Doing It For Themselves: Nepal’s 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking won Changemaker Geotourism Challenge
Last updated 10/13/2008 8:02:07 PM
Sisters are doing it for themselves in Nepal.
In the early nineties no one would have dreamt of a Nepalese woman guiding a trek, let alone an all-female adventure trek company.
The Chhetri sisters did just that and never looked back.
They even went on to put Nepal on the responsible tourism map recently by creating an award-winning mountain trekking program run by women for women.
3 Sisters Adventure Trek is one of the winners of the Ashoka’s Changemaker Geotourism Challenge; a global search for tourism innovations that sustain, preserve and enhance local culture and place.
This achievement is a milestone, an encouragement for Nepalese women to become economically self-reliant and confident community members through social enterprise and low-impact tourism.
“Our women earn US$1200++ annually (compared to the Nepali average of US$240) and use the money to pay for university, family medical expenses, siblings’ education and starting businesses,” said Lucky Chhetri, co-founder of 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking.
“They show visible changes in confidence, independence and professional skills. When we educate women, we find we also educate their families and friends indirectly.”