Seven Summits Women Team are the world’s first female group to climb the highest peak in each continent. They are now on a mission to empower young female survivors of sex trafficking by helping them become trained and licensed trekking guides in Nepal.

The training program, based in Kathmandu, is led by Everest climbers Maya Gurung and Shailee Basnet. When Maya and Shailee met the young survivor sisters, all of their lives were about to change. The sisters found a platform, Maya and Shailee found a purpose.

The survivor sisters were tricked into trafficking during their early teens under the pretence of education or jobs in India. One of them was only 12.  They fought everything from forced sex work, malnutrition, torture to even prison time. Yet at such tender ages they found courage to escape, risking their lives.

Once back in Nepal, an NGO fighting against trafficking called “Shakti Samuha” provided the girls protection, shelter and rehabilitation. But due to their lack of education and work skills, the survivors could only find menial jobs without prospects for development and growth. Moreover, the societal stigma against them was strong, another hurdle to fight.

Starting in 2014, Seven Summits Women Team began providing the sisters with holistic training that helped them heal, empower and find a career in the trekking industry. Three survivors have now earned their trekking guide license, with a goal of twenty survivors fully trained in the next two years.

Driftwood donations directly contribute to the training program activities. As licenced guides, the girls will secure good jobs and a livelihood that will enable them to support their families and communities into the years ahead. Please let us know if you would like to support this fantastic initiative.

SmartPaani is an organization working in the water sector with a vision to provide sustainable water solutions to all.  It was formed by experienced technicians, researchers and businessmen to provide eco-friendly and economical solutions to water and waste issues in Nepal. With a mission to provide accessibility of safe water to all classes of the society, SmartPaani designs customized solutions for household, schools, businesses and other institutions. These include rainwater harvesting, water filtration, water recycling, wastewater treatment and more.

Driftwood currently supports rainwater harvesting and filtration systems in three schools in the Kathmandu Valley. We are looking for donors for a number of additional schools. This investment has a large impact on people lives for a relatively small amount of money.

A truly inspirational residential school for disabled children in Kathmandu. The fundamental objective of Disabled Schools Association (DSA) is to empower children with disability by providing them with their basic requirements – food and shelter, education, physiotherapy and health care based on their needs. DSA implements a fully comprehensive set of educational activities for their students and lots of fun stuff too.

To date Driftwood support has built a mobility gymnasium, upgraded the school’s computer room facilities and paid salaries for two specially trained teachers for deaf and blind children. There are many worthwhile and ongoing projects at Disabled Schools Association (DSA), please get in touch if you would like to become a donor to this great institution.

After the 2014 earthquake, Mountain Bikers from the Nepal National Team mobilized to raise funds and to send aid to those in need. The success of their response led to the formation of the NCRR charity, which went on to implement the rebuilding of seven new schools in Shirkabesi district. NCRR continues to re-build schools through generous donations from around the world. Driftwood financed the construction of one of the seven primary schools and will continue to assist with educational assistance in the years ahead. We are looking for donors to support ongoing educational materials for the seven schools.

The Nepali Ladies Mountain Bike League (LMBL) aims to see all women in Nepal empowered through adventure sports and friendships. They do this by creating opportunities for women to connect with others and facilitate social inclusion and integration.

The LMBL want more girls to discover the joy of outdoor sports as a recreational past time as well as a potential career path. They do this through a combination of training, instruction, courses, events and networking in a positive outdoor environment where they feel safe and secure.

Driftwood has contributed bikes, knee pads and helmets to the LMBL’s mountain bike library and is looking for donors to develop the scale and scope of the library.