Tiger Adventure Foundation (TAF), as part of the World Mountaineering Day, is launching a programme called Asha-2019, a trekking expedition to Himalayas for the tribal girls of the Bandipur and Nagarahole Range from May 2 to 17, 2019 in Saurkundi Pass (14,000 Feet) in Dhauladhar Range in Western Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh.
About 12 girls and two lady staff and a male staff, who hail from different hamlets from Nagarahole and Bandipur, will be participating in the expedition.

They hail from different primitive tribes like Jenu Kuruba, Kadu Kurba, Yerava, Beda and Soliga and are pursuing their academics in Viveka Tribal Centre for Learning, Hosahalli — an institution run under the aegis of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), Sargur.

The expedition, which is being held for the tribal girls, is first of its kind in the history of the Karnataka State.

Team Leader: The team will be led by Riya Solanki, a Class 9 student who has eight plus expedition to her credit. She is also the youngest teenager to summit at the Everest Base Camp from Mysuru city.

She is ably guided by M. Mohan Kumar, a naturalist and keen wildlife enthusiast from Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) and Suma Mahesh, Hon Secretary of TAF.

Selection Trial: The selection of the girls and the two lady staff and one male staff was done by Riya Solanki and N. Sharath of TAF on the basis of endurance test accordance with the Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) of the Foundation.

Medical Trial: The girls and three staff were medically examined at the Sargur Hospital for the hemoglobin, sickle cell anemia and juvenile diabetes, apart from standard medical check-up.

Expedition: The team will leave Mysuru on May 2. It is expected to summit on Saurkundi Pass on May 13 and before the summit, the team will camp at various places like Sarsai, Base Camp, Segli, Hora Thatch, Mayalee, Dhora, Longa Thatch and Lekhni. The girls are expected to do various adventure activities like Para-gliding in Dhobi, apart from Rappelling and River Crossing.

Endurance: Nanjundaswamy, the PE instructor of the School, is imparting endurance training to the girls at the Kabini Backwater and is monitored by the Foundation Instructor every fortnight.

Pre-Training Schedule: As part of the pre-training schedule, the trekkers will go around various module of training at various places like, Chamundi Hill, Kunti Betta, Kukkarahalli Lake, Karanji Lake, Gangotri, Josh Run, Cycling and Mental Endurance under the leadership of P.K. Ramakrishna, an NLP Practitioner.

Heritage visit: The team will visit various places like Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, Akshardham, India Gate, Lotus Temple in Delhi, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Sri Krishna Temple in Mathura, Golden Temple, Jallianwalah Bagh and Wagh Border in Amritsar, Hadimba Temple and Vashist Temple in Manali.

Cost of the project: The project is expected to cost around Rs.6,76,000 for twelve girls and two ladies and one escort.

Ladies Circle India, being an all-women organisation, has partnered in this expedition by sponsoring few girls.
People who intend to extend a philanthropic help can contact Mob: 98451-16835.

People can contribute directly to Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Account No.: 0566101026241; IFSC Code: CNRB0000566; Canara Bank, J.L. Puram, Mysuru, according to a press release from DSD Solanki, Chairman, TAF.