Liam Dixon

We went to Nepal seeking an adventure in October this year. Trekking the Annapurna region sounded like the challenge that we were seeking, so we eagerly booked it. We started the trek with our Nepalese guide Mahesh and our porter Bashu, two of the friendliest people that you could ever meet. They were both from the poorest regions in Nepal and both were the sole breadwinners of their families. During our trek, we shared our meals and exchanged stories with each other about our lives, cultures, our families, our hopes, dreams and aspirations. We laughed even though we could not speak each others’ languages and helped each other along the trail ascending up the Annapurna mountain ranges.

Our unique cultural exchange with Mahesh and Bashu quickly turned upside down in the early morning of 14 October 2014. As we ascended to the summit of Thorong La Pass, the highest point of the mountain at 5,416 metres, the weather transformed from a pleasant sunny morning into a dangerous snow storm with blizzards and avalanches, which created the conditions for Nepal’s worst trekking disaster. Our lives and all of those who trekked up to the summit that morning will never be the same again.

This natural disaster claimed the lives of many, including our porter Bashu.

We were informed of the terrible news about Bashu once we were safely away from the snow storm.

The aim of our project is to raise money for Bashu's children, who have lost the sole breadwinner of their family, their father and their only real chance of breaking the poverty cycle through increased access to education and having a better life. Our aim is to honour Bashu’s legacy by fundraising enough money to set up an education fund for his children in the Gurkha district of Nepal. We have been told that it costs approximately $360.00 per year for a child to go to school in Nepal (which includes tuition fees, food, uniform, etc).


If you are reading this and would like to contribute to making a better future for Bashu’s children through education, then please contribute to this project. Every dollar counts and it will make a substantial difference to Bashu’s two young children in Nepal.

People to thank

For those of you considering a trip to Nepal...

The talented artists that have donated their music to the campaign

It costs approximately $360.00 per year for a child to go to school in Nepal (which includes tuition fees, food, uniform, etc). Bashu's children are at the age now where they have 2 and 4 years of schooling left respectively.

We are hoping to raise enough money to cover the cost of their remaining years at school initially (plus the Pozible fees and credit card fees). If we receive more than this amount then we would like it to be put towards further study opportunities for Bashu's children.

We will be depositing the money in a bank account which can only be accessed by Bashu's wife and can only be used for her children's educational expenses. The reason for this is that if she were to be given the entire sum of money up front then she would be under enormous pressure from others in her community; the end result being that the long term needs of her children’s education would have to be put aside and they may miss out.