On April 22, 1993, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa created mountaineering history by becoming the first Nepalese woman to blaze a trail to the summit of Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world. Pasang Lhamu's achievement has not only proved that Nepalese women are as brave and strong as their men, but also shown their determined and resolute character. Pasang Lhamu was extremely committed to her dream, the reason why she succeeded and, in so doing, did her nation and her people proud. For many Nepalese women, Pasang Lhamu is a fugue that they will try and emulate for a long, long time. The morning of April 22, 1993, was bright and clear and remained and so till Pasang reached the top of the 8,848 m. peak with 5 Sherpas, Sonam Tshering Sherpa, Lhakpa Noru Sherpa, Pemba Dorje Sherpa and Dawa Tashi Sherpa. Meanwhile, a member of the team and five times Everest Sumitter, Sherpa Sonam Tshering got seriously sick at south summit and despite Pasang Lhamu's efforts to help did not survive his illness. While descending from the summit, tragedy struck the team. The weather, as often happens in the mountains, suddenly turned bad, causing to lose her life on the south summit. She was fully aware of the peril, but that did not deter Pasang from getting to her goal, even if it meant sacrificing her life. For achieving what no other Nepalese woman had achieved before her, Pasang Lhamu was posthumously honored by her country in various ways. She was the very first woman to be decorated with the "Nepal Tara (Star)" by His Majesty the King. The National Youth Foundation conferred the 1993-94 Youth Excellence Award on her. Similarly, in order to commemorate her feat, a life-size statue of Pasang Lhamu was erected at Bouddha, Chuchepati; a postage stamp was issued in her name; the Government of Nepal renamed Jasamba Himal (7,315 m) in the Mahalangur Range as Pasang Lhamu Peak; the Ministry of Agriculture named a special strain of wheat as Pasang Lhamu wheat; the Pasang Lhamu Memorial Hall was established in Dhulabari of Jhapa district in east Nepal; and the 117- Km Trishuli-Dunche road was named the Pasang Lhamu Highway. PLMF: an overview since the beginning Though Pasang fulfilled her Everest dream, her other dream of using her success to do some thing to ease the hardship and burden of life of her unfortunate compatriots and her people remained unfulfilled in her lifetime. So, to pursue her plans and to keep her dream alive, the Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Foundation (PLMF) was born. PLMF is established with the name of first Nepalese Women Everest Sumitter and National Figure late Pasang Lhamu Sherpa in 1993 as a non-political, non-profit making, social, national non-governmental organization. The aimed to establish this organization is to standardize the situation of the women and children at high mountainous and hilly region, develop mountaineering and tourism sector, development and empowerment of women in the country, welfare, and support to the mountaineers and their families as well as other people in the peripherals. It has its own Executive board with a Chairman, 2 Vice-chairman, a Secretary General, a Treasurer, a Co-secretary and other 5 Executive Members. The time duration of the board is three years and the General Assembly of the Foundation will be held once in a year. With its' various objectives, the PLMF building construction was started on April 22, 2000, on the 7th anniversary of Pasang Lhamu's Everest conquest on a 12,000 square foot plot. The building was completed on April 22, 2001 on the occasion of the 8th anniversary. Now, the Foundation has its' own building to run all daily activities and administrative work. But it still needs to be furnished adding required equipment and essential machinery to set the perfect office. The land for the building construction was generously granted by Kathmandu Metropolis, while the government took charge of constructing the building. The latest achievement of the organization is that the His Majesty Government of Nepal has just declared Mrs. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa as a National Luminary of the Country. This declaration has been made after nine years of her successful climbing of the Mt. Everest on 22nd of April 2002. She became a 15th and 2nd Women National Luminary of the country. Operational Principle "To uplift deprived and marginalized Women and children from Mountainous and Hilly region in the country as a first class citizen without any discrimination" Organizational Resources The Foundation has been gradually increasing its various resources to develop organizational activities in the field of social development as well as sustainable tourism and mountaineering development in Nepal. Due to the limited resources of the financial part, it has very bitter experience and facing so many problems in running various activities and programme as set in the objectives. The resources of the funds are indoor climbing wall (started from February 2002), rent of Seminar/conference/meeting/party hall (from February 2002), seasonal climbing events and very small grant (Approx US$ 1000) from HM Government each year. The foundation has very good and strong relation with government agencies, non-governmental organizations related to social, tourism and mountaineering development and it has also sound relation with international organizations in related to social development and tourism and mountaineering within the country as well as aboard, although the foundation is not getting any funding support from the international organizations and agencies in any field. However, it is fact that the Foundation is running various types of welfare, social developmental and other extra curricular activities and programmes including building construction with the financial support from the governmental non governmental organization and individual supports. Therefore, now, the foundation has it own building with sufficient rooms for office purposes, Seminar/conference/party rental hall including sufficient parking areas, restaurant, seating arrangement to the viewers, hot and cold shower facilities for climbers etc. Considering the fact about the income generation and financial sustainability of the organization, the Foundation has established the Climbing Wall with in the building complex with the loan (Without interest) support from Thamserku Trekking (Pvt.) Ltd. and subsidized materials support from Iranian Mountaineering Federation. This Climbing Wall is going to be developed as a Sports Climbing Club and brought into operation from January 2002. The income earned from this club through membership and training fees will be invested/expensed to the maintenance and repair of the wall, staff salary, administrative cost of the Foundation and to run social and developmental programme for the target group of the PLMF.