The road to villages in Nepal is never straight or easy, but it is always worth the journey. Earlier this month, the Himalayan Quests Foundation (HQF) team travelled to Simpani village in Marsangdi Rural Municipality, Lamjung, to take the next step toward building a long-awaited community health post in rural Nepal.
On the Way to Lamjung
Setting off from Kathmandu at dawn, our team braced for the unpredictability of the monsoon roads. Hours of winding highways and bumpy trails later, we arrived at the municipality office in Lamjung just after midday. The welcome was nothing short of extraordinary. The mayor and his team greeted us warmly and invited us to a local cultural evening. Music, dance, and laughter filled the night, a glimpse of the strong community spirit that would carry through the rest of the visit.
A Harsh Reality
While the spirit of Simpani and its people remains unshaken, the harsh reality is that government support for rural healthcare has often fallen short. During the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the municipal budget was diverted to emergency care, leaving villages like Simpani without any dedicated allocation for local health infrastructure. What little budget followed was prioritised for road construction, aimed at improving access to nearby towns and cities, rather than addressing urgent local health needs. As a result, basic healthcare remains largely inaccessible; women lack birthing centres, essential medical equipment is scarce and the old health post, a cramped three-room building, stands visibly cracked and red-stickered after the earthquake, deemed unsafe and in urgent need of evacuation. For the villagers, this isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a daily struggle for life-saving services.
Surveying the Future
The next morning, the hills opened to reveal Simpani village. Framed by the mighty Manaslu-2 in the north, the setting itself felt like a promise. The community had been waiting for us since early morning, their energy and anticipation filling the air. As the engineer began marking the land, discussions sparked; where should the new health post in Lamjung face? Towards the highway for easy access? Towards the mountains for inspiration? Or towards the east to greet the morning sun? The villagers settled on the sunrise, a symbolic choice that carried a quiet poetry: health and hope should always begin with light. In Nepalese tradition, east isn’t just ‘where the sun rises’; it is tied to new beginnings, light, and auspiciousness.
Collaboration in Action
The visit brought together leaders, health workers, educators, activists and villagers including:
- Arjun Gurung, Chairperson, Marsangdi Rural Municipality
- Juna Thapa, Vice Chairperson
- Suresh Gautam, Municipality Engineer
- Binod Yadav, Simpani Health Post In-charge
- Tilak Bhandari, Land Donor
and many others whose voices and commitments will shape the future of this rural healthcare project in Nepal.
Beyond Blueprints
The meetings and surveys weren’t only about roads, designs or funds. They were about trust. We shared the story of Himalayan Quests Foundation and Wishner5, how donations are mobilised and why community involvement isn’t optional but essential. The villagers listened, questioned and promised that they would play their part.
A Shared Dream
For the people of Simpani, this project is more than a building. It is the fulfilment of a promise made years ago. Ten years after donating land, Tilak Bhandari expressed his joy that the long-awaited health facility in rural Lamjung is finally becoming reality. The Health post in-charge emphasized how critical this facility is for the village, where even basic medical infrastructure has been lacking. The municipality has assured that the construction bidding process will begin within 15 days. The Health Post Management Committee, alongside local leaders, pledged to monitor and support the project every step of the way.
Looking Ahead
This journey was not just about kilometres travelled but about connections made and commitments renewed. It showed us how community healthcare in Nepal can thrive when local dreams, donor support and strong leadership come together. For Simpani, the dawn of better health services is no longer a distant hope; it is on the horizon.
