Doing what works to give a hand up, not a handout.
The Mountain Fund and its global network of partners span every corner of the globe eliminating poverty in mountain regions.
Domestic abuse in Nepal is rampant. The leading cause of death among women of childbearing age is suicide. Widows are tossed out and branded as witches. Victims of the sex trade are shunned by families. These women have no where to go. They are skilled farmers, they can support themselves and feed their children if they have a little land. Our farm cooperative will provide them with shelter and place to grow food. That's the essential needs, without which they will stay trapped in abuse.
There’s a small and simple clinic located in “Tica Tica”, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Cusco. The clinic rents the facility from the neighborhood, and therefore they work mostly with the neighbors and farmers that come from nearby villages. On average, the clinic sees 50-60 patients per week.
The clinic has 2 doctors, 2 dentists, 1 obstetrician, 3 nurses, 1 chief of laboratory, and 1 secretary; all of whom are volunteers. They are also involved in disaster prevention and other social work.
The clinic performs basic medical procedures, dental work, some obstetrician care, birth control counseling, etc. They send people who need surgeries to the hospitals, as they don’t have the finances or facility to conduct surgeries.
Imagine seeking medical attention from a hospital that refuses 300 people everyday because it lacks the staff and resources to treat its patients. This devastating situation is a reality for millions of people in El Salvador. As an agent of change, Benefit El Salvador delivers urgently needed medical supplies and healthcare training to rural community clinics that serve over 180 patients everyday.
The Q'eros people of the Peruvian mountain hamlet of Ch'allmachimpana want to build the first school ever for their children. Child mortality is close to 50% and this pre-literate community is vulnerable. They have identified primary education as their first step toward providing a sustainable future for their children and culture.
14 impoverished nuns live in an old, dilapidated convent. Built in 1928 as the "sister-monastery" to the famous Thyangboche Monastery, the Deboche Nunnery serves as a center for religious exchange and cultural preservation. Help restore the home of the Deboche Nuns who have overcome political violence and social stigma to protect and share their cultural heritage.
The Mountain Fund spent only 16% of income on administrative expenses in 2010, an extremely low figure for a nonprofit. The industry standard is nearly double this amount. We can't do our work without some admin and overhead costs however and your support to the general fund is what allows us to pay the rent, utility bills and account for your project-specific donations. Without general fund support, there would be no Mountain Fund.
Currently we have 100 kids with requests for more admissions every day. These kids belong to the lower most economic strata of the society. Our children live in unimaginable conditions so their biggest need is survival. Koseli means "a gift" and the centre does exactly that. It gifts them a smile. In addition to education, the centre also takes care of their hygiene, fooding, clothing, recreational needs.
The Mount Everest Foundation works with local community agencies and partnerships to alleviate severe poverty in Nepal. Through sustainable community-based initiatives, the Foundation has built schools, staffed clinics, restored dilapidated cultural centers and invested in Nepal's most valuable resource: its people.
Maure is a rural village in Northeastern Nepal with a student population of over 300. Currently, there is no schooling locally available to children after eighth grade because there is no school building.
At Orchid Garden Nepal, young girls come to school everyday but are facing sexual abuse in the home. In some cases the parents are working until late evening and the abuse is at the hands of neighborhood boys, in the most extreme cases, it is a family member. We noticed grades falling off considerably when this began and have now moved some of these girls to a hostel where they can be safe. We need support to continue to provide a safe place for these young girls to live.
Every year hundreds of Nepali children are turned into "paper orphans" just because their parents cannot care for them and work at the same time. One of the only affordable day-care centers in Kathmandu, the Orchid Garden, has the solution to this problem. A safe, affordable place for children to stay and learn while poor parents work to just get that day's meal. Perhaps as many as 60% of Nepal's "orphans" are economic orphans and should not be in institutions, but in day care. (source UNICEF)
Sarswati has created an affordable, sustainable education where Nepali children are empowered to succeed collaboratively in their environment. The school is specially geared towards the war-affected children so that they can reclaim their passion and dream in life. The school will welcomed the first batch of 250 students in April 2010.
The Q'eros are a Quechua-speaking people who live high in the Andes Mountains of southeast Peru. This documentary, created by Holly Wissler, is based on Hatun Q'eros, the largest and most remote of the Q'eros' communities. Help Holly document Q'eros' musical rituals for the Q'eros community; to educate a larger audience; and ultimately to promote respect for indigenous cultures.
