Sustainability Apple Tree Project

We have exciting news to share about this sustainability project to plant apple trees in Upper Mustang.

Earlier this week 100 pink apple trees left Milan for Kathmandu in Nepal on the first International leg of their long journey from the Sibillini mountains, in the Marche region of Italy, to our school in Upper Mustang and local areas surrounding Thinggar village north of Lo Montang.

This has been an amazing cross cultural and cross-functional project involving the help and support from numerous kind people – agriculturalists in Italy, members of Pisa University Geology faculty, members of Kathmandu University, diplomatic support from the Italian Honorary Counsel in Kathmandu and his colleagues in the Nepalese Ministries of Agriculture and Development and many local volunteers in Italy and Nepal.

This amazing collaboration sprung from and idea by Carmen and Laura, 2 of our Italian associates that volunteered at the school in the summer 2016.  Their idea to try and introduce the cultivation of apples in the area around the school came after seeing a commercial orchard at a lower altitude in Mustang whilst they were trekking to the school.

The project supports the development of food sustainability and nutritional support for our girls – having fresh fruit is hugely beneficial as you can all imagine and fits in nicely with the girl’s efforts to grow more of their own food.  And commercially some income may arise from the sale of excess apple crops – we hope this will become a commercial success too.  And some support to the regional community as some trees are also donated locally.

This hardy variety of pink apples was developed by a specialist agriculturist in Italy – this apple variety has been especially developed with high nutrient content and high resistence to the wind and extreme weather conditions experienced in Upper Mustang.

Everyone involved in this highly complex project has given generously and over and above what could have reasonably been asked to ensure the success of this project – everyone from specialists selecting the variety of apples, selecting and donating the trees for the benefit of the people of Upper Mustang………

………and arranging the logistical challenges of transporting from the mountains of Italy, to the school high on the Tibetan plateau and not to mention the customs paperwork and certification necessities for  transporting plants internationally!

The trees have arrived in Kathmandu and once they have cleared customs inspections they will begin the long domestic transportation from Kathmandu to Jomsom in Lower Mustang and will then begin the tough overland mountainous journey to high altitude up to Upper Mustang where they will be planted immediately on arrival.

We will have to wait for spring to see what will happen, and the second part of the project will begin. For the moment, let’s keep our fingers crossed that the trees survive the transportation and planting and will take hold and grow!

The girls are so excited they have even started colouring posters for the project.

This has been a momentous effort and all our heartfelt thanks cannot even begin to express the depths of our huge gratitude to everyone involved in helping bring fresh fruit to Upper Mustang.

This project was supported by kind and generous donations and volunteer efforts by all concerned.

Please would you consider helping us with one of our other projects to build a small library and study area at our Upper Mustang school.  Any support you might be able to offer will be very gratefully received.

Please CLICK HERE  to help us to build a library & study area

By clicking the link above – the following image will appear. When the page opens, clicking the “DONATE NOW” button will take you through easy steps.  Please help if you can. Any amount will be gratefully received and will be used to help the girls make the most of their study time.

Please help us build a small library & study area so the girls have somewhere other than their beds where they may do their homework.

Thank-you all for your kind support.

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