Ngima Nuru Sherpa, born in Solukhumbu district (Eastern Part of Nepal) in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, is also the founder and Managing Director of Annapurna Foothills Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. He has been working tirelessly in this field for 20 years or so. As a Himalayan trekking guide, he is very experienced and has been leading treks over all the major trekking routes in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim since 2000.
Ngima always dreamt of establishing a foundation which can contribute to the local people and their community. As in his working years as a porter and then trekking guide, he explored different regions with people of different nations and at that time, he also interacted with the local people and exchange his thoughts and beliefs with them. He observed their way of life, did adequate research on how can he help them in uplifting their living standard and finally, established a non-profit Non - Government Organization namely “Smile Sherpa Foundation”. With a group of experts sharing common interest on ‘Spreading Smiles, Changing Lives’, Ngima officially registered the organization. He has never been this happy before and he says:
“I am very proud to announce that our foundation will be working actively for the development and betterment of the poorest communities in Nepal and in other places where we are needed. Every single children of every family in every community has the right to education. Nutritious food to eat, clean water to drink, proper sanitation and a school to educate, etc. are some of the fundamentals that everyone deserves.
All of our projects are and will be community based and the participation of local people will be highly encouraged and their views and opinions will be appreciated and will be taken seriously in decision-making process. We believe in creating opportunities, taking responsibility, and giving back to the community. Not only girls and women, but we dream of flourishing and empowering every individual with adequate knowledge and skills which will be fruitful for them in the future and can deal with the world on thier own."