Donate
Everest Marathon Fund — Donate Here!
The Everest Marathon is a charity race and one of the main reasons for organising the race is to raise money for various Nepalese charities.
Woman and childTo this purpose the Everest Marathon Fund was registered as a UK charity (number 1005422) to promote health and education in rural Nepal.
- Nepal is among the six poorest countries in the world and the poorest in South Asia.
- Rugged mountains cover 80% of the land and only 20% is arable; the country is virtually roadless.
- Travel throughout the hill regions is only possible on foot and all basic goods have to be carried by men or beasts.
- 85% of the population live in rural areas; many are subsistence farmers who live on small, terraced, family farms.
- Population growth (2%) has led to fragmented landholdings and the depletion of forest products on which the rural population depends.
- 31% live below the poverty line (Nepal).
- 41% consume less than the minimum calorie requirement and Nepal has the highest malnutrition rate in the world.
- The average annual cash income is only £130 / US $210;
- Many areas lack basic facilities like clean water, elementary education and medical facilities.
- The literacy rate for men is 62% but only 26% for women.
- Infant mortality is a shocking 4.1%.
- The 10 year guerrilla war with the Maoist party resulted in severe economic decline which has affected the poorer people most.
(Data: World Bank and UN)
We do not operate projects ourselves but give our money to charities which already have a continuous development programme. These organisations work at grass roots level with the involvement of the local people and spend very little on administration.
CHARITIES CURRENTLY SUPPORTED
Britain-Nepal Medical Trust: medical work in East Nepal, including community health and training with particular emphasis on women’s health, education and empowerment for minority groups.
Nepal School Projects: school construction, vocational training, water systems, trail rehabilitation and community health in the Mahabharat hills.
Namche Bazaar Dental Clinic: the highest dental clinic in the world also runs school fluoridation and education programmes.
Nepal Leprosy Trust: leprosy hospital and clinics in South Nepal, rehabilitation and community training.
International Nepal Fellowship: medical work in West and Far West Nepal including health posts, health education and a major rehabilitation centre in Pokhara.
Community Action Nepal: more than 50 community projects focusing on health, water and sanitation, schools, education and cultural development.
Help Nepal: support for a medical clinic in Mugu, a remote area in Mid West Nepal.
We supported WaterAid's water and sanitation projects for 20 years but are no longer able to do so as our donations can no longer be targeted to Nepal.
We have also made ad hoc donations to:
- The Himalayan Trust Khunde Hospital near Namche Bazaar (medical equipment and supplies)
- Himalayan Rescue Association which runs a trekkers' medical post at Pheriche (medical supplies);
- Nepal Himalayan Guide Association for the construction of latrines in key sites in the Everest region
- Community Action Nepal / International Porter Protection for the construction of a porter health post in Machermo;
- Care UK for the construction of bridges in the Gorkha region;
- Nepal Leprosy Fellowship for a leprosy survey in Jhapa.
- Namche Youth Committee for furnishings for the youth community centre.
- Shiva Nepal for Deepshika School
Over thirteen races we have raised more than £520,000. The only administrative cost is the annual inspection of accounts for the Charity Commission.
