FRIENDS OF HIMALAYAN CHILDREN

Empowerment through education

"Our volunteer administration ensures nearly 95% of funds raised go directly to supporting disadvantaged children in regional Nepal."

Recent Media Coverage of Som Tamang and Friends of Himalayan Children

  • Cairns Post Online – Nepalese-born Cairns man speaks of gratitude as village rebuilt. The generosity of Far North Queenslanders has helped build a school and restore hope in a Nepal village shattered by a deadly earthquake.
    Cairns Post Online – 28 April 2024.
  • Weekend Post – How we rebuilt a school, help after earthquake. Cairns has played a vital role in rebuilding a village in Nepal nine years after an earthquake which killed almost 9000 people.
    Weekend Post – 27 April 2024.
  • Connect FNQ Magazine – From rubble to rebuilding lives. CAIRNS community leader Som Tamang has returned to his village in Nepal, nine years after it was destroyed by earthquakes.
    Connect FNQ Magazine – 26 April 2024.
  • Hope FM 103.2 – Himalayan Dreams: A story of resilience and sacrificial love. As the founder of Friends of Himalayan Children and Take on Nepal, Som Tamang has never forgotten his hometown of Batase.
    Hope FM 103.2 – 26 April 2024.
  • ABC News 24 – Cairns local rebuilding lives after 2015 earthquake. It’s been 9 years today since 9000 people were killed in a powerful earthquake in Nepal and one of them was the brother of Australian Som Tamang.
    ABC News 24 – 25 April 2024.
  • New Idea Magazine – Rebuilding Nepal all the way from QLD.
    New Idea Magazine – 23 April 2024.
  • ABC Alumni Magazine – From National Broadcaster to the Himalayas. In April 2015, Kirsty met Som Tamang, a Nepalese man living in Cairns, as he organised an international aid mission for his homeland, just hit by a deadly earthquake.
    ABC Alumni Magazine – 19 April 2024.
  • ABC Radio National Sunday Extra – Julian Morrow interview with Kirsty Nancarrow and Som Tamang. They discuss the release of Kirsty’s book ‘Himalayan Dreams: The story of Som Tamang – how a child slave moved mountains to save a generation in Nepal’
    ABC Radio National Sunday Extra – 24 March 2024.
  • ABC Radio Evenings – Jason Chong interview with Kirsty Nancarrow and Som Tamang. They discuss the release of Kirsty’s book ‘Himalayan Dreams: The story of Som Tamang – how a child slave moved mountains to save a generation in Nepal
    ABC Radio Evenings (YouTube) – 14 March 2024.
  • Journey from Kathmandu to Batase and activities in in the village. Bejay records the occasion when members of FHC visit Batase Village.
    Bejay Tamang (YouTube) – 28 March 2023.
  • Climbing mountains and changing lives: Som Tamang’s story is inspiring the next generation of Himalayan children.
    ABC FNQ – Broadcast 23 February 2023.
  • Tropical Writers Festival – Kirsty Nancarrow in conversation with Som Tamang. Som Tamang overcame poverty, a critical head injury, a tiger attack, child slavery, a civil war, and cultural challenges to save a generation of girls in his village from early marriage and human trafficking. Kirsty Nancarrow and Som Tamang discuss his incredible life story and how their lives intertwined through the Nepal earthquake in 2015. Kirsty’s debut book, Himalayan Dreams: The Story of Som Tamang is a story of courage, determination, and the belief that one person can make lasting change.
    Tropical Writers Festival – 22 February 2023.
  • Trauma and tragedy inspire debut book.
    Cairns Local News – 19 February 2023.
  • Inside Nepal’s tourism industry and the risks travellers are willing to take.
    ABC News – 21 January 2023.
  • Himalayan Dreams ABC Radio interview International Women’s Day. Kirsty Nancarrow has written a book about the work of former Nepalese child slave Som Tamang, who has dedicated his life to ensuring women and girls in his village, Batase, have access to education and work opportunities. Please support this work through www.f-hc.org and please subscribe to my channel.
    ABC Far North Radio interview (YouTube) – 8 March 2022.
  • Generous donation helps kids in Nepal. Educational opportunities have been boosted for the children of a remote Nepalese village close to the heart of Cairns local Som Tamang, thanks to a generous grant from the Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise. Cairns Local News – 24 September 2021.
  • Cairns community rally to buy computers for remote Nepalese school. TropicNow – 21 September 2021.
  • Tonight’s 7NEWS Cairns story about the Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise donation to Friends of Himalayan Children Inc.
    Seven News (FaceBook) – 21 September 2021.
  • Himalayan Dreams: The Story of Som Tamang. How a child slave from rural Nepal moved mountains to forge a better life for himself and vulnerable children.
    YouTube – premiered on 27 August 2021.
  • Som Tamang lives in Cairns, Australia but grew up in Batase, Nepal. His village was among those devastated by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 25 April, 2015. He turned to running to cope and is now using it to help his village and others recover from the disaster. Kirsty Nancarrow filmed this story in Nepal and Australia. It earned her a ‘Highly Commended’ in the John Bean Memorial Award for Camera work in the 2017 Queensland Media (Clarion) Awards.
    ABC TV News (YouTube) – premiered 8 January 2017.
  • Nepalese villagers embrace running as a way to raise spirits and money for earthquake recovery.
    ABC FNQ – Posted 8 January 2017
  • Former Nepalese trekking guide and Cairns man Som Tamang can’t wait for blockbuster ‘Everest’. Som worked as a guide in the Himalayan peaks, including Mt Everest, and got to know Australian Jason Clarke, who plays Kiwi mountaineer Rob Hall in the film about the deadly 1996 blizzard on Everest.
    Cairns Post — 23 September 2015.
  • Local Nepalese man Som Tamang is flying to his homeland today to help his village recover.
    Cairns Post — 28 April 2015.
  • Qld’er Som Tamang’s Plea for Help in Nepal. Som’s emergency trip back to help family and friends in Nepal.
    Triplem Radio — 28 April 2015.
  • A remarkable journey home to Nepal for young man whose village was devastated by earthquake.
    ABC News (Stephen McDonell) — 1 May 2015.
  • Former Nepalese child slave gains university degree from JCU in Cairns.
    Cairns Post — 2 April 2014.
  • Som Tamang and Jenna-Maree Jacob were announced as Queensland winners of the Pride of Australia Medal.
    Cairns Sun – 19 October 2011.
  • Inspiring a nation one step at a time — Som Tamang has been nominated for a Pride of Australia medal. After overcoming personal hardships, he now helps children in his native Nepal.
    The Cairns Post – 13 June 2011.
  • Helping hands – Building a future for Nepal.
    Cairns Sun – 16 December 16 2009.
  • Giving kids a go — Som on a mission to help.
    Cairns Sun – 7 October 2009.

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