25/02/2019
MADHAV BHANDARI
The Madhav Bhandari that I Have Come to Know.
Madhav Bhandari, founder of Sunkoshi Holidays (P) Ltd.
Madhav Bhandari, founder of
Sunkoshi Holidays (P) Ltd. in Nepal
by Lisa D. Bates
Madhav Bhandari, the Marketing Director of Sunkoshi Holidays in Nepal, is a patriot. He has a deep appreciation of the panoramic beauty of Nepal; from the most majestic mountains on Earth, to the undulating farmlands in the middle elevations, to the untamed jungles of the Ganges River plain. He is also proud of his country’s ancient heritage, of its deep spirituality, and of the hundred or so cultural groups who all co-exist in an area roughly the size of Colorado. Yet, the mountains of Nepal soar up twice as high, above the jungle-covered southern plains, as the Colorado Rockies do above the Great Plains of the USA.
Madhav Bhandari during the last Nepalese Festival of Tihar (Deepawali)
He was born, far from the busy streets of Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu, in a little village near the mountainous border of Tibet. But, his mother died when he was 13. She died at an early age because they were isolated, and poor, and there were no hospitals or treatment facilities available. Many poor people in Nepal still die today, because they can not get adequate medical treatment. Once his mother passed away, Madhav and his siblings were scattered to relatives’ houses and orphanages. The family was broken up because of their extreme poverty. Madhav found himself suddenly plucked up from his village, the only home he had ever known, and sent to live with relatives in a village 8 hours away by car. At that time it took Madhav two full days walk there, by the trail which was the only road, even though it was only 37 miles (60 kilometers) away, because the road was so bad.
Life was extremely difficult for young Madhav. Today, he does not like to talk about that time of his life. He was not able to study well, because of his poverty. But, he did not let his unsatisfied hunger steal his ability to hope for something better. He will always be grateful to his grandmother, who sacrificed a great deal, to help raise her young grandson. She brought him up, and was responsible for him valuing education so much. She was not an educated woman, herself, but she made sure that Madhav always studied hard. He was also quite impressed with good work done by the orphanage that took in his youngest brother. It was because of that organization, and Madhav’s continued poverty, he was able to attend university and earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce. That was when he was truly inspired to become a humanitarian. He had a dream, that one day he would return to his mountains, and help the needy people. That dream helped him get through some very difficult times.
Madhav and his Beautiful Wife Sita, wearing Teeka blessings on the most recent Festival of Dashain.
As an adult, Madhav helped to build the community school in his part of the mountains; and now he helps to keep it andanother school running. They always need paper and pencils; and of course, they always need books. He also gives money to help the people buy medicine. They often have no way to get something as small, yet necessary, as aspirin for a fever. With so little access to medicine, the elderly suffer greatly. He has also arranged medical camps, with local and Western doctors, for the needy people of his hometown area. He always remembers the many orphans who live in the backward places in Nepal. He has a special place in his heart for helping them.
Twenty-three years ago, Madhav became a travel and tour agent in the city. He works by introducing foreigners to the timeless beauty of Nepal. He also married a lovely woman named Sita, from eastern Nepal, near the Indian border, and they had two bright-faced children together, named Akshata and Aabhushan. As their father, Madhav gets deep satisfaction from providing them with a better life than the one he endured. His wife Sita works in local government service, and supports him in his dream of helping to create a better way of life for the Nepalese people.
Madhav's children, Akshata and her younger brother, Aabhushan.
Now, Nepal is a very poor country. For example, canned vegetables are considered an Expensive Foreign Import there; while here in America, we are rich enough to be able to just give them away to the poor. Where Madhav is from, they have many fewer resources. But, Madhav came upon an idea, and the vision of Sunkoshi Holidays was born.
Together with other like-minded Nepalese travel professionals, who are also travel professionals and humanitarians, he formed a company called Sunkoshi Holdiays (P) Ltd. . The purpose of Sunkoshi Holdiays is to generate income from tourism, to be used to help the poor and needy to live, and have access to medicine, clothes, education, health, and vocational training. It is licensed by the Nepal Government as a Travel Agency; and it committed to divert a full 25% of its profits directly to the people who need it the most, especially the people from Madhav’s own area.
“We are helping needy children and other people eat to stay alive,” Madhav explains, “and also in the areas of education, health, sanitation awareness programs, and in vocational training for their better future.” When he speaks of his vision, it is easy to see his enthusiasm. It is a simple, honest, plan. Foreign dollars bring new resources into impoverished Nepal, and Sunkoshi Holidays funnels a large percentage of those funds to the truly needy.
But, Madhav continues to want to do more. He was asked by a committee from three villages in his district, to help organize and build a small medical care center, with doctors and nurses and enough technicians to provide care on an ongoing basis. He prays to God that he will meet the right people through Sunkoshi Holidays to make that dream a reality. It is not such a far-fetched idea. Within Sunkoshi Holidays, Madhav specializes in organizing their Humanitarian and Volunteer Tours, and has contacts who are Doctors and other medical personnel from around the globe. He keeps his vision firmly in place, and patiently lets people know of the needs he is working to fill, while gently encouraging them to visit his beautiful, exciting Nepal.
Madhav Bhandari has been an inspirational person to get to know. He came from the humblest of beginnings, and was able to rise up due to his own vision for a better life, the love of his grandmother, and the humanitarian efforts of a charity organization. He was inspired by this, to play the same role as the charity organization in the lives of others; and has created the first steps of of doing just that. He wants Sunkoshi Holidays to eventually have a sister non-profit organization, the Community Service of Nepal, which will take over bringing the underprivileged people up to modern standards of nutrition, medicine, sanitation, education, and vocational training.
