Da Doma became a widow in 2015 when the blast avalanche on Everest killed her husband. Already the mother of two children, ages six and thirteen at the time, Da Doma found herself in the tragic situation shared by many of The Juniper Fund’s families.
Da Doma lives in Khumjung, a small village in the Solukhumbu region. During the Fall and Spring, Khumjung welcomes trekkers making their way to Everest Base Camp. Though this traffic results in some local families finding seasonal jobs, many of the villagers struggle to find work, and Da Doma was no exception. Without her husband to support the family through his guiding, she turned to The Juniper Fund for help.
The Juniper Fund’s cost of living grant set Da Doma and her family back on a secure path. Da Doma immediately set her focus on providing her children with a strong education. With her children in good schools in Kathmandu, Da Doma attended to another task—honoring her husband. With the leftover money from the cost of living grant, Da Doma pays for memorial services and blessings from a lama, both of which celebrate her husband and the vibrant life he lived. She does this every year, keeping his memory alive and his legacy strong.
Da Doma’s brother helps her with other expenses, such as food and shelter. She is grateful for the help and support but has dreams of greater independence, and she hopes to build a house for herself and her children in Khumjung. She envisions the house as one that will last for generations—a place her children and her grandchildren can make their own, creating memories and building lives.