A JOURNEY THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES
Training Nepalese women as trekking guides, leading to educational and employment opportunities never before known by rural Nepalese women.
About You
Contact Information
Title
Ms.
First name
Lucky
Last name
Chhetri
Your job title
Co-founder
Name of your organization
3 Sisters Adventure Trekking
Organization type
business
Annual budget/currency
$60,000 US
Location
Project Street Address
Lakeside - Khahare
Project City
Pokhara
Project Province/State
Kaski Gandaki
Project Postal/Zip Code
pokhara
Project Country
Nepal
Your idea
Choose your sport: (check all that apply)
Other
If you chose "other" for Sport, please define in 1-2 words below
Trekking
What approach does your initiative incorporate?
Capacity Building
Year the initiative began (yyyy)
1994
Paste your video code here:
If your project has a website, paste the web address here:
Plot your innovation within the discovery framework:
Barrier
Social stigmas and prohibitions
Insight
Let girls lead
This field has not been completed. (333 words or less)
Name Your Project
A JOURNEY THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES
Describe Your Idea
Training Nepalese women as trekking guides, leading to educational and employment opportunities never before known by rural Nepalese women.
Innovation
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence?
Training Nepalese women as trekking guides, leading to educational and employment opportunities never before known by rural Nepalese women.
How many people does your innovation serve or plan to serve? Exactly who will benefit?
We train 60-70 women per year, but there is a huge ripple effect. The trainees themselves benefit financially, socially, and in terms of their level of confidence. Their families benefit financially, and all of Nepalese society will indirectly benefit because this project is part of a movement for women's rights in Nepal. Nepal's adventure tourism industry will benefit, because after female trekkers have a more comfortable experience with us, they will keep returning and recommending us.
Do you have any existing partnerships? If so, please list and describe.
We actively partner with Empowering Women in Nepal, a local NGO whose goal is to improve the lives of disadvantaged women. That organization is closely involved in providing the trekking guide training for women. We also partner with similar NGO's in Jumla and Mugu. Also, we partner with Lending Promise, a U.S. NGO which provides micro-loans to women in West Nepal.
In which sector do these partners work? (Check all that apply)
Citizen sector (non profits, NGOs) .
How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing?
Twice a year, women from remote rural areas embark on a journey that will change their lives. A free 6-month trekking guide apprenticeship program awaits them in Pokhara at the base of the Himalayas. The program starts with an intensive 4-week training course that teaches them technical and conversational English as well as essential skills and knowledge to work as trekking guides. In only a month, women who had no means of earning a living by themselves are started on the path to self-sufficiency. Women learn trekking skills such as map reading, trip planning and mountain first aid. They receive in depth courses on Nepal's flora, fauna, geography, culture and religion. At the end of this 4-week training course, the women start work in the apprenticeship program where they will be paid while acquiring field experience. This provides an immediate economic benefit to the women. During the quiet season for trekking, EWN offers additional training programs additional training programs.
Impact
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact
To promote women's rights in Nepal by providing employment and education to Nepalese women, while creating an inspiring trekking experience.
What does impact/success look like? Please list any tangible measures of the impact of your innovation
Increases in: the number of enrollments and graduates each year, the numbers of Nepalese women going on from our program to higher education, the numbers of Nepalese women going on from our training to employment with other tourism companies, the numbers of Nepalese women being accepted into other non-traditional occupations in Nepal, the satisfaction of international female adventure tourists. The program has affected the economic and educational status of 600 women so far, and continues at an accelerating rate. As the women gain self-confidence and financial independence, they use the money earned to pay for university, family medical expenses, siblings’ education, starting businesses. Not only the women, but entire families and communities benefit and other women hear of the opportunities available.
Is there a chance that your project could change policy (within an institution or government)?
