Friday 12-April 2002

Today we joined Pasang Lhamu during her first day at school. It was a happy occasion and she was already making friends. She doesn't speak Nepali yet but several older Sherpa-speaking girls took her under their wings and were ready to show her around. After a visit with school principal L. Dorji Lama and his son Namgyal, we signed the student-sponsorship papers for the school.

Pasang's mother will remain in Kathmandu for about a week before returning to the Khumbu, to visit her daughter occasionally and help with the transition into school life. We know the little girl is in excellent care and are sure she will enjoy being part of the Dorji student life.

Friday 11-April 2002

Our party left Namche Bazaar the day before yesterday, and included Pasang Lhamu and her mother in our number. Our trekking party was good company for the two travelers, with a total of 27 porters and Sherpas, our leader Todd Burleson and his companion Ruth, 14 trekkers, and 27 yaks. Last night we stayed in Lukla and had a great party, shey-sheying each other and eating lots of good food - and ending with Tibetan dancing.

This morning Pasang junior and senior joined us at Lukla airport - where Pasang jr. made some new friends and was fascinated by the airplanes. After a quick flight we all arrived in Kathmandu and made arrangements to take Pasang to Dorji School tomorrow - this will be another big day for her, and for us!

Friday 29-March 2002

Today we met the Foundation's new student, Pasang Lhamu, and her mother Pasang Phuti. They came to Namche Bazaar to see us at the Panorama Lodge, and they will stay nearby until we return from our trek. Then both will travel with us towards Kathmandu. Lhamu is just five years old and was rather shy to see so many strange faces. She will have a big change when she goes to live in Dorji school. We hope her mother can visit her there - certainly she will be able to visit her mother during school vacation. Travel is not always easy in Nepal, and it is a long way without motorized transport from Lhamu's village here to Namche, a day's walk to Lukla and then a flight to Kathmandu.

Lhamu's father Gyaltsen was a marvelous Sherpa who died suddenly in October of 2000, and it has not been easy for her family since then. We are happy that the Foundation can help her family by sending her to Dorji school!.

Saturday 23-March 2002

This morning we visited the Sherpa Education Fund scholarship students at the Dorji school, 6 kilometers northeast of Kathmandu. There are 280 students attending, of whom about one third are Sherpa children. Our students are among those who board at the school because they come from remote areas of Nepal, while others are day pupils whose families now live in the city.

We presented a picture book of Seattle to the school Principal L. Dorji Lama, and thanked him for his good work and our co-operative efforts for the Foundation and the students.

We each received a white Khata scarf as a thanks and greeting from the School - these we will certainly treasure.

We toured the classrooms which are decorated with colorful drawings including a poster in a child's handwriting that joyfully declared "I love Dorji School."

Our Foundation's six pupils came out from their classroom to meet us, and we were delighted to see how much they have grown and how smart they looked in their blue uniforms. They were excited to be going home to their village in the Khumbu for two weeks on 27th March, it is 10 months since they have seen their families who live several day's journey away, including a 'plane flight from Kathmandu to Lukla.

L. Dorji Lama's son, Namgyal Lama, is Sponsorship In-charge of the school's Dorji Trust. He explained that the school library is in the process of being developed and they hope to receive many donations of children's books.

Microsoft Holland has made significant contributions to the computer lab, which is being run by Dutch volunteer Govert Pennings. Here the children learn computer basics, Office programs and internet use. Donations of children's educational software programs would be a great benefit to them.

We are pleased to announce that the Sherpa Education Fund and the Dorji School will soon be setting up an email communication between our students and our sponsors!

The annual final exams are going on now and when we return to the school after our trek with our new Foundation student, we will also be presented with our student's report cards and letters from them to our sponsors. We look forward to the reports and the letters equally - both have always been filled with good things in the three years that our Foundation has been supporting the children.