"The Band-Aid Box " is made up of a group of committed volunteers from New Zealand and Nepal whose aim is to Keep Kharikhola Healthy by continuing to raise funds, provide ongoing, long-term aid for materials and coordinate volunteer initiatives for the benefit of the Kharikhola Area.

There is always the uncertainty of what happens after an aid effort concludes and volunteers depart an area. Through their respective committed and ongoing assistance in medical aid, education and construction projects, "The Band-Aid Box" volunteers are very mindful of continuing aid activities without changing the fundamental infrastructure of the villages and their people. It's all about simply making a difference.

When one recognises that the nearest hospital services to Kharikhola are two day's walk away over steep terrain and that some patients who attended the recent Medical Camp March / April 2005 walked from villages two day's to the east and beyond, then the need for support of these hard working people can be readily understood.

Ngima Sherpa grew up in the Kharikhola area. His love of the Solu Khumbu (Everest region) and the impoverished villagers there prompted his initiative to assist improve local education, medical and community facilities.

Ngima Sherpa's fundamental approach and basic philosophy is to help the poor people of his own and surrounding villages improve their respective socio economic status and wellbeing. This was demonstrated with his recent initiative to run the first ever highly successful Medical Camp in Kharikhola during March / April 2005 where 1274 people from Kharikhola and surrounding villages were treated at no charge at the Kharikhola Hospital by "The Band-Aid Box" team.

Dr Pritam graduated in 2000 from the Institute of Medicine Central Campus Maharajgunji, Kathmandu with MBBS, (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery).

Through his passion for social service, Dr Pritam lead the highly successful medical camp at the Kharikhola Hospital during March / April 2005. Under "The Band-Aid Box" banner, his direct involvement and supervision saw 1,274 patients attended to over a ten day period.

During a trekking trip to Nepal in 2003 with Nepal Myths and Mountain Trails and led by Alan Jellyman, Robin was able to see first hand the plight of many Nepalese in some very remote areas. She was constantly reminded of just how privileged we are in the developed world in terms of technical and material progress.

Robin developed the concept of "The Band-Aid Box" in conjunction with Ngima Dorji Sherpa's initiative to conduct a Medical Camp at the Kharikhola Hospital and his requests of voluntary assistance from Registered Medical Practitioners plus medical supplies for the impoverished villagers and ill equipped and under funded Kharikhola Hospital.