We are making gradual changes in the social system of the country simply by employing and empowering women, and making that more acceptable to more people. As for changes at the policy level, the political situation has been very unstable in Nepal for much of the time that Three Sisters has been in business. Because of this we have been unable to work on such things, but we hope to in the future. In the meantime, we hope to make changes in the social system from the ground up.
Aside from financial sustainability, how do you plan to grow the initiative or expand your intended impact?
We are expanding our training programs to raise awareness on tourism development/sanitation and health/protecting the environment. We are promoting new trekking routes in west Nepal-marketing emphasis on environmental/sustainable eco-tourism best practices. We will encourage other trekking agencies to operate treks in these undeveloped rural areas, employ trained women (not just men) and promote our example of buying supplies/hiring staff locally on treks, directly benefiting local communities.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)?
Our trekking business is profitable/self-sustaining. Female Trekking Guide Training is fully funded by our revenue generation and individual private donations. New client business continues to grow with strong repeat business and “word of mouth”, showing that our “by women, for women” approach is extremely successful. More women staff/guides are employed each season, but there are still not enough female guides to meet demand. Tourist numbers visiting Nepal are increasing yearly, ensuring trekking guide training funding will continue as it now is.
Financing source
Annual budget
$60.000 U.S.
Annual revenue generated
$59,000
Number of staff (full-time, part-time, volunteers)
100 during trekking season, 20 the rest of the year
What are the main barriers to financing your initiative, and how do you plan to address these barriers?
We no longer feel that we have any barriers. Since the political situation in Nepal has stabilised, the number of tourists are increasing each year so that the trekking business is doing well to support our female trekking training program. But the women are looking for the advance training like Rock and Ice climbing training. Therefore, we require huge fund and equipment to gather for this training program. Now we are finding donors and taking part on different competitions like this.
What are the major challenges with regards to partnerships?
To have right partners with ethical value who trust our (women) ability and support many women to be independent, self sufficient and decision making women.
The Story
What stage is your project?
Ongoing project .
What was the motivation or defining moment that led to create this innovation? Tell us the story.
In 1993 I and my sisters were running a restaurant and lodge in Pokhara. A group of young female trekkers from Australia and Denmark came to us and told us of difficulties with male guides—drunkenness, sexual advances, and an uncomfortable atmosphere. Later in the guesthouse I saw those guides pushing the young women to trek even though they were not feeling well. They went out anyway, under pressure from the guides, and later came back ill, crying, and frightened. I thought, how can this situation be changed? I had been trained in India as a mountaineer, so I had some idea of how the situation could be improved for those women. Years earlier, during a field visit to the far west, I had seen the harsh lifestyles of the women there. With their husbands and brothers gone to India, women were abandoned in the dry, uncultivated landscape of western Nepal. I dreamed of working to support them. It occurred to my sisters and me that training female guides would not only help the female trekkers, but provide employment for those Nepalese women.
Please tell us about the social innovator behind this initiative
Working for an NGO (1986-87), I was assigned to work in western Nepal and was shocked to see how miserable and destitute the rural women’s lives were. I longed to do something to support them. Later I attended the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute’s program which changed my life. Running a guesthouse in Pokhara with my sisters, solo women travelers complained of harassment from male guides and porters. They asked me to guide them in the Himalayas and 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking was born.
(Optional) To be eligible for an additional prize, please select age range
27 or older
Comments
I think this idea is so cool. I just returned from Bhutan and one of the major issues related to trekking and tourism was the supply of guides available to take tourists around compared to the very high demand of tourists who want to visit.
Female tour guides do not seek out this type of profession and it's an arduous process to go through the necessary training and education to be a guider. We talked to several guiders and found that women do not seek out formal training in this industry because it's a tough life, i.e., altitude trekking, setting up campsites, dealing with difficult or limited sleeping arrangements, etc.
Initially, was this an additional barrier you had to overcome? I know Nepal is advanced in the trekking arena and historically, I'm curious about how females became introduced or interested in this profession.
