Back from Everest, Sherpa hands over the HeNN banner

Seasoned mountaineer Mingma Sherpa climbed the Mount Everest this year just like he has done in past many years.

However, this year, he had more reasons to cheer his success.

"I was very happy to have taken with me a banner of Help Nepal Network (HeNN) atop the Everest. It gave me cause to celebrate," said Sherpa who has scaled Mt Everest for 13 times. He is also the first Nepalese to have climbed Mt K2, the second highest mountain in the world.

Speaking at a function, Tuesday, in Kathmandu held to mark the return of Sherpa from Everest with the banner, he said, "I was particularly glad that I was able to help the campaign to set up hostel for conflict-affected children."

He referred to the campaign by HeNN – a welfare organisation of Nepalese living in and outside the country formed to help uplift the underprivileged sections of the country.

The HeNN has been raising funds from among Nepalese living and working overseas. "We started the campaign from Nepal and the United Kingdom urging people to donate one pound a month. In last few years, we have been able to build over a dozen schools, and health posts across the county. We are building a school-cum-hostel in Dhulikhel for conflict-hit children," said Rabindra Mishra, one of the founders of the network.

The HeNN has been motivating Nepalese living in different parts of the world to come together for a noble cause of helping their countrymen. "Nepalese living in different parts of the world are always concerned by the situation in their homeland. They want to do something but they do not have the proper forum to make their contributions. The HeNN was established to act as such vehicle," said Mishra.

Arun Singh Basnet, who looks after the HeNN office in Kathmandu, added that though the network started in 2000 from Nepal and the United Kingdom, it has now spread to 12 countries around the world. The details about the network are available in www.helpnepal.net. nepalnews.com sd Jun 17 08