THE HARKA FUND

Known to the kids as "Samurai Sir", Anthony first visited Harka in the spring of 2013. Britta had been trying to convince him to meet the kids in Nepal for a couple of years when he finally took the plunge and traveled halfway around the world. He immediately fell in love with the kids and returned a short 7 months later to throw an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. Celebrating made him think about what he could do that would make a more lasting impact in their lives, and he soon spearheaded a fundraising campaign for the childrens' education. In the summertime, you can find Samurai working in Glacier National Park. He loves noodles, The Replacements and tie-dying. Like, seriously amazing tie-dye.

Arguably her favorite place in the world, Britta first traveled to Nepal- and Harka- in 2008 with her co-worker-turned-friend Rebecca. She felt a strong connection to the place and children, and cannot believe 10 years has passed since their first trip! Between trips to Nepal, Britta and her husband Ben have traveled around the world, volunteering and trying their darnedest not to act like tourists. In addition to traveling, Britta works as a social worker for a small nonprofit in Bend, Oregon. She camps as much as possible in the summertime, skis as much as possible in the wintertime, enjoys sewing until it makes her angry, and knows that a good book and a hammock cannot be beat.

In January 2008, Britta and Rebecca journeyed to Nepal with the plan to volunteer at an orphan home and trek in the Himalayas.  They took a long bus ride to a small village in Bharatpur, Nepal, and spent the next three months falling in love with all the children at Harka Orphan Home.  She enjoyed the trekking as well, but it was the kids that made her return time and time again.  Rebecca would visit the summers of 2010 and 2012 as well as the fall of 2016.  While stateside she graduated from nursing school and married Andrew Crimmins in 2012, and has been a critical care RN ever since.  She and Andrew currently live in Asheville, North Carolina, with their dog, Sam, and sons, Desmond and Oscar.

Yadu is the Prerana Secondary English Boarding School's accountant, and is the eyes on the kids when the American board members are not in Nepal. He has the inside scoop, and hopefully soon he will give us a bio :)

Andrew first started dating Rebecca the summer she visited Nepal in 2010.  After they were married in the States March 2012, they traveled to Harka that summer to spend time with the kids and have a Nepali wedding.  Andrew would return again the fall of 2016 and introduce all the kids to his love of drones.  While stateside he graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2014, spent a year as a hospice chaplain, and became the pastor of a small church in Asheville, North Carolina, in January 2016.  He and Rebecca are the proud parents of Sam, the dog, and Desmond and Oscar, the children.

Raised on the farmlands of Kearney, Missouri. Ben spent his teen years listening to Metallica and dreaming of what was beyond the never ending fields of corn.  In 2005 Ben moved to the Pacific Northwest and lost his heart to the mountains and rivers of Oregon and Montana, and ended up meeting his wife while working in Glacier National Park. Together they traveled the world for the next 8 years. Volunteering was always a focus of these trips— from building a home at a refugee camp in Gigli, Kenya, to helping tear out fence in Patagonia for Conservacion Patagonica, to (of course) making dahl baht for the kids at Harka Orphanage in Nepal. Ben believes a good smile and a little love will help the world. Ben is a professional chef and is currently living the dream in Bend, Oregon with his wife, Britta.

Meeting Ben in college started a grand friendship, but meeting up with him again in Oregon solidified their lifelong friendship. Russell grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, but relocated to Portland in 2007 with his partner Rachel. Russell worked in higher education for 16 years and now is a stay at home dad for his two kids. Ben and Britta are family to us and I’m proud to serve The Harka Fund.