frequently asked questions
What does atma stand for?
A Thousand Metres Above. We decided on this name in 2012 after it received the most votes on a Facebook survey!
if i donate, what percentage of my donation will go where it's supposed to?
100%.
Yep, you read that right, 100%.
At ATMA we strive to keep our overhead incredibly low and these overhead expenses to run the organization are covered entirely by the ATMA board. This means every penny you donate goes exactly where it ought to - to the people in need.
Yep, you read that right, 100%.
At ATMA we strive to keep our overhead incredibly low and these overhead expenses to run the organization are covered entirely by the ATMA board. This means every penny you donate goes exactly where it ought to - to the people in need.
why should i donate to a thousand metres above?
- We’re a grassroots, non-profit organization.
- We support people living in some of the most remote and under-developed regions of the Himalayas.
- We’re a small organization and, as such, are able to operate with incredibly low overheads that are covered entirely by the ATMA board. This means 100% of what you donate goes where it ought to – to people most in need.
- We do not believe in using valuable resources to send volunteers overseas, money that we feel would be better used in the community, directly by the community.
- We are entirely volunteer-run. All ATMA staff are full-time professionals who volunteer their time to keep ATMA running with the limited free time they have.
- We work with local people in communities around the world to ensure that funding we provide goes towards problems they actually care about.
- We believe in sustainable and responsible aid that will help grassroots organizations working in their local communities around the world.
- We’re all about good research: from making sure we’ve selected trustworthy regional partners with a track record of doing excellent work in their communities to making sure funding is being allocated to sectors that are in desperate need of it.
- We work closely with our regional partners to ensure that funding we’ve provided is spent appropriately and that it is making a significant positive impact in the community.
- We believe in giving people in developing countries the means to help themselves.
Why focus on communities in the himalayas?
Himalayan communities are a diverse network of societies, each with their own customs and cultures that make them unique. What does bind them, however, is the harsh environment and general lack of healthcare infrastucture and delivery. We have chosen to work in the Himalayas because many of these communities have been largely neglected given their relatively small population density and geographic isolation. We at ATMA are giving a voice to the voiceless in this remote part of the world and hope to raise awareness about difficulities these communities face and provide support and sustainable development.
what are regional partners?
Regional partners are the local organizations we work with in the Himalayas. We support these organizations financialy and logistically in delivering healthcare to their communities. Doing so enables us to combine the resources available to us in the developed world with the drive and local knowledge to deliver these services in an effective way in Himalayan communities.
At ATMA we make a conscious decision to bridge the gap between donor and receiver and establish more equal partnerships in development. We strive to move away from a development model that tells people in the developing world what to do. ATMA relies on a collaborative approach to international development where first world donors and aid receiving communities are bound together in a shared responsibility to humanity. Working with regional partners enables us to do this.
At ATMA we make a conscious decision to bridge the gap between donor and receiver and establish more equal partnerships in development. We strive to move away from a development model that tells people in the developing world what to do. ATMA relies on a collaborative approach to international development where first world donors and aid receiving communities are bound together in a shared responsibility to humanity. Working with regional partners enables us to do this.
What was the inspiration behind starting atma?
The inspiration behind ATMA came from 3 years of medical research expeditions in high altitude regions around the world, with extensive expeditions throughout the Himalayas.
board of directors
Indy Sahota
Indy is the Founder and President of A Thousand Metres Above. Born in the UK and raised in Canada, he completed both his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physiology at Simon Fraser University and M.D. at the University of Calgary. Indy has a passion for medicine, global health and health research and currently works as an emergency medicine physician in Toronto. He founded ATMA after seeing the lack of healthcare infrastructure and services available in high altitude regions of the world during his 3 years of medical research expeditions in these regions, including extensive work in the Himalayas.
Harpreet grewal
Harpreet serves as Director of Finance at A Thousand Metres Above. Harpreet was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, where she completed her B.B.A. at Simon Fraser University. She is the indispensable engine that keeps the budget balanced at ATMA.
Nidhi Panwar
Nidhi serves as Director of Development Research and Director of Communications & Public Relations. Nidhi was raised near the hill-station town of Shimla, in north India, and studied at the United World College of Adriatic in Italy. She completed a B.A. in Communications, an M.A. in International Studies and an M.A. in Political Science. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science with a focus on International Development at the University of Toronto. Nidhi speaks several Indian languages and understands the customs of many Himalayan cultures, having grown up there. Given her in-depth knowledge of the landscape and people of this region, Nidhi has spearheaded many of the research projects in the Himalayas including the recruitment of local research teams.
sunny randhawa
Sunny serves as Legal Counsel to A Thousand Metres Above. Sunny completed his B.A. education in Vancouver before going on to study law in Australia. He has since returned to Vancouver where he is continuing his training. Sunny plays an important role in providing legal counsel to the organization.
parvinder dharnia
Parvinder serves as Director of Fund Development at A Thousand Metres Above. Parvinder was also born in the UK and raised in Canada and now spends her time working as a Registered Nurse. She is responsible for spearheading fundraising initiatives in the community.
supporting healthy communities in the himalayas
Learn more about who we are and what we do