Message from Executive Director

Dear Friends,

The past year has been difficult for many of us and communities in Nepal have not been spared from the pandemic. The pandemic swept through Nepal at a rapid pace, and the subsequent long and extremely strict lockdowns throughout the country shut down almost all traditional avenues for families to produce an income. 

Like the rest of the world, all non-essential travel was suspended, thus canceling almost an entire year of trekking and climbing in the Himalayas, which is the industry so many families rely on.

Our focus at The Juniper Fund throughout this pandemic was and will continue to be, to ensure the safety and stability of the communities we support. Through constant communication, we are relentlessly working to ensure that the small, but vibrant, community is able to weather the storm of this pandemic. With so many family businesses not able to operate, our initial priority was to ensure food and shelter stability through relief grants. 

As the pandemic continued into late 2020, expedition workers were unable to find employment so our focus turned to train those workers with invaluable rescue and first aid skills.

Looking ahead, our current efforts will continue through 2021, as the country, and the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continually check in with the families as the situation in Nepal develops, and support them with any means available to see them through this pandemic. We thank you for your interest and support of this work.

Christine Hass
Executive Director

Impact: Covid

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nepal’s tourism industry has experienced a complete halt in 2020, with a likely 90% decline in revenue from the previous years. Looking further into the future, it is uncertain how and when the industry in Nepal will recover, however, we anticipate at least a 50% decline in tourism revenue and visitation to Nepal over the course of the next few years.

Nepal covid-19 statistics (as of 2 june)

Circumstances our Communities are Facing

The mission of The Juniper Fund is to support and empower families and communities impacted by the loss of Himalayan high-altitude workers, while also taking steps to make the mountain-based industry of Nepal a safer experience for all. With the recent pandemic effectively putting hundreds, if not thousands, of workers out of work, we have developed multiple programs to meet the current needs for financial stability, and also focus on programs that support the safe operations of the Nepal mountain-based tourism industry going forward.

Adaptive Solutions

We addressed the current situation with the following initiatives:

• Professional Guide & Medical Training
  Increase the skills, experience, and certifications of the high-altitude workforce that will have a significant impact on the workers ability to operate safely, acquire sustainable employment, and long-term job retention.

• Vocational Training
  Expand our current vocational training programs that cater to non-climbing beneficiaries (wives, children, siblings) and create alternate forms of income, such as restaurant operation, beauty parlor, barista, and computer skills.

• Covid-19 Needs-Based Grants 
  Providing temporary grants to current beneficiaries in order to maintain stability. Examples include rent, food stipend, and/or utilities.

• Long-Term Support and Empowerment
  Those include welfare check-ins and support directed by our full-time Nepali staff. This includes bi-annual in-person meetings with family members & business operations support.

Community Implementation

The Juniper Fund’s focus will be to continue to partner with local agencies to execute the above objectives in the most efficient, compliant, and economical way possible. We partner with local in-country organizations with proven track records of success and compliance in their delivery of programs. Our partnerships include Khumbu Climbing Center, Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), and Himalayan Medics.

Family Spotlight: Pema Bhote’s Chicken Farm

Pema Bhote’s chicken farm is located on the outskirts of bustling Kathmandu. Owning her own business allows Pema to provide for her family in a stable and consistent way, but that was not always the case.

In 2015, Pema lost her husband, Tengien Bhote, in the devastating avalanche on Mt. Everest, a heartbreaking event that left Pema, “completely broken emotionally”. Tengien served as the main source of income for the family and prior to his passing, Pema had no prior work or business experience, which made things even more difficult.

She knew that to be able to stand on her own two feet she would need to begin searching for a path forward. After making contact with The Juniper Fund, and obtaining a Cost-of-Living grant, she was relieved of her immediate financial worries. While critical for her immediate needs, the grant was only temporary, so finding a consistent revenue stream was essential for her wellbeing.

Pema had experience raising chickens and goats while growing up on her family farm. When she heard of the available business grants through The Juniper Fund, she applied and obtained a grant to start a small chicken farm. She started with 20 chickens, and over the last 5 years, has grown her business to over 100 chickens, and added goats as well. She is now planning on purchasing a larger plot of land to expand her business even further. This will not only help her fully cover her children’s education and daily expenses, but also help her gain respect within her community.

Her story has been an inspiration to all of us, and we are nothing but grateful for all the donors who supported and empowered Pema to build up the skills and confidence to create an independent source of income for her family.

Fundraising Detail

Who we are

The Juniper Fund supports and empowers families and communities impacted by the loss of Himalayan high-altitude workers.