Stephani
Nike
Hi Stephani,
Glad you visit Bhutan and talked about women guides. I agree with your experiences and the answers of local people. In this part of the world lack of opportunities, education and socio - cultural barriers women are left behind from the possible carrier development. On top women are consider a delicate creature without providing opportunity to experience their interest and the capacities.
The women ourselves should realize the lack and to be a role model to present in our society and motivate other with education and skill needed to enter into a related field. Knowledge to raise awareness and skill are the most important to motivate women to involve in the potential areas. Our program is pioneer in this field to influence women to enter into adventure tourism and to develop their life.
Lucky Chhetri
steiner
Best of luck. I voted for you. I hope you can see it.
Dr. Dalia Steiner
WICO Founder and Int. President
www.wicohome.org
www.wicointernational.org
On Face Book under: Dalia Steiner
XOXO
Dear Dr. Dalia,
Thank you for your valuable vote. Each of your votes is countable. This is called networking. I think, being a human being we should able to help each other that is the human being nature.
I will inform you the result of this competition.
Best regards,
Lucky
steinr
You are welcome. I'm still looking for a president for WICO Nepal. Do you have any good idea about it.
Love
Dalia
Hi Lucky Chhetri,
Thanks for the comments - you should connect with the entry that was posted yesterday: Women In Adventure Sports Country. They have some interesting partnerships they've developed in India with the Park agencies to address ecology and the demand in eco-tourism, particularly by female tourists. I think you'd both benefit from knowledge sharing about trying to work with female trekkers in your regions.
Thanks!
Stephani
Nike
Stephani,
Thank you for recommending such a great intiatative project for women in India. Which is a need of the areas and there are lots of potential. I am very happy with their initiation and would like to connect with them and I will contact to them. We are in the same belt and can share and learn from each other.
Thank you once again.
With best,
Lucky
Hi Lucky Chhetri,
Here is the link to the project Stephani mentioned.
http://sportforchange.changemakers.net/en-us/node/14125
Best of luck!
ziba
Hi Lucky,
Can I just take a flight to Nepal now? Please! I love your idea and the way the project overcomes cultural estherotypes and generate income to local women.
I think Women Win would be very interesting on knowing more about your work. Women Win is the first ever international women’s fund that supports sport and physical activities as instruments for social change and women’s empowerment.
Women Win will also use the competition to find a fellow between the ages of 15 and 65 years old that positively change the lives of women and girls in their community through sports.
Please join the group http://sportforchange.changemakers.com/en-us/group/womenwin
Good luck!
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Dear Renata,
Glad to hear from you /women win. I also found women win is an interesting program for women. I was trying to connect with your organization during my visit to Netherlands in last April. I talked with Astrid Aafjes and we tried our best to meet but unfortunately didn't work. I hope this time we will manage to connect each other.
Of course you can fly to Nepal. It will be our great pleasure to show around on our project. At the moment Female Trekking Guide training is going on, will last until end of this month.
I visited the site you have suggested and I found we are alreay enter there. Do we have to do anything more for that.
I look forward to hearing from you again.
Lucky
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Lucky,
Expansion of your training program is a wonderful goal and will help reach more women in Nepal. I am excited to hear about the branch office in West Nepal. Perhaps in the future, EWN can offer a longer basic training course as I know many of the girls have requested. You are doing a great work and I look forward to working with you and EWN in April!
Lorraine
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Dear Lorraine,
Yes, it is exciting even for us to have an office in Jumla for the close relation with local people. We can explore areas and can provide more technical support to promote tourism. The local women are ideal for this program to have training and to be a trekking guide. Their challenges to live in the isolated mountains is turning into an opportunity. Women from rural areas are more physically fit than urban women and they are acclimatized to high altitude. They need support in accademic areas like conversational english, health education, environment, geography, different culture and religion etc. Now a day EWN is providing rock and ice climbing training as an advance training for such women. On you trek in April, there will be some women in your group from west Nepal.
And we are looking forward to work with you.
