Namaste and welcome to Sole Encounters Foundation.
Sole Encounters Foundation was created from a belief that tourism can do more than provide memorable journeys. It can also help create opportunities for the communities that make those journeys possible.
Our story began with Sole Encounters Adventures, a locally operated trekking, tour and adventure company established in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2018. Run by experienced local tourism professionals, guides and outdoor experts, our purpose has always extended beyond trekking, tours and expeditions. We want to share our experience of Nepal while giving something meaningful back to local communities.
Through Sole Encounters Foundation, our team is developing community work focused on education, healthcare, youth support, women’s empowerment, volunteering, environmental responsibility and practical assistance for people in need.The Foundation is led by Chairman Prashant Nepal, with Prem B. Tamang as a Board Member and Founder of Sole Encounters Adventures, and Ekta Bhandari as Programs Director and Youth Counsellor, Together, we work with communities, schools, families, volunteers and supporters to understand real needs and help build brighter futures across Nepal.
Our Story Began With Sole Encounters Adventures
Sole Encounters Adventures was established in Kathmandu in 2018 by experienced local tourism professionals. The company was founded by Prem B. Tamang, whose years of field experience in Nepal’s mountains helped shape our practical approach to tourism. From the beginning, our aim was not only to organise journeys, but also to support local livelihoods and communities.
Why We Started Sole Encounters Foundation
Years of working throughout Nepal showed us that many communities face challenges involving education, healthcare, income opportunities and access to basic resources. We had already supported community and NGO-related activities in different ways. Sole Encounters Foundation was created to make this work more organised, responsible and continuous while building stronger relationships with the communities we hope to support.
Prashant Nepal, Chairman
Prashant Nepal is the Chairman of Sole Encounters Foundation and Sole Encounters Adventures. He handles the official and organisational side of both organisations, including administration, coordination and external relationships. He also works as a guest relationship manager, helping maintain communication with travellers, supporters, partners and community contacts while connecting the tourism business with the Foundation’s wider mission.
Ekta Bhandari, Programs Director and Youth Counsellor
Ekta Bhandari is the Programs Director and Youth Counsellor of Sole Encounters Foundation Her work focuses on exploring communities, speaking with young people, families, schools and local leaders, and helping identify what support is genuinely needed. She contributes to programme planning, youth engagement and community communication so projects are shaped around real priorities rather than assumptions.
Prem B. Tamang, Board Member and Outdoor Expert
Prem B. Tamang is a Board Member of Sole Encounters Foundation and the Founder of Sole Encounters Adventures. He works closely in the field and brings extensive outdoor and mountain experience to the team. His role involves understanding conditions on the ground, visiting communities and supporting practical project delivery, especially in rural, trekking and Himalayan areas of Nepal.
Exploring Communities Before We Act
Before starting any project, we believe it is important to understand the community first. Our team visits locations, talks with schools, families, youth groups and local representatives, and listens to what people actually need. This helps us decide whether support should focus on education, health, supplies, training or another practical area before committing resources to a project.
Supporting Education in Nepal
Education remains one of our main priorities. We aim to support children, schools and families with practical materials such as school bags, books, notebooks, stationery, uniforms and learning resources. Our goal is to help children continue learning while working directly with schools and communities to understand which supplies or forms of support will be genuinely useful.
Youth Support and Counselling
Young people are an important part of our community vision. Through youth-focused programmes and counselling, we hope to support confidence, education, wellbeing and future opportunities. With Ekta Bhandari’s role as Youth Counsellor, we want to listen carefully to the concerns and ambitions of young people and help develop programmes that respond to their real needs and circumstances.
Community Health and Health Camps
Healthcare is another important part of our mission. We aim to support community health activities and develop health camps in rural Nepal with qualified healthcare professionals and appropriate partners. Many rural families face additional barriers when accessing services, so our goal is to support useful health awareness, hygiene initiatives and professional outreach where these can provide genuine community benefit.
Women’s Empowerment in Rural Nepal
Women’s empowerment is central to our long-term vision. We hope to support opportunities connected with education, literacy, skills development, training and greater economic independence. We believe women should help shape the programmes intended for them. By listening first, we can develop more practical initiatives that reflect local priorities and strengthen women, families and wider communities.
Helping Communities in Difficult Times
Nepal’s communities can be affected by earthquakes, floods, landslides and other natural disasters. We have supported people facing difficult circumstances in the past and hope to continue doing so where our resources allow. Our local knowledge and field experience can help us understand conditions on the ground and provide practical support to affected communities when appropriate.
Responsible Volunteering in Nepal
We aim to develop responsible volunteering programmes in Nepal connected with education, youth support, health, community development, environmental activities and skills sharing. Volunteering should always respond to genuine local needs. Our priority is to connect useful skills and time with projects where volunteers can contribute responsibly while respecting the communities and people involved.
More Than Treks, Tours and Expeditions
Sole Encounters Adventures is not only about trekking, tours, climbing and Himalayan expeditions. Tourism gives us an opportunity to work with local guides, porters, drivers, lodges and communities across Nepal. We want the success of the company to create wider benefits and help strengthen the community work carried out through Sole Encounters Foundation.
Travel With Us and Support Communities
Travellers can become part of this wider mission. A percentage of eligible paid journeys with Sole Encounters Adventures is separated to contribute towards Foundation activities. By travelling with us, guests support local tourism professionals directly while also helping us develop community initiatives focused on education, health, youth support, women’s empowerment and practical assistance across Nepal.
Different Roles, One Shared Mission
Our team brings different strengths to the Foundation. Prashant Nepal manages official matters and relationships, Ekta Bhandari focuses on programmes, young people and community needs, while Prem B. Tamang brings practical field and outdoor expertise. These different roles help us combine planning, communication and real on-the-ground understanding when developing community projects.
Working Together for Brighter Futures
No single person can solve every challenge facing Nepal’s communities. Progress requires cooperation. Our Foundation aims to work with schools, families, youth, volunteers, healthcare professionals, local leaders, supporters and responsible partners. By listening first and working together, we hope each project can provide practical support and help communities create stronger opportunities for the future.
Our Vision for the Future
Our vision is to continue developing projects in education, healthcare, youth support, women’s empowerment, environmental responsibility and community wellbeing. We want to grow carefully and responsibly. Our success should come from useful projects, genuine relationships and the ability to continue year after year while reaching more communities as our experience and resources grow.
Help Us Continue Our Mission
Our dream is ambitious, and we cannot achieve it alone. You can help by travelling with Sole Encounters Adventures, supporting a Foundation project, volunteering useful skills, contributing appropriate supplies or sharing our work with others. Every meaningful contribution can help us take another step towards supporting children, young people, families and communities across Nepal.
Nothing Is Impossible
We believe every meaningful journey starts with a first step. From Sole Encounters Adventures to Sole Encounters Foundation, our journey continues through teamwork, field experience, community relationships and hope.
Nothing is impossible. Dream, try, and work together to make those dreams come true.
Namaste, and thank you for supporting our communities in Nepal.
Contact Sole Encounters Foundation
Sole Encounters Foundation
https://www.soleencountersfoundation.org
Email
info@soleencounterstrek.com
Sole Encounters Adventures
www.soleencountersadventures.com
Kathmandu, Nepal
