Untouched beauty. The village of Sermathang is perched nearly 3000 metres up in the Himalayas, 70 miles from Kathmandu. It's a days bus ride to the end of the road then a 15 mile climb through some of the most beautiful trekking scenery in the region.  

Sermathang is a traditional mountain village in Nepal with about 80 houses and where farming is the main occupation. 

A simple life. Sermathang is home to a friendly Nepalese community. Despite the devastation of the 2015 earthquake that rocked Nepal, the people of Sermathang come together. 

A woman cooks the traditional Nepalese dish, Thali, which consists of lentils, rice, dahl, spinach and curry. Resources are limited yet they make do with what they have. 

This is Meme, meaning Grandfather of the village. He is 75 years old and respected in the community. Although he spoke no English I learnt a lot about him and he spoke fondly of his two buffalo who sadly died in the earthquake. One day he hopes for new buffalo. 

A day of celebration. Nepali people follow their own calendar system. They are 56.7 years ahead of the solar Gregorian calendar and last year celebrated the year 2074. New Year is called Nava Varsha in Nepali language and is observed as an official holiday, falling mid April. During this occasion people go for picnics, have get-togethers and celebrate the day socialising.

Sanjay was so interested in the camera. He stared deep into the lens as I photographed him.  

As the day comes to a close and the sun sets, a toddler is scooped up by his mother to go home.

The power of colour. Vibrant colours and bold patterns define their culture. 

During a time when communication is difficult, a smile is a universal welcome. 

Ever wonder what someone else's journey has been? The old women with lines of life and weathered faces. 

Oblivious to life outside of what he’s doing but safe within the community. 

The New Year brings a new school year. Morning prayer harmonies echo over neighbouring villages at Yangrima Boarding School. Yangrima was built in 1987 to improve education among the community and now has over 100 pupils.

The sun rises early over Sermathang. 6am welcomes a new day and begins with an exercise class for boarders at Yangrima School. Reminders of the 2015 earthquake linger as the community heals after the destruction that hit here. 

Growing old together. Many people in the community have never left Sermathang. 

What does life hold? Yangrima aims to educate children so that they are able to experience the world of possibilities that lies beyond the comforts of their own village. Yet they are also hoping to make Sermathang sustainable by creating opportunities within the village so to keep the village alive.

Children get ready for class. There is an ambition to prepare them for a remote working culture so that technology enables the people of Sermathang to work from home, and sustain the village whilst making their contribution to the wider world. 

Tell me about where you come from? The older children spoke the best English and were always the most inquisitive about what the world was like. 

Enjoying the little things. The youngest students of Yangrima School keep entertained with stickers and infectious smiles. 

It's sports day. Students prepare for high jump with bare feet preparing to land on a bed full of sand and gravel. Teachers hold on to either side of a pole opposite them.

Sunam. The cheeky chappy too young for school but always wanting to join in. Captured for a moment when not on the run. 

Playtime. Children would make use of anything from wheelbarrows to rubber bands. Their favourite game was called the rock game - throwing one rock up in the air whilst picking another from the ground and catching the one in the air before it falls 

Mealtimes were always organised chaos and bought along a sense of excitement amongst the students. Sangay and Puna help prepare food ahead of the lunchtime rush. 

Namaste. A friendly greeting common across Nepal whereby the hands are pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards. The children line up by class each morning and use the same gesture at assembly. 

Morning assembly brings structure to their day. It's the first week at school for the young boy in the middle who stays close to his sister behind. 

Young girl catches eyes with the camera during morning assembly.

Beautiful souls and joyful faces. Still reeling from the earthquake they have a fighting spirit like no other.

Untold stories are discovered high in the hills: a final goodbye. Meme invited us into his home where we shared rice wine cooked over the fire. We politely removed our shoes before stepping inside the one room he called home - his bed rolled away for the day against the wall so that we were able to sit on the floor, food and utensils packed neatly against the walls and a fire which he would constantly tend to during our visit.