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.
Every year a mountain climbing speed competition is held on Mount Elbrus. This practice started in the Soviet era and has remained a crucial proving ground for mountaineers. One of the seven summits, Elburus is the highest peak in Europe. In 1990 Anatoli became legendary for his time up Elbrus of 1 hour and 47 minutes. In memory of Anatoli and to show our solidarity with climbers from the former soviet states we provide some financial support to this annual event.
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.
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.
This home is partly supported by the Cusco Regional Government. There are 60 orphans in this home ranging in age from 1-18 years old. 80% of residents are children and 20% are teens. These children are orphans due to bad social and economic problems with their families and were sent by the courts to live here. Again, they are what is called “social orphans” meaning they have biological families living, but unable or unwilling to support these children. The children live in “apartments” in groups of 10, with each group having a house mother who takes care of them.
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.
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)
For nearly a decade we've been supporting small health clinics in rural Nepal. These clinics make basic health services accessible to thousands of rural villagers near the border with Tibet. It costs an amazing $1.00 per person, per YEAR to hire medical staff and provide basic services.
On average, one woman dies from the complications related to childbirth every four hours. (source UNICEF) Rural Nepal faces an acute shortage of maternity services. The result is one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. It's a loss of life that is preventable. Lack of trained staff and facilities for delivery are two of the leading causes of the high maternal mortality rates. That's fixable, with very little money.
On August 2, 2008, Gerard McDonnell died while rescuing climbers stranded on K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Seasoned Nepali and Pakistani climbers Jumic Bhote, Pasang Bhote, Jehan Baig and Meherban Karim also died in the avalanche, leaving their families without hope for the future. Honor Gerard's spirit by assisting the children of those Pakistani and Nepali climbers who lost their lives to K2.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An avalanche on Mt. Dhaulagiri killed three Japanese climbers, Osumu Tanabe (49 yrs),Toshio Yamamoto (36 yrs) and Daisuke Honda (32 yrs) and a Nepalese Guide Pasang Geylu Sherpa on 28th September. Osamu Tanabe, Toshio Yamamoto, Daisuke Honda and their Nepalese guide, Pasang Gelu Sherpa, were ahead of the other members of their seven-member party when the avalanche started 1400m above them, reaching them at circa 5200m. The fund will provide support for his wife and children who have been left with nothing in wake of his death.
43 percent of Nepal's adult population is functionally illiterate. Classrooms are crowded, teachers are severely underpaid and schools lack basic educational resources. To tackle these debilitating conditions, Rural Assistance Nepal has set up libraries, dramatically improved student success rates and sponsored intensive training for teachers in rural communities. Change a child's life and sponsor a rural Nepali school today!
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 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.
The Mosqoy Foundation, or the "Dream Foundation", is a cross-cultural and intergenerational effort to effectively end poverty in Peru. Mosqoy provides technical and vocational children for indigenous students and connects young Peruvians with the cultural values and traditional crafts of their ancestors. Additionally, the Mosqoy Foundation facilitates an ongoing cultural exchange between Canada and Peru, thereby bridging the gap in the commodity chain between producers and consumers.
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.
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.
