The Story
In 1994, during a trek in the Indian Himalayas, Björn suffered a severe fall. Convinced that he had broken his ankle, he was unable to walk. For two days, he was carried on the back of an Indian porter named Tenzing until they finally reached a mountain pass with road access. From there, Björn hitchhiked his way to safety.
When Björn offered Tenzing money as a gesture of gratitude and compensation, Tenzing gently refused and said: "That's not what this is about." Those words stayed with Björn. Back home in Sweden, Björn chose to express his gratitude in another way. He began sponsoring a young girl named Asha from the village of Khunti in Jharkhand, in northeastern India. Ashas sister Manisha, worked for ASHA Jharkhand, a grassroot organization working to support women and children. Björn visited the organization and was impressed. A new idea emerged.