Travel with purpose but community comes first

com·mu·ni·ty

kəˈmyo͞onədē/

noun

1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
"Sorung Chabisse is a Nepalese community"
2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
"the sense of community that being a part something greater than yourself can provide"

Everest's summit soars above all else in the Himalayan mountains that trekking to base camp (5364m/17,590ft) is still an adventure of the highest sort. An achievement made easier with in a group that continually lifts you up when struggling.

A community of 16 people from around the world that shared wanderlust, and shared stories of how their lives had brought them to this point. Simply, it was a match made in heaven as relationships quickly formed over commonality despite so many individual differences.

Our group trekked through some of the world's most spectacular mountain landscape after spending two days discovering the historic treasures and rich culture of Kathmandu.

THISWORLDEXISTS Pashupatinath Temple Kathmandu Nepal Travel Volunteer

Tea houses in small villages were set against mountains of incomprehensible scale and we enjoyed discovering more of the unique Sherpa culture as we bonded with our guides and porters. The group walked trails lined with mani stones, engraved with Tibetan Buddhist prayers.

Our group discovered remote mountain monasteries and learnt about the Sherpas' spiritual perspective on the mountains they call home.

Travel for purpose

Behind all THISWORLDEXISTS adventures is a strong purpose to use our desire to travel, to learn, to grow and to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

Placed in the remote region of Udaipur, Nepal is the small community of Sorung Chhabise. After starting this project earlier in 2016, the community greeted and celebrated our return with open arms and open hearts.

The sense of community and openness despite having significantly less than ourselves was overwhelming.

Our goal was to develop a completely new earthquake-resistant establishment for the school in Sorung Chhabise as their previous facility was completely inadequate or sufficient to cater for the entire community.

Whilst trekking through the himalaya was a bucket-list item for many of our guests, the most memorable and satisfying part of the trip for almost all of our guests was the time spent in Sorung Chhabise. Working hand-in-hand with local tradespeople, sharing conversations through nothing but smiles and hand gestures and constantly learning. Learning the real importance of giving from the community of Sorung Chhabise.

Learning about ourselves, learning about other cultures and learning about what life is like for people in other parts of the world was what we expected but we left with so much more.

It is hard to describe and put down into words, something that our latest 16 people to join our growing THISWORLDEXISTS community understands and will undoubtedly treasure for their lifetime.

Below is a selection of photos from our time working in the village. If you would like to join us on future trips to Nepal please find more information here.

This project is expected to completed by local labour by April 2017. THISWORLDEXISTS also commence our next project in April 2017 in Nepal. Watch the short video to find out more about our next Nepal education project.