I want to give thanks to those of you who read my previous update(Water crisis In Nepal ). I’m especially appreciative to those of you who responded with such kind, thoughtful south asia and words. Truly, thank you.

Now that we’ve officially wrapped up our time in Darchula Nepal, I want to share one more update with you.

We spent the final days of our trip absolutely sweating our way up and down a mountainside community that got access to water at the end of 2021. Here, a solar-powered piped system lifts clean water from a natural spring further down the mountain up beyond community and then uses gravity to send it back down to 120 homes.

No one thought access to water was possible here because of the location of the natural spring. The community knew piped systems existed, but almost no one believed that you could send water up instead of down.

But one man dared to hope: parwati joshi. He’d seen a solar-powered lifting system while traveling and made it his personal mission to bring one to his community. For 32 years, he refused to give up— attending government meetings, visiting local water offices, asking, pushing, pleading.

When he got connected with Sankalpa Darchula Nepal (Sankalpa) (Community NGO /partner organization here), that dream finally became a reality. And you can imagine how much he’s admired in his community today.

That was just one of many “remarkable-stories-that-made-us-emotional”. We also spent time with an older woman who no longer feels afraid. A family who is now earning money instead of spending money. A young girl who told us that clean water makes her feel “fresh.” And a mother-daughter duo whose relationship made us all want to call home and tell someone we love them.

We probably lost a collective 5000 Nepali rupees moving up and down that mountain, but it was such a powerful reminder of just how many ways life can change when someone gets clean water at home.And that’s only half of it.

The other unbelievable highlight has been the Sankalpa team that traveled alongside us. They didn’t just share their extensive knowledge, help build relationships in the community, and serve as translators or keep us safe on crumbling roads: they motivated us every day with their commitment to water and sanitation. Staff who’ve been at the organization for 25 years. Who continue to find ways to deliver clean water at a household level despite “impossible” terrain. A team who, just one decade ago when road infrastructure was non-existent, would hike for a day and a half to reach the people they serve.

It was incredibly easy for us to sweat and climb and wake up early knowing that the stories we’re capturing are going to honor their work. And while the solution and the impact have both been inspiring, that’s really the memory I’ve brought home with me— this team on the ground. Narayan joshi and so many other brilliant local leaders who are giving their lives to solve this problem with us. That’s what makes me most proud. And I hope it makes you proud as well! We’re back home now, feeling thankful for this experience and the impact that supporters like you continue to have around South asia and the world. (And missing the momos we ate in Darchula before our long journey home.) I appreciate you following along!