The SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde Nepal Challenge 2017 has raised more than €60,000 to support communities in Nepal still recovering from the devastating earthquake that struck the region in April 2015.
Twenty walkers from seven different countries took part in the eight-day walk from Pokhara to Annapurna base camp and an altitude of 4,130 metres, raising the funds to support actions in Kavre, to the east of Kathmandu, and Jorpati, a suburb in the capital.
Among the walkers, Sophie Glesener, director of SOS VdEM, Anne Schweizer, head of partnerships, and Guy Loesch, a member of the board of directors, also took part. In Kavre, the organisation welcomes 145 young people and is a resource for more than 1,500 more through education and social programmes. In Jorpati, 45 children with special needs receive additional care and support.
The trek was hard-going with a positive elevation of 5,600 m, said Anne Schweizer on her return. "We started the adventure at Kimche at 1,300 m and passed through dazzling and diverse landscapes up to the rocky and icy summit. An experience all the more wonderful when we knew that reaching the summit also means giving vulnerable children the means to build their future,” she said.