With best,
Lucky
Hi Lucky
I love your initiative! I want to visit you right now!!
There is another entrant from Chile who created the Patagonia School for Guides (www.escueladeguias.cl). They prepare people for success in joining the outdoor tourism industry and in Wildlife Protected Areas.
This is the entry http://sportforchange.changemakers.net/en-us/node/15951
‘Getting Nature And People From Patagonia Closer To The World’
I suggest you to get in contact with Francisco Vio, the director.
All the best wishes!!
Patricia
Dear Patricia,
Thank you very much for your advise to contact Francisco Vio the director. I like to connect, how can I contact? I visited your web site it is very impressive and pretty similar to our work. We are providing training and employment in trekking adventure. Our future plan is to start an adventure training centre for women.
I like to keep in touch with your organization to learn more about nature based adventure. I hope you may know, Nepal is rich in natural resources for tourism products. I believe guides and other staff must be educated to protect their resources. Therefore, the training is essential to raise awareness of their valuable resources.
I hope to hear from you again.
Kind regards,
Lucky
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Hi Lucky
Here you have his contact information: franciscovio@escueladeguias.cl
Francisco knows very well your work and he is very interested to get in contact with you.
all the best!!!
and congratulations again for your work!!
Pato
Changemakers Latinamerica
Thank you Pato for Francisco's email address. patagonia is a well know company and sure the adventure school might be a great school to collaborate in future.
We are very much Looking forward.
Lucky
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Hi again Lucky,
We have a specific topic on the Women Win group about women and action sports (including adventure sports).
We would love to hear your opinion and thoughts. The direct link is http://sportforchange.changemakers.net/en-us/node/18777
Warm regards,
Renata
Hi Lucky,
I spent 2 1/2 years in Nepal as a Peace Corps Volunteer (teaching school in a small village in the eastern district of Dhankuta). Your program sounds like a great way to empower Nepali women!
I have two questions: During my time n Nepal I experienced a fairly strong stigma attached to women traveling without family members, especially male family members. I would think this would present difficulties for women being professional tour guides. Has this been a problem for the women in your program?
My second question is, can I direct Nepali friends to your program as a potential source of training/employment? How do you choose program participants?
Thank you and good luck with this great project!
Best,
Kathleen
www.rownewyork.org
Hi Kathleen,
Glad to hear that you were a Peace Corps volunteer in Dhankuta, Nepal. I also have been there; isn’t a beautiful hill station? We also had few PC volunteer for English classes, first aid and environment classes. We missed that opportunity.
Regarding to be a trekking guide was a great challenge at the beginning when we stated. It took several years to convince society and surrounding. We worked ourselves and show our community see we can do and always offer women to join and take advantage to learn global prospective and earn foreign currency. No need to go out from the country for the employment. Now-a-day it is an acceptable job for women in Nepal.
You could tell your friend about our program and they can contact us either by telephone or by email. We will give them all information they require for the participation.
We just require, physically fit and Education back ground is open from the level to school drop out to all higher education. The difference is women who are from the lower education back ground takes a while to be a guide but for the women who have conversational skill can promote immediate. We give preference for socially and geographically disadvantaged women. They all should be willing to learn skill and to work.
I hope the above information will give you ideas of our program. If you want more information you can write me back again.
With best,
Lucky
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Hi
Ive just looked at the photos and it looks amazing. I think this is such a good idea. and should be encoruaged and promoted in other countries. It looks like a really great job you are doing training people and sounds like a great way to get these women into sport as well. Id love to come on one of those treck :)
Keep up the good work and I look forward to hearing how your project is going
Gemma Hillier
Nike Select
Loughborough University
Dear Gemma,
Thank you for your response. You are always welcome for any trek you choose will guide by our trainee. We are enjoying our work by seeing our girls’ improvement. They are gaining confident and living their own. It is really amazing how our girls like this profession.
