Kathmandu, Pokhara

March 2015 Nepal

After almost a month in India, the team traveled to neighboring Nepal. Just days prior to our scheduled arrival into Kathmandu, a Turkish Airlines plane had skidded off the runway, closing the airport and cutting off Nepal from the rest of the world for several days. Luckily, no one was injured and after a slight delay we arrived in Nepal to change lives through the gift of hearing. The team worked late into the night in Kathmandu to ensure all received the best care.

Next, we traveled to the mountain town of Pokhara. Bordered by the breathtaking Himalayas, the city is a popular basecamp destination for climbers who seek the thrills of the famous Annapurna Circuit. But for some, the majestic mountains represent a different journey. In the early 1960s, Tibetan refugees fled to Nepal due to the Tibetan Uprising and the exile of the Dalai Lama. Now, Pokhara is home to an estimated 13,500 of these refugees who braved the mountain pass. Led by a Tibetan monk from the Pema Ts’al Sakya Monastic Institute, nearly 100 refugees came to receive the gift of hearing. Complicated laws require them to live in designated camps and bar them from working, resulting in a high level of poverty among the community. We fit them with hearing aids, reminding them that they are not alone and giving them an opportunity to r each their full potential through hearing.

Special Thanks

Starkey India

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