Here it is. We are behind in providing all of this information about our program, but now you have it! In concert with the Himalayan Yokpu Foundation, Musa Masala provides funds for two students each year at this time, for a complete degree program in healthcare.

As an update, we were originally offering this program only for nursing degrees. Thanks to our team of Meg, Xindoma, Ang Diku Sherpa and Lakpa Sherpa, we have been able to find that many tech support jobs in Nepal are in great demand with higher pay, more slots available in schools and better job placement.

So we have opened our Gary McLean and Charlie Noxon Scholarships up to a student who would wish to get into any medical specialization that requires a degree. The basic requirements are the same: Pass the entrance exam, have room and board near the school with family or close friends, and submit a letter to the Himalayan Yokpu Foundation telling us about you and your plans for the future.

We are so proud of these students, and of the Musa/HYF team that work with the students, schools and tutors to put it all together. Jam Jam, team!!

Supporting rural access to the health professions in Nepal

We would like to introduce you to the current recipients of the Musa Masala Healthcare Profession Scholarship who are working hard towards their goals! We feel so fortunate to be able to help these young women chase their dreams and wanted to take a moment to brag about them a little bit. You can read more about the creation of the scholarship fund HERE and the dream of Gary McLean and the Musa team that has been brought into being.

All three scholarship recipients are from the Solukhumbu region of Nepal and live in very rural areas with their families. They moved from their homes to Kathmandu after passing their entrance exams and with the help of the Musa Masala team they have been busy learning new skills, navigating living in the city and making new friends and community.

We are committed to supporting these students in all of their endeavors and encouraging other students to think about nursing or another health care profession as a career and apply for the scholarship. Nursing and medical technician jobs provide a path for rural students to earn money, bring nursing skills and knowledge to their communities and support their families. For women, finding a career and being able to support themselves creates independence and self-determination.

Rejina Magar is from the village of Bakhare in the Okhaldhunga district about 1 hour away from Khamding and the WSMH. Even though there were little to no local educational opportunities in her village her mother helped her learn and for high school she walked an hour and a half to Falate to attend the Shree Nava Joyti Secondary School.

She always dreamed of being a nurse and found when she was getting into school that there was also a path for a radiology technician and she jumped at the opportunity to study in this interesting field. She hopes to take her skills back to her home district and help care for the farming families there. Rejina is doing well in school and has formed a close community with her fellow students at Martyr Memorial Institute of Science and Technology (MMIST) in Kathmandu.

Lhamu Sherpa is from the Sagarmatha zone which is an isolated area in the lower Everest region. With the help of her cousins she was able to continue to attend school through grade 10 and was delighted when she heard about the Musa Masala scholarship because she had always wanted to be a nurse.

Once she graduates, she will be the first nurse from her local area and she wants to take her knowledge and skills back to the Solukhumbu region and maybe even the Wongchu Memorial Hospital! Lhamu attends the Sushma Koirala Memorial Nursing College which is in Kathmandu Valley outside of the city. It is a peaceful place to study but she does have to travel for a long time to her clinical sites! 

Diku Sherpa is from Sidicharan in the Okhaldhunga district which lies south, south-east of Tapting and the WSMH. Her mother and father are both farmers and she has a sister Mingma who is 14 and in grade 7 at the Shree Patlae school where Diku went as well through grade 10.

Her parents’ dream was that she would be able to attend school, gain knowledge, and have a career that supported her. She has always wanted to be a nurse and take care of people. Diku has been working hard to learn English and brush up on her basic science with the aim to attend nursing school this coming year.

The Musa team has been busy helping the program to evolve and supporting the current students. In April Meg and her daughter Lyra went to Kathmandu and Meg was able to visit Rejina’s school and Lhamu at her clinical site. The highlight of the trip was a hike together (Meg, Lyra, Lakpa, Binod, Roshan as well as Rejina, Lhamu and Diku in Kathmandu Valley with an excellent lunch at the top of the hill.

The current students are committed to working with us to make the process better for future scholarship applicants and letting other rural students know about the benefits and opportunities of a health profession career. Meg also met with painter extraordinaire Xindoma Chyawa, another Musa, who is currently working as a nurse in the dialysis ward and studying for her BSN. She had tremendous insight into the intricacies of applying and being accepted into health professions schools in Nepal and the hurdles that students from rural areas face when living and studying in Kathmandu for the first time.

If you would like to donate to help with our education program, please click here. If you have any questions please contact us at info@musamasala.com.