing mountain skills of Nepalese girls to enable them to train their peers in mountaineering. It has been combined with climbing Chulu West (6700 m).

This unprecedented training program has brought number of positive results. First of all, the media interest around the winter ascent done by Nepalese women, has attracted the attention to the employment of women in tourism industry. Nepal Mountaineering Association organized first ever ice-training program for women guides. The Nepalese young women who participated in the program have shown to the traditional Nepalese society that women can also develop themselves professionally and build their independence. The EWN Association has also noted a significant increase in the enrollment of girls from rural, mountain areas who would like to become trekking guides.

The ice-climbing training has been widely promoted in the media in Poland, Nepal and abroad. Both ice-climbing training have been featured in two movies directed by Polish Himalaist Dariusz Zaluski – “Sisters of Himalaya” from climbing Tent Peak and “Chulu West 2009” from second training program.