You are right, people are working on many different works in different parts of the world and now getting a common platform to share their experiences through this competition isn’t it. I hope it can help to realize the possibilities of potential resources to the other ends. There are so many issues which need to be address through many different ways like sports. is also one of this. It is healthy and be wealthy.
Best,
Lucky
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Dear Gemma,
You are always welcome for trekking in Nepal our trainees will guide you around. We are enjoying our work by seeing our girls’ improvement. They are gaining confident and living their own. It is really amazing how our girls like this profession.
You are right, people are working on many different works in different parts of the world and now getting a common platform to share their experiences through this competition isn’t it. I hope it can help to realize the possibilities of potential resources to the other ends. There are so many issues which need to be address through many different ways like sports. is also one of this. It is healthy and be wealthy.
Best,
Lucky
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Hi, Lucky
I love you entry…! I admire that not only are you giving these women a way of live and a chance to earn a living, your providing them with life long skills and the opportunity to pass their knowledge on to others whilst showing them your beautiful surroundings..! Brilliant..!
By training more women to trek you can go a long way to changing the view that this is a mans job, and like you said make the females feel more comfortable whilst trekking..! Hopefully this will do wonders to the tourist trade in the area.
Well done for already making a difference to the lives of the 600 women you mentioned, I can see with the right funding and hard work you will help many more..!
How has this been perceived by males so far? Are people in the area supportive of this movement?
All the best with your entry, good luck]
Sian Bentley
Nike Select, London
Hi Sian Bentley,
As you said, it is a lesson for their life, they are getting platform to learn skills and gaining knowledge about their life. They got chance to choose where they want to go. They realized their capacities. They are enjoying their life, have seen many opportunities beside their home and community.
It was a male dominated profession with the time it has change. Now a day male guides are cooperating women to work rather discourage women in the field. Before everybody was sympathetic towards women to work on this area but now they are proud to see women leading groups. Male members come and ask the trainings for their female counterpart of their family. It has changed a lot. Our guides are role models for the all Nepalese women.
With best,
Lucky
Empowering Women of Nepal ~ EWN
Post box # 284
Lakeside, Khahare
Pokhara-6
Ph. # 977 61 462231 / 462066
Fax # 977 61 461749
Email: ewn@3sistersadventure.com
website: www.3sistersadventure.com/ewn
Hi Lucky,
Great to see that you are a finalist for the Game Changers. You certainly deserve it.
As a past trekker with 3 Sisters, I can't say enough about the integrity and quality of your organization. I had the most rewarding trekking experience by being in the company of a woman guide and porter. I have trekked and hiked in various places around the world but always led by men. This was such a different and wonderful experience.
The woman were intelligent, willing to share their stories about life in Nepal and of course very fit. They certainly made some difficult and tiring situations much more rewarding.
I'm hoping to be back trekking in Nepal and Tibet, soon. Maybe 2010.
Good luck to you, I hope that you win. I voted for you and have shared your story with friends and family.
Namaste,
Patti
Hi Lucky,
In our country, Nepal, Women participation in the tourism industry is very minimum. You have intiate this action to bring a change in our Nepali Society.
I like you have a motivate for empowering the women of Nepal. Very good Intiative. Hat's off for you.
I am Nepali and I am proud of your work.
Sincerely,
Kyaron DHOJU
Bhaktapur, Nepal
Hello Lucky,
I am pleased to vote for your great project!
Just a few days ago I was thinking about our great trekking tour around the Annapurnas in 2007 - you know what? That journey also changed my life a little bit :o)
Namaste and good luck - I hope you will win.
All the best for you and the girls,
Manuela
Good luck to the Three Sisters. Without their assistance in training Sita to be a guide I would not have climbed to Annapurna base camp. I will be grateful to Sita and the 3 sisters all my life for that achievement.
Sheila
Congratulations on a highly deserved win!
With best wishes
Anna
Ashoka/Nike Gamechangers
Lucky!
Congratulations! You really deserved it! I am really happy!
Hope to visit you one day!
Renata