Tragically FHC has just recently lost a good friend and a tireless supporter of our children in Nepal. Bijay Tamang was just 25 years of age.
Bijay has passed away from a suspected heart failure while trekking a mountainous trail between Batase village and Langtang. He was with friends at the time and our hearts go out to Som (FHC founder), Anil (FHC Nepal President) and Dinesh, who were there but powerless to help.
Bijay is no stranger to FHC. FHC supported him through his final years of high school in Kathmandu. On completion of his studies, he returned to his home village of Batase and started working as a trekking guide with Take On Nepal. In between treks he would volunteer his time to help FHC care for the children at the Hostel and our scholarship kids.
Despite a challenging upbringing, Bijay grew into a gentleman in every sense of the word, a kind, compassionate, caring young man. In his short time he touched many lives, from the FHC children to the people he worked with and the foreigners he guided for.
When news of Bijay’s passing reached the Hostel children, the wailing could be heard from far away. Bijay’s body was brought back to Batase village where he was cremated on a pyre as is the tradition with a Buddhist ceremony. His ashes will remain in an in-house shrine in his family’s home until it is time for them to be spread and his spirit move on.
Most of the FHC committee here in Cairns have visited Batase Village and know Bijay personally. We’ve seen him grow and mature into a wonderful young man. The shock and grief from his passing amongst us here is palpable. We can only image what it must be like in the village.
We want to honour Bijay. We want to honour him in a way that will continue his legacy to the lives of disadvantaged children. We aim to establish a special scholarship in his name and there are plans to organise a trek to the location of his passing to build a memorial. Stay tuned for further information.
Award-winning film maker, Tania Verbeeck, has produced a beautiful tribute video to Bijay. You can view it here.
© Friends of Himalayan Children 2024