chitepani trust
Nr Colne
Chitepani is a subsistence farming village, situated 3200ft above sea level and
approximately 9.3miles from Pokhara, Nepal’s second city. Although the Chitepani
Trust was registered as a Charity in the UK in 2006, it had been functioning as
a project since 2000 when Tika Ram Sapkota (a mountain guide at that time) and
I, trekked to Annapurna Base Camp to celebrate the millennium. Tika told me
about his home village Chitepani and of the need for some kind of small health
centre. There was no medical provision in the village and it was necessary to
walk a long way down a difficult mountain path and alongside the river before
catching a bus to Pokhara and to the nearest doctor. A plan had been discussed
but promised funding did not materialise. I decided to become involved at this
stage. It took several years of fundraising in the UK before the health centre
became well established with a full time health worker and regular health camps
attended by a doctor. Health camps over the years have concentrated on issues
such as eye problems, women’s health including smear testing, thyroid testing as
well as general health and dental hygiene. Recently we have concentrated on
providing information about Covid 19
