Khumjung Secondary School

This school was funded by Sir Hillary's Himalayan Trust. It is in many ways one of the most important factors why Sherpas have been able to see beyond the tourism industry and excel at other professions. So high was the quality of education here that even kids from Namche would come here to study. This is perhaps a testament to the effective approach taken towards development aid by the trust. It only helps in projects that the locals explicitly request for and one of the preconditions for funding is labour/monetary contribution of the local community. This results in meaningful and sustainable development work in stark contrast to the hit-and- run development projects undertaken by most I/NGOs. This reminds us of what Sir Hillary said in his book 'Schoolhouse in the Clouds', "Whereas gratitude has something of inequality about it, goodwill is an active and growing idea that a proud man need not feel ashamed to entertain." If you agree, you should perhaps consider being part of various development works being undertaken by the Himalayan Trust.