Our History
2009
Erin Willis and friend Ash [LAST NAME] were traveling in Nepal when her bus broke down near Karmidanda, a village located ~6 hours north of Kathmandu. This was the beginning of a long relationship between Erin and the locals in Karmidanda, as well as the year Erin began medical school.
2010
Staying in touch, Erin and Ash supported SHARE Nepal, and non-profit founded by community members in Karmidanda and they became honorary board members. Together they organized Health & Hygiene classes for local schools.
2012
The first Integrative Medical Camp was hosted in Karmidanda by SHARE Nepal and Erin serving 236 patients. They organized a diabetes education project which tested and educated 70 locals. They also hosted plant medicine workshops for women with local plants that would be later used during the camp, funded eight local farmers to receive organic farm training, renovated the birth center, financed school expenses for 12 orphans, and provided 30 at-risk homes with water filters.
2013
A Women’s Medical Camp was organized providing self-care workshop for women and health and hygiene workshop for teen girls. The camp reached 261 patients and gave 60 gynecological exams.
2014
Erin met Dr. Kamal Phuyal, who earned his doctorate in participatory development.
2015
Nepal’s 7.9 magnitude earthquake devasted Karmidanda. Erin Willis, who happened to be visiting Karmidanda when the earthquake happened, was the only doctor. Erin’s partner, Nat Willis, and Dr. Kamal Phuyal travelled to Karmidanda in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and facilitated a one-of-a-kind Emergency Relief Plan that allowed the community to deliver their own aid. Together, 75 households were provided safe shelter, clean water, food, emergency toilets, blankets, and mosquito nets.
ParticipAid was founded by Erin, Nat, Kamal, and Susan Yirku, housed as a participatory action research project under the Helfgott Research Institute in Portland, OR.
2016-2017
ParticipAid supported SHARE Nepal in comprehensive rebuilding go Karmidanda. SHARE Nepal did incredible, including repairing roads, rebuilding schools and religious sites, advocating for healthcare resources, and supporting vulnerable women and children.
2018
ParticipAid officially registered as a 501(c)3 and returned to healthcare delivery by hosting another Integrative Health Camp. Plant medicine and preventive health workshops were hosted and over 500 patients were seen by physicians.
2019
Another Integrative Health Camp was hosted reaching over 300 patients. Two plant medicine education workshops were hosted, one for social workers and another for local people, as well as a preventive health workshop for women. Practitioners who joined ParticipAid to serve on this trip earned continuing education credit.
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic increased the high demand for plant medicine workshops.
2021
The Nepali People’s Natural Medicine Initiative (NPNMI) launched in Fakhel, a village located ??????. Dr. Kamal Phuyal headed the in-country team to conduct a baseline survey.
2022
The first copy of Arogya Jivan (INSERT TRANSLATION) was published in Nepal and distributed to ????. The journal included articles on ?????
2023
A new youth education program was launched…
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2009
Erin Willis and friend Ash [LAST NAME] were traveling in Nepal when their bus broke down near Karmidanda, a village located ~6 hours north of Kathmandu. This was the beginning of a long relationship between Erin and the locals in Karmidanda, as well as the year Erin began medical school.
2010
Staying in touch, Erin and Ash supported SHARE Nepal, and non-profit founded by community members in Karmidanda and they became honorary board members. Together they organized Health & Hygiene classes for local schools.
2012
The first Integrative Medical Camp was hosted in Karmidanda by SHARE Nepal and Erin serving 236 patients. They organized a diabetes education project which tested and educated 70 locals. They also hosted plant medicine workshops for women with local plants that would be later used during the camp, funded eight local farmers to receive organic farm training, renovated the birth center, financed school expenses for 12 orphans, and provided 30 at-risk homes with water filters.
2013
A Women’s Medical Camp was organized providing self-care workshop for women and health and hygiene workshop for teen girls. The camp reached 261 patients and gave 60 gynecological exams.
2014
Erin met Dr. Kamal Phuyal, who earned his doctorate in participatory development.
2015
Nepal’s 7.9 magnitude earthquake devasted Karmidanda. Erin Willis, who happened to be visiting Karmidanda when the earthquake happened, was the only doctor. Erin’s partner, Nat Willis, and Dr. Kamal Phuyal travelled to Karmidanda in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and facilitated a one-of-a-kind Emergency Relief Plan that allowed the community to deliver their own aid. Together, 75 households were provided safe shelter, clean water, food, emergency toilets, blankets, and mosquito nets.
ParticipAid was founded by Erin, Nat, Kamal, and Susan Yirku, housed as a participatory action research project under the Helfgott Research Institute in Portland, OR.
2016-2017
ParticipAid supported SHARE Nepal in comprehensive rebuilding go Karmidanda. SHARE Nepal did incredible, including repairing roads, rebuilding schools and religious sites, advocating for healthcare resources, and supporting vulnerable women and children.