Mail by Runner 163: Helen Clark, then and now

In 2019, Helen Clark joined the Himalayan Trust in Nepal on our Patrons' Trek. She walked alongside the group, spent time with communities and teachers, and listened closely to what girls were experiencing at school.

That trek helped reinforce something communities had already been telling us: menstrual health was directly affecting attendance, confidence, and educational outcomes for girls in the high Himalaya. Not as an abstract issue, but as a practical barrier to staying in class.

The short video below captures the Patron's Trek. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahXWlA-Q3o0

Helen returned to Nepal in 2023 for the Trust's 70th anniversary trek. Since 2019, she has remained a thoughtful and committed advocate for the menstrual health work, bringing both attention and credibility to an issue that is too often overlooked.

With her leadership, and with support from New Zealand business including Hello Period, the Trust is preparing to deliver another phase of the menstrual health programme in 2026.

Looking back on these moments is a reminder of how the Trust's work unfolds. Not through one-off interventions, but through people who stay engaged, return, and help carry conversations forward over time.