NEPAL, with a population of about 30 million, lies in the Himalayan mountain range between India and China. The terrain does not lend itself to easy farming. People have to work hard and many are engaged in subsistence farming in remote mountain villages. The country is subject to flooding and earthquakes, the latest in 2015. Regular monsoons often make roads impassable. However in the rural areas development is gradually taking place in education, health, communication and transport infrastructure. Many hydro electric projects are coming on line which will help the economy and lessen pollution and deforestation. Nepal’s economy relies heavily on tourism which has been hit hard by the pandemic.
TIPLYANG is a village in the Nepalese Himalayas. It is situated in a deeply incised river valley overlooked by the massive mountain of Annapurna. It was the home of a brave Nepalese Gurkha, Honorary Lieutenant Tul Bahadur Pun VC,
who served in Burma in 1944 alongside Major James Lumley, father of Joanna Lumley and Captain Michael Allmand VC who was sadly killed in action. Pun lived for many years and his greatest wish was that a school be built in his home village of Tiplyang. Michael’s niece, Elizabeth Allmand, visited Tiplyang in 2009 and this stimulated the foundation of the project. In gratitude for the bravery and sacrifice of three young soldiers, the building of a school was begun.
In 2012, under the guidance of the engineers of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and with the support of Joanna Lumley and the Allmand family, the villagers completed a six-classroom school for children up to 14 years of age.
Immediately, Hands Together Tiplyang Project was set up by the present three trustees with a trusted representative in Nepal to sustain the school and its children, providing daily nourishing meals, health care and uniforms. Teachers’ salaries and on-going training are assured thanks to the generosity of donors and a kitchen, a dining room and three classrooms have been added. Support has now been extended to four neighbouring villages.
The charity has also helped teams of doctors, dentists and opthalmologists to provide regular healthcare.
Joanna Lumley 
Michael Allmand