Scaling new heights to reach the unreached
Nepal is roughly the size of Tennessee and is landlocked between Tibet and India. With approximately 75% of the country covered in mountains, it is home to the widely known Mountain Everest and some of the most rugged mountain terrain in the world. Although small, Nepal boasts rich diversity with 142 ethnic groups. This multi-lingual, multicultural nation is 81.2% Hindu, 8.2% Buddhist, 5.1% Muslim, 3.2% Animism, and 1.8% Christian.
With treacherous mountainous terrain and Hindu extremists, the CCI Nepal team faces both geographical setbacks and persecution. Motorbikes are Nepal's primary mode of travel, which can be challenging to navigate on this mountainous terrain. During the summer, motorbikes are hazardous due to the monsoon rains leading to landslides. Then, during the winter, it is frigid, with risks of hypothermia.
Nepal is overwhelming Hindu, and the Christian community often faces different types of persecution from Hindu extremists. Even though Nepal declared itself a secular republic in 2008, the Nepalese Constitution makes religious conversion from one religion to another a punishable offense. While very few are prosecuted by the law, Christians who converted from Hinduism still face persecution from Hindu nationalists and experience family/clan oppression. Christians are looked upon as a negative influence, not considered as truly Nepali, regarded as untouchables, and ostracized by society. Read More.