A Hidden Land on the Roof of the World
Dolpo, situated in the upper part of the Dolpa District in northwestern Nepal, is a remote, sparsely populated, and backward region often confused with Dolpa (the district). Dolpo, encompassing more than a dozen isolated villages, is inhabited by a community culturally Tibetan. Tucked away in the heart of the Himalayas, these villages boast some of the highest human settlements on Earth. The majority of these settlements lie above 4000 meters, and the village of Charka Bhot, where Dolpo Tomorrow works, stands at an altitude of 4300 meters, earning the reputation as one of the highest villages on Earth.
Geographically, Dolpo covers two-thirds of Dolpa, the largest district in Nepal. For visitors, it is a piece of heaven on the roof of the world – remote, peaceful, and enriched with fascinating culture, beautiful mountainous landscapes, and pristine natural environments untouched by modern developments. However, for the inhabitants leading an ancient life, survival in this wild and arid land, face to face with raw nature, is a genuine challenge. Lying in the rain shadow of mighty Mount Dhaulagiri, the treeless barren land and the frozen climate of Dolpo offer very little and consume much.
Dolpo-pas depend on an age-old semi-nomadic lifestyle, harvesting single-kind barley crops annually and raising animals like yaks, goats, and sheep. For additional supplies, caravans of yaks and horses traverse the mountains of the Himalayas for seasonal trades with neighboring Tibetans and nearby regions within Nepal. Except during the harvesting season, families live with their animals in the mountains, moving from pasture to pasture. Even during the freezing winter months, with temperatures dropping to around minus 30 degrees Celsius, families live in traditional yak wool tents at winter pastures, grazing animals. In this barren land, yak dung is the primary source of fuel for cooking and keeping shelters warm.
Isolated by the wild mountain ranges of the Himalayas and compounded by the Nepali/Tibetan language barrier, Dolpo communities lack basic services, facilities, and developments, including health care, access to education, modern transportation, and electricity. Despite recent formation of local municipalities by the federal government, the inaccessible nature of the land has limited their governing and services. No road leads up to Dolpo from any part of Nepal, yet locals find contentment in their lives, thanks to Buddhist teachings. Their dreams revolve around having fundamental modern facilities that can make life a little easier.
In 2014, Dolpo Tomorrow, a local NGO, was established by a group of young Dolpo-pas with the vision of creating a better tomorrow for Dolpo through collective efforts. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in this remote corner of the world by promoting self-reliance through sustainable development projects. We believe that educating children is the most effective way to empower a community for sustainable, self-reliant, and self-determined development. With this vision in mind, we have prioritized educating the children of Dolpo.
+977 9843390217
dolpo.tomorrow@gmail.com info@dolpotomorrow.org.np
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