Once the vision had taken shape, it was time to put together a creative and competent team to drive the project forward.
Andreas Friedrich Airline Captain and high-altitude mountaineer, has initiated and founded MountainProjects. He is the Chairman of German registered MountainProjects e.V. and coordinates the projects. With his lectures, he solicits donors and sponsors for the projects.
Andreas Friedrich
Andreas got to know Doma Lama on his first expedition to Kathmandu in 2006. This was the beginning of a close friendship. And it was a stroke of luck, since Doma Lama has a wealth of experience through her own social projects, which she wants to share with Andreas. Friendship means trust. This is immensely important with such a plan as this.
Andreas told Doma Lama about MountainProjects. And she warmly brought Kagate to his attention, a remote village in Nepal.
Doma Lama
Coincidence paired me up with Bikash Palikhey. He is the architect who has designed and planned the different school buildings. A graduate from Technical University Aachen, Germany, he returned to Nepal to invest his superb skills and expertise to kick off and lead construction projects in his home country. He jumped on Andreas’s proposal to use an earthquake-resistant design to maximise survivability of the pupils and the buildings when the next quake strikes. However, this technical feature needed to come at a reasonable expenditure to minimise the overall costs. Bikash reached this goal by creating an innovative, technically brilliant und yet very simple concept which uses domestic construction materials and short hauls. He furthermore coordinates all works in Kagate and reports directly to Andreas.
Bikash Palikhey
Doma Lamas son Chhewang provides his tremendous NGO managing experience. He coordinates all efforts at the Kathmandu – Kagate interface and is Andreas’ quick link to the village.
Chewang
Lalit has provided valuable assistance when he was a teacher for 38 years in the district. He frequently advised the construction of new schools. He is a respected authority in the VDC and wants to contribute with his experience. His close contacts to the provincial government in Manthali Bazar are trustworthy and helpful. Lalit will coordinate all works in Kagate and run workshops for the villagers on various topics like waste management.
Lalit
MountainProjects needs a promoter. A prominent person who identifies with the aims of the project and will speak up for it. The reason why we asked Verena Bentele to support MountainProjects might not be immediately obvious unless one happens to know that Verena is blind. She is also multiple world and olympic champion in the paralympic biathlon. Breathtakingly fast skiing and precise shooting: for her fantastic achievement Verena needed competent support and training. That was the reason we chose to ask her. No one knows better, how important help in life is. Guidance, support and motivation in order to achieve the highest goals.
Verena Bentele
Furthermore Verena is recipient of the Lauraeus Sports Award. She is a motivational speaker and TV co-presenter with excellent contacts in business, politics and sport. She also lectures large companies on the subjects of motivation and high performance.
Motivation and high performance play an enormous role at MountainProjects.
Those who climb mountains believe in journey and reward.
Those who team up with others to run believe in mutual support.
Who supports children displays strength and imparts his vigor.
Starting in March 2017, Dorothee Göbel assumed the entire MountainProjects donation management and newsletter editing. MountainProjects understands the importance of staying in close contact with our donors and supporters. We warmly welcome Dorothee to the team and certainly value her respected contribution to the project.
Dorothee Göbel
To convey the idea MountainProjects, my motivation and goals I need a platform. A website which not only fascinates its viewers but takes them with us on our journey. Patrick Michelberger is a TU Munich University computer science student and has always been motivated to over-achieve contributing his expertise and creative solutions to building the website. With meticulousness and accuracy Patrick translated my conceptual design to what became the MountainProjects offical website. He always found an ingenious solution to all problems and my ideas to be implemented.
Finally, there remained the question of where help is needed.
patrick.michelberger.info