Oscar and Digby, aged 11 and nine respectively, are typically similar brothers, except that one of them has already been to Mt Everest’s base camp. Oscar created headlines when he reached it in 2017.
"It was hard," Oscar tells SBS of the 2017 trek.
As a boy living in the low-lying flats of the rural Victorian plains, Oscar recalls how he made it through Everest’s thin air. By the end of his trek, he was struggling so much he had to pause for breath every three minutes.
But, hearing all of his brother’s hardships have not deterred Digby one iota. Instead, he's excited to fly to Nepal and soak it all in.
"I am the only one in my family who hasn't done it. So I feel left out. Now, I want to see it all for myself," says Digby.
But the family is not just going for an exotic experience.
Mark, Oscar, Digby and Ingrid Squirrell (L to R) train in preparation for the Everest Base Camp trek. Source: SBS Greek/Argyro Vourdoumpa
The boys, together with their parents Ingrid and Mark “Squiz” Squirrell have been busy raising funds for a primary school in Sukute valley near Kodari in Northern Nepal.
The Shree Singha Devi Primary School was damaged in the 2015 Nepal earthquake that killed almost 9,000 people.
Ingrid reveals they chose the school out of many others who had met a similar fate because it was a primary school identical to the one her boys attend in that it is rural and small.
During his first trip to the country with his dad, Oscar realised something most Australian kids his age don’t encounter.
Recalling his first journey to Nepal, a reflective Oscar told SBS, "We have it easy over here. We get what we want. But the schools [in rural Nepal] are basic."
Students line up during a morning assembly at Shree Singha Devi Primary School in Sukute Valley, Kodari, Nepal. Source: Supplied
The family is hoping to fulfil the essential amenities at the school through their fundraising.
"If we raise enough money, we would like to ensure the school has solar power," says the younger brother.
Prep for the trek
Oscar and Digby's peers, from Arthurs Creek Primary School walk to school to support them Source: Supplied
In preparation for the trek, the boys have been walking eight kilometres almost every morning on their way to school.
Other friends from the school also have begun joining them in these morning walks.
The family is happy for the support from the wider community too.
"It's not only the monetary support, but the whole community, our friends, families and their wider connections are also all part of this. It has been great watching everybody get onboard," Mark says.
Ingrid is, however, a tad concerned about her son Digby.
"Oscar, Squiz and I have already been there and know we can cope with the trek. But, Digby is an unknown at this stage. He is very fit, but altitude could become a hurdle for us."
The Nepali Connection
Maoist cadres at a training camp in Nepal during the civil war Source: Manarishi Dhital
In the mid-2000s, Nepal was experiencing the climax of its . Mark was working for the United Nations then and spent two years in the Himalayan nation.
"Ingrid also came to Nepal and spent a year with me. That helped us to be close to the community and culture there," Mark says.
Both Ingrid and Mark were highly impressed by the Nepali people during their stay in the country.
Mark thinks Nepalis are the most hospitable people on the planet despite not being the most affluent.
"One day, a family who virtually had nothing welcomed us to their home by creating and sharing this feast and treated us with so much respect. It was amazing," Ingrid remembers.
Mark hopes the boys come back to Australia with a sense of fulfilment. He wants his sons not to take life in Australia for granted.
"We have been brought up a certain way which is in sharp contrast to what people in other difficult and arduous parts of the world live in," he says.
The Squirrells will fly to Nepal later this month.
