The Himalayan glaciers, lifelines for over two billion people are melting at an alarming rate. When the world expects scientists, environmentalists, or journalists to raise this alarm, World Vlog Challenge took a different path. Instead of experts, it turned to YouTubers.
Yes, YouTubers to carry this message to millions of young followers, most of whom have no idea these glaciers even exist.
The idea was born when government, NGO, and corporates were spending millions of dollars however the message was too boring for the young audience.
Shree Gurung, a Nepali filmmaker decided to invite YouTubers to make vlogs about melting Himalayan glaciers and showcase to their millions of fans.
11 YouTubers from Nepal, India, USA, Thailand, Philippines and Colombia trekked to the base camp and made vlogs-stories-videos and photos which amassed over 100 million views across the social media.
To fund the project he knocked 100s of doors but found only false promises and consolations. Out of this frustration an idea of a reality show was born, one that would finance the project while showcasing Himalayan culture, mountaineering games, and the adventure to promote Nepal.
But the reality show itself faced crushing setbacks. Nearly half of the footage was lost, and pandemic restrictions pushed back the post-production. The hired production company never delivered the full series, and many assumed the dream had died. With the help of team in Singapore, the team returned to Everest two more times to film, and after three years of relentless effort of 8 different Nepali studios the show was brought back to life.
In 2024, Challengers Everest; the world record-setting, first and only reality show filmed at Everest Base Camp was finally accepted on Prime Video (US & UK) however without a promotional budget, the show struggled to find an audience. Many of the creators had already moved on. Shree Gurung was left with a choice: abandon the project or call on the global Nepali community for support.
Believing this project belonged to Nepal and to all the people whose survival depends on Himalayan rivers, he turned to the people. And the people answered. Nepalese worldwide came together to raise $52,000 on wefunder. The campaign, however, still falls short of its $120,000 goal, leaving promotions weak and visibility limited.
If you think YouTubers can make millions of youths understand the importance of glaciers and their journey promotes Himalayan culture and beauty of Nepal, then you can be a partner to the project by investing on the wefunder campaign which offers x1.5 returns from the revenue. You can check investment details on the link below and be a part of the project.
If you want to support this journey of promoting the Himalayas through YouTubers and bringing the voice of climate change to a young audience in a reality show format, click this WeFunder
We have previously spoken with Shree Grung about his journey and the making of this show. Read the full story: Click this link
