our story
From the highlands of East Africa to the mighty Himalayas, the story of A Thousand Metres Above (ATMA) is one of exploration and passion culminating in the creation of an organization that thinks big but is grounded in grassroots activism.
Simien Mountains. Ethiopia. February 2009.
In the winter of 2009, ATMA Founder and President, Indy Sahota as part of his graduate studies in physiology, was selected to join an international team of physicians and scientists on a field research expedition to Ethiopia. The purpose of this trip was to travel to the highlands of Ethiopia and determine how local populations had adapted so well to their high-altitude environments. During this expedition, the team camped out near villages in the remote East African Mountains while conducting their studies. It was here that Indy saw, firsthand, how the lack of development, and subsequent lack of healthcare infrastructure and services plagued people in these remote, “forgotten places” of the developing world. Amid the tall peaks of the Simien Mountains, the seeds of ATMA were planted.
Sagarmatha National Park. Nepalese Himalayas. May 2010.
The following year, accompanied by two colleagues, Indy travelled to Nepal to meet with Dr. Buddha Basnyat, a reputed researcher specializing in high-altitude medical research. During his time in Nepal, Indy also had the opportunity to conduct a preliminary survey on health conditions in these mountain communities and discovered that like Ethiopia, rural villages, and townships, especially the most remote villages deep in the Himalayas, were lacking even the most basic infrastructure. After this trip, more serious plans were drafted to determine how one could best support people in these high-altitude communities in a sustainable fashion.
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh. Indian Himalayas. June 2012.
A two and a half month medical research expedition to India in 2012 would be the final catalyst that lay the foundations of ATMA’s creation. Current board members Indy and Nidhi, along with a small team of other researchers, travelled to the Indian Himalayas to conduct research on access to healthcare in the region. If an organization was to be created to help people in these communities it would have to be well-informed and, crucially, research-based. The data from India would make that happen. For two and a half months the research team travelled throughout the backcountry of the Indian Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir; visiting some of the most isolated villages in India, and perhaps the world. Here, by bus, foot, car, and even horseback, the team travelled from village to village to study the health status, medical infrastructure, and obstacles to accessing quality healthcare throughout this remote region. With time it became increasingly clear that something needed to be done to improve the health of these isolated and long-forgotten communities. ATMA was finally born.
In the Fall of 2012, like-minded individuals with a desire to do something for these communities banded together to form the initial board of directors for ATMA. They agreed that ATMA should target big impact initiatives and stay true to its grassroots principles by remaining volunteer-run and wasting little to no money on overhead expenses. The effort was and remains to create a dynamic and efficient organization that thinks big and spends wisely. The board also made a conscious decision to bridge the gap between donor and receiver and establish more equal partnerships in development. It strives 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.
Simien Mountains. Ethiopia. February 2009.
In the winter of 2009, ATMA Founder and President, Indy Sahota as part of his graduate studies in physiology, was selected to join an international team of physicians and scientists on a field research expedition to Ethiopia. The purpose of this trip was to travel to the highlands of Ethiopia and determine how local populations had adapted so well to their high-altitude environments. During this expedition, the team camped out near villages in the remote East African Mountains while conducting their studies. It was here that Indy saw, firsthand, how the lack of development, and subsequent lack of healthcare infrastructure and services plagued people in these remote, “forgotten places” of the developing world. Amid the tall peaks of the Simien Mountains, the seeds of ATMA were planted.
Sagarmatha National Park. Nepalese Himalayas. May 2010.
The following year, accompanied by two colleagues, Indy travelled to Nepal to meet with Dr. Buddha Basnyat, a reputed researcher specializing in high-altitude medical research. During his time in Nepal, Indy also had the opportunity to conduct a preliminary survey on health conditions in these mountain communities and discovered that like Ethiopia, rural villages, and townships, especially the most remote villages deep in the Himalayas, were lacking even the most basic infrastructure. After this trip, more serious plans were drafted to determine how one could best support people in these high-altitude communities in a sustainable fashion.
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh. Indian Himalayas. June 2012.
A two and a half month medical research expedition to India in 2012 would be the final catalyst that lay the foundations of ATMA’s creation. Current board members Indy and Nidhi, along with a small team of other researchers, travelled to the Indian Himalayas to conduct research on access to healthcare in the region. If an organization was to be created to help people in these communities it would have to be well-informed and, crucially, research-based. The data from India would make that happen. For two and a half months the research team travelled throughout the backcountry of the Indian Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir; visiting some of the most isolated villages in India, and perhaps the world. Here, by bus, foot, car, and even horseback, the team travelled from village to village to study the health status, medical infrastructure, and obstacles to accessing quality healthcare throughout this remote region. With time it became increasingly clear that something needed to be done to improve the health of these isolated and long-forgotten communities. ATMA was finally born.
In the Fall of 2012, like-minded individuals with a desire to do something for these communities banded together to form the initial board of directors for ATMA. They agreed that ATMA should target big impact initiatives and stay true to its grassroots principles by remaining volunteer-run and wasting little to no money on overhead expenses. The effort was and remains to create a dynamic and efficient organization that thinks big and spends wisely. The board also made a conscious decision to bridge the gap between donor and receiver and establish more equal partnerships in development. It strives 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.