During the Tuesday July 24th morning meeting of Rotary Club of Whistler Napalese trekking guide Kalu Tamang entranced 25 members and guests at the Whistler Racket Club with facts and stores including breathtaking photos of what life looks like among the world's tallest peaks and the devastation following a major earthquake that ravaged his country. 
In addition to organizing and guiding custom expeditions through Annapurna, Everest, Langtang and the Mustang regions Kalu's company specializes in "Home Stay" treks which lead visitors through some of the small, more remote villages of Nepal.
 
In 2015 a major earthquake killed over 9,000 people and injured 22,000 left 5.5 million people homeless, schools and potable water lines shattered.  President Ken and wife Annette had met Kalu in Nepal, forming a lasting friendship and contributed to help with Kalu's community in the immediate aftermath. Friends and client's continued to contribute and for a short period plastic tents, mattresses, rice and some foods stuffs were bought from these funds to sustain them through these extremely difficult times. 
As rebuilding efforts began friends of Kalu's from Malaysia reached out to him wanting to return to Nepal and help reconstruct and outfit the schools. This prompted Kalu Tamang's formation of his own non-profit organization, Hands on Nepal to ensure his friends donations would safely be directed to where they would make a difference. Six months ago the organization was officially launched. This money has helped restoring and rebuilding some schools and  latrines throughout Nepal in addition to school supplies, to blankets, clothing, stationary, building materials and labour. 
Kalu organized all the paperwork himself managing to get the organization together in order to properly receive and direct the money from Malaysia to Nepal 
 
Kalu says " I am very happy that my friends are supporting me to do this " 
 
A sample of Kalu's good will is shown with his helping us at Ironman in the very hot registration tent on July 26. 
Shown in the picture are Assistant District Governor Murray Wood and President Ken Martin.
 
The  Rotary Club of Whistler would like to partner with the Nepalese Rotary Club in Katmandu possibly in conjunction
with the Rotary Millennium Club of Whistler to contribute to potential development projects and if we are not to tired after building and organizing on site, trek through this grand country.