Nepal is not just our destination;
Nepal is our home, our responsibility, and our heart.
The Everest Holiday Company was born from a simple dream—to share the beauty of Nepal with the world. From the very beginning, we believed that tourism should do more than just showcase mountains and cultures; it should uplift lives and strengthen communities.
While guiding travelers through the Himalayas, ancient cities, and hidden villages, we also began a quieter journey—one of service, compassion, and giving back. In our early years, we supported childcare homes and individuals in need, helping wherever it was needed most.
As our journey grew, so did our commitment. We founded the Nagarjun Learning Center, working hand-in-hand to carry out meaningful social and educational programs focused on children and community development.
For more information about the Nagarjun Learning Center, please visit:
Nagarjun Learning Center (Website)
Nagarjun Learning Center (Facebook)
Nagarjun Learning Center (Instagram)
Today, our heart for Nepal continues through our support for preschools and government schools, providing educational and relief programs that reach some of the most underserved communities. Education, we believe, is the strongest foundation for lasting change.
We have built a learning center in the Dhading District and established additional learning centers in Nagarkot and Nuwakot. Every year, we also organize health camps in the upper regions of the Dhading District, ensuring that remote communities receive essential healthcare and support.
Our commitment extends into responsible tourism as well. Through cooperation with the Nagarjun Homestay, we connect travelers directly with local life and culture. The profit from the homestay goes entirely to charity—turning every stay into a meaningful contribution to social causes.
Guests who wish to stay at Nagarjun Homestay can book through Booking.com:
Nagarjun Home Stay (Booking.com)
At The Everest Holiday, tourism and social responsibility walk together. Every trek, every tour, and every stay helps us give back to the land and people who give us so much.
This is our story.
This is our heart for Nepal.
Our Impact in Numbers
Since 2011, our family has been working to change Nepal for the better — one village, one school, one child at a time.
- 70 children receive free education and hot meals every school day at the Nagarjun Learning Center
- 7 learning centres established across Nepal since 2019 — with 6 more built before that
- 600+ people received free medical care at our health camps in Dhading District
- 600+ women reached through menstrual health awareness programmes in Ruby Valley, in partnership with HOPE Paris
- 275+ women part of our ama samuha (mothers’ group) empowerment programme — from just 8 women at the first meeting
- 300+ families helped with food distribution during the 2025 Kathmandu floods
- 65 children now have internet access — the first ever in Saldum village
- 3 full-time teachers and 1 health assistant employed year-round
The Saldum Story
In September 2021, we opened our flagship centre in Saldum Village, Ganga Jamuna-4, Dhading District — one of Nepal’s most remote communities, at 1,100 metres altitude at the base of Ganesh Mountain.
Before we arrived, the children had no after-school programme, no computers, and limited healthcare. Many families live on less than a month. Today, 70 children receive free tutoring, hot meals, computer classes, and extracurricular activities every single day. We’ve installed the village’s first ever internet connection.
The centre was built with the support of incredible people from around the world — French scouts, Dutch volunteers, students from SKEMA Business School in France, and an Emeritus Professor from Oxford Brookes University in England who visited Nepal, saw our work first-hand, and chose to fund the building.
Our Roots in Service — Since 2011
Long before we founded the Nagarjun Learning Center, our family was already working in Nepal’s rural communities. Since 2011, Shreejan and Shamjhana have:
- Built 6 learning centres in remote mountain villages across Nepal
- Painted schools and constructed roads in underserved areas
- Distributed secondhand clothing to families in need through our “Warm Up Nepal” programme
- Served as first responders during the devastating 2015 earthquake — running health camps and distributing food and shelter
- Helped 300+ families with food during the 2025 Kathmandu floods
- Supported childcare homes and vulnerable individuals across Nepal
Empowering Women in Rural Nepal
We believe women’s rights are central to ending poverty. Through our “ama samuha” (mothers’ group) programme in Saldum and surrounding villages, we started with just 8 women at our first evening meeting. Today, over 275 women are part of this community.
Our women’s programmes include sewing and tailoring training, soap manufacturing, physiotherapy and exercise classes, menstrual health awareness (in partnership with HOPE Paris, reaching 600+ women in Ruby Valley), and self-defence classes.
Free Healthcare for Remote Communities
We organise regular free health camps in the upper regions of Dhading District and Ruby Valley, authorised by Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population. Over 600 people have received free healthcare through these camps — some walking 3 to 4 hours to reach us.
The Journey to Europe
In November 2022, Shreejan and Shamjhana travelled to Austria to raise funds for a retaining wall at the Saldum centre. They stayed with their friend Christian, visited schools across Vienna where Shamjhana taught European children about Nepal, sold Nepali handicrafts and cooked meals at schools, churches, and community gatherings.
A senior United Nations officer saw their dedication and invited them to sell handicrafts at the United Nations Vienna headquarters canteen. The Nagarjun Learning Center was subsequently verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal — making us eligible to apply for United Nations humanitarian project grants.
UN Partner Portal
The Nagarjun Learning Center is verified and listed on the United Nations Partner Portal (UNPP). We describe this honestly: we are verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal. We are not a UN-funded organisation. This verification means we meet the UN’s standards and are eligible to apply for humanitarian project grants.
NGO Registration Number: 51103
A Family Built on Education
Education runs deep in our family. Shreejan’s mother, Bimala Adhikari Simkhada, served as principal of a government secondary school in Kathmandu for over 20 years. She has authored several books on education and continues to advise the Nagarjun Learning Center on staff selection and teacher performance. When a school in Baglung district contacted her saying their students had no warm clothes, our family went there to distribute sweaters — because that is who we are.
How to Support Us
- Book a trek — a portion of every booking funds the centre directly
- Stay at Nagarjun Homestay — all profits go to the learning centre
- Donate at nagarjunlearningcenter.org
- For UK donors: nagarjunlearningcentre.co.uk
- Volunteer — contact us about spending time at the Saldum centre
What’s Next
Our dream doesn’t stop at Saldum. We’re working to open new learning centres in Ruby Valley and Tipling Village — communities where over 9,000 people could benefit from quality education, food, healthcare, and self-sustainability programmes.
This is an ongoing project of changing Nepal for the better. And with every trek you book, you’re part of it.
Trek With a Purpose.
With gratitude,
Shreejan Simkhada, Shamjhana Basukala, and the Simkhada family
Website: nagarjunlearningcenter.org
Facebook: Nagarjun Learning Center
Instagram: @nagarjunlearningcenter
