It’s always interesting to visit countries in the Third World. My recent trip to Nepal was particularly instructive.

I learned it’s a country of 30 million people sandwiched between China and India. Or as our guide for our tour of Kathmandu, the capital, put it, “The best part of a sandwich is the filling, so we’re the best part!”

That not withstanding, Nepal is also one of the world’s poorest nations, ranking 165th in the world in nominal GDP per capita, according to its Wikipedia entry.

Say Nepal and most people think of the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. Mountain-climbing and trekking through the valleys are what the country is most famous for, and adventurers are a major source of income. For example, the permit fee to climb Mount Everest is $15,000 per person during the popular spring season, and the actual expedition costs increase from there to as much as $100,000.

In visiting the country, one realizes things are always more complicated than textbook descriptions. For example, the first to summit Everest were Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal. What you may not have heard about was Hillary’s commitment to the well-being of the Sherpa people.

Some quick background. The Sherpa are a Tibetan ethnic group, many of whom have settled in Nepal. Famous for their high-altitude mountaineering and trekking skills, many work as guides and porters on expeditions in the Himalayas. Our guide on this trip was a Sherpa and practicing Buddhist. Everyone who treks or climbs in this part of the world, from Sir Edmund Hillary to me, owe them a huge debt. Possibly even our lives; trust me, trekking at 17,000 feet on narrow trails with extreme drop-offs is not to be taken lightly.

Which brings me to the title of this piece. Sir Edmund Hillary capitalized on his world fame by establishing a foundation to “Improve the quality of life of the Sherpa people of Nepal in the areas of Education, Healthcare, and the Environment.” I saw its work first-hand; the photo shows a school he established, along with a commemorative bust of thanks. This is the same school my Sherpa guide attended after a walk of an hour to arrive (with no excuses for being late).

So if you’re looking for a third-world cause that will make a difference, visit https://thesiredmundhillaryfoundation.ca. There is a lot to be done.