30 November 2009
My name is Jay Tamang and I am the Founder of Nepal FREED. Here is the story of how my foundation came.
I was born and raised in
the village of Bhalche,
located in Nepal’s
Nuwakot district. The local
school only went up to
the fifth grade, and only a few
of the teachers there had
been educated above the
fifth grade level themselves. The nearest school that taught above that
level was ten miles away – more than two hours on foot.
 After completing grade five, higher education seemed a hopeless
prospect for me, but my parents, conscious victims of their own lack
of education, inspired me to make
the arduous journey day after day. With their encouragement, I came
to believe that education could
give me the power to escape my
poverty.
Motivated by this dream,
I crossed treacherous rivers and
braved fierce monsoons for the
next three years to attend school. And I often had to cross a river in a basket with a pulley, like this one, in order to get to the school.
 
While growing up in Bhalche, I remember many family members
and neighbors plagued by health problems. Sore throats, coughs,
toothaches, and headaches were daily afflictions. In the monsoon
season, animal faeces, sewage, litter, and pesticide flooded the water
source, leaving many villagers with itchy feet, eye problems, diarrhea and
disease. Villagers regularly seek treatment from the local shaman
to heal their ills, but often, his “magic” proved ineffective. One of my
brothers died of undiagnosed dehydration when I was four years old.
When I was fourteen, my sister became sick in the final days of her
third pregnancy. After two days of the shaman’s treatment she showed
no signs of getting better. My parents brought a man from the village
health post to save her, but he was not a qualified doctor. The people of
Bhalche had no access to any sort
of professional health care. Both my sister
and her baby died as a result of a
botched delivery.
 Our family home, where I grew up, still has dirt floor today. 
At fifteen, I had no other options to further my education. So I moved
to Kathmandu where I worked as
a trekking guide and tour sales
representative for the next twelve
years. My trekking experience allowed me to interact with people from
all over the world, exposing me to different cultures and ideas, and
enabling me to establish numerous friendships.
 
I learned rudimentary English from conversing with trekkers and reading a Nepali to English textbook.
While working in Kathmandu, I made a pledge to myself to establish a foundation to help future generations to overcome economic and educational disadvantages. In the early stages of developing my dream for Nepal FREED, I started bringing much needed school supplies to my village.
The population in Bhalche has grown since I was a student there. Now,
hundreds of students scale the mountainside each day, motivated, as
I was, by dreams of a better life.
I believe that better life is within reach for these children and I want to help them to
achieve it. In January, 2009, I and my brother Hira, founded the Nepal
Foundation for Rural Economic and Educational Development (Nepal
FREED), a key to fulfilling that dream.
 The grateful students and villagers honored me with a welcoming ceremony.
I believe that it is our responsibility to reach out to those less fortunate. We are determined to share our blessings with the impoverished people of the world. I invite you to join Nepal FREED and become a part of a worldwide family dedicated to making a difference. Your generosity will go farther than you can possibly imagine, empowering the people of Nepal with the medical resources needed to sustain an improved quality of life and the education required for them to realize and achieve their dreams. On behalf of the
Nepalese people and Nepal FREED, I thank you for your support.
Jay Tamang
Founder of Nepal FREED
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