An update from the President

2011 continues to be a very busy and rewarding year for The Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation. At a previous board meeting we approved a Sherpa petition, to fund the building of the first high school in the Solu Khumbu area, with a grade 11 and 12 science program. This came with an additional honour for our past President and Founder, as the Sherpa community had recommended the school be named The Zeke O’Connor - Phaplu Community High School. This school will offer possibilities not only for the Sherpa community, but also for the untouchables and other disadvantaged groups of mountain people, who have had very little opportunity to have access to schools like this. When I was visiting the proposed site last year, a young future student said to me, that if Barrack Obama can be President of the United States as a black man, then he knows there is hope for him to succeed in life too, but he needs the opportunity to have a “good” school education. I am sure that we all are in agreement that education is the key to any child’s development and with this new facility and scholarship program we hope to make his and many others dreams a reality. In order to finance a project of this scope and size we looked for new ways to fund raise. Through unique partnerships with the Rotary Club of Calgary West, Sears Canada Inc., Baffin Inc., and Rolex SA., we have found companies who share our same ideals and we thank them for their ongoing generosity.

In this update, I would like to highlight certain events which occur on my yearly trip to Nepal. It is during this time that I have the opportunity to meet with the Sherpa communities and visit our existing projects in the mountains. It gives me the chance to speak first hand to the excellent people we have working in the region such as; Ang Rita Sherpa our Himalayan agent, Dr. Mingmar Gyelzen who is spear heading the high school building and Dr. Kami Temba, Chief Medical Officer, who runs the Kunde Hospital, just to mention a few. One of my greatest pleasures was monitoring the hand over of the Sagarmatha Reforestation Program to the local Sherpa Buffer Zone Committee. I had the honour of presenting the long time Forestry workers, the pensions that Sir Edmund had promised to them. Some of these Sherpas, both men and women had worked for our Foundation for 30 years. The concept of a pension is unique in the Solu Khumbu area and actually in Nepal itself, so we had very happy and most deserving employees at the ceremony. Apa Sherpa, who was heading
up to summit Everest for a record breaking 20th time, attended and it was lovely to see him in the mountains. He is a good friend of the Foundation and mentor for many young Sherpas, as he spends a great deal of his time helping to bring awareness to the educational needs in the Solu Khumbu area.

Accompanying me on this trek was a group of Canadians, ten of us to be exact, who trekked from Lukla to the Tengpoche Monastery with World Expedition Travels. Some of the people had purchased the trip at our Gala Dinners, the previous October and November. This turned out to be an amazing experience for all of us, and I once again experienced the magic of camaraderie, which takes place in these mountains. People from different walks of life, come together and share such incredible experiences, that long term friendships develop and life-altering lessons happen without even noticing it. I like to call it Everest Magic!

At our Dinner held in October it was my privilege to present the Foundation’s President’s Award to an individual who has assisted us in helping the Sherpa people. The 2010 President’s Award went to Dr. Kunjar Sharma the Nepalese Honorary Consul General to Canada. He has been a supporter of our Foundation over many years. As well, we are so grateful to all those who volunteer organizing these important events ; and a special thank you again in Calgary to Byron Smith and Montreal to Andre Couillard, thank you both for very successful and fun nights. We are also thankful to our many Dinner Base Camp Sponsors who supported us at these fund-raising Dinners in October; Sears Canada, Atmosphere – The Forzani Group, Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, The Globe and Mail, BG Capital, Edge Hill Insurance, Risk Chek Inc, Tilley Endurables, Byron Smith Ford sales, Palliser Fairmont Hotel and RBC Capital Markets.

We also had our second SEHF Calgary Tower Repel and Stair climb, and I would like to thank Byron Smith, David Begg, Laurie Skreslet and the Yamnuska team for another amazing fundraiser .

I cannot finish this report without mentioning our jewel in the crown, The Kunde Hospital. Health care for the area continues on a daily basis with the expertise of Dr. Kami Temba and his assistants Dr. Wandji, and para-medic and C.F.O., Mingma Temba Sherpa. The SEHF also continues its commitment with our Mingma Norbu Sherpa Medical Scholarship endeavoring to maintain the sustainability of Sherpa Doctors in the Kunde Hospital. Our Women’s Literacy Program continues to be extremely popular among the Sherpa women and is filled to capacity and I hear that several men are asking to join, which means that we may have to look into expanding it.

As Canadians, adventurers, and travelers we experience people in need as we expand our horizons through our travels and I am proud to work with all of you, who understand the continued importance in reaching out to help the Sherpa people help themselves.

I encourage you to come to our annual dinners in October 2011, to be held in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal. (Please check our website www.thesiredmundhillaryfoundation.ca, for the various dates) and maybe you’ll be joining us in the Solu Khumbu area for some Everest Magic!

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