Langtang, a favorite touristic destination in Nepal, was destroyed by landslides which were triggered by the April 2015 earthquake. Langtangpas who have lost their homes and family members are currently living in the Yellow Gumba in Kathmandu, Nepal. Most of them were involved in the tourism business: as trekking professionals (as guides, porters), as hotel or teahouse owners. 

In August/September, Langtangpas have been taking a couple of short term courses at the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NATHM): 

Porter Guide and Guide Training that will provide them with Government issued licenses to work as trekking professionals. These courses covered a number of topics such as religion/history/culture in Nepal, safe climbing techniques, trekking equipment, first aid. In addition, their practical training  included wall climbing lessons provided by the world famous climber Pemba Gyalje Sherpa. This project was funded by the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Nepal Fund and Rasuwa Relief. 

Small Hotel and Lodge Management Training was mostly taken by the women at the camp. It covered a number of topics relevant for small hotel/teahouse owners such as housekeeping, cooking, bakery, waste management, hygiene and reception. This project was funded by HKS Nepal Fund and Tourism Cares. 

The response from these courses was very positive. Now that the monsoon has come to an end, camp members are slowly returning to Langtang to rebuild the roads and open the trails that were destroyed in April. However, once winter starts, they will be back in Kathmandu because the harsh cold in the mountain will halt any reconstruction work.

Based on their experience with the courses at NATHM which they thoroughly enjoyed and learnt a lot from, camp members have requested us to provide professional bakery and cooking courses. These courses, provided at NATHM, will be longer i.e., about 40 days and are designed for individuals wanting to become professional bakers and cooks. In addition to helping them get equipped with the skills required to better serve their customers once they go back to Langtang and rebuild their hotels, it will also enable them to spend time productively while they are in Kathmandu waiting for winter to be over so they can return to their homes and resume reconstruction work. 

 For more questions, please contact:

Upasana Khadka: u.khadka@gmail.com, Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2015) and Rasuwa Relief

Lakpa Tamang Jangba: jangba@gmail.com,  Langtang Management and Reconstruction Committee 

Temba Lama: tembalama@hotmail.com, Langtang Management and Reconstruction Committee 

Shiva Prasad Jaishi: shivaprasadjaishi@yahoo.com, Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NATHM)

 Volunteers include  Jangbu Tamang: jangbu1996@gmail.com and Tsering Choephal Lama: Choephel_lama@hotmail.com, both from Langtang.