Man of the Year’s donation for Nepal orphan’s studies

Marco Cremona, who was recently named Johnnie Walker Man of the Year for 2010, has donated €500 to the charity of his choice during a presentation held at Demajo House, Valletta.

Mr Cremona, an engineer specialising in environmental technologies and hydrology, and who formed part of the first Maltese team to climb Mt Everest, has decided to donate this money to the Kids Shangrila Home in Nepal.

The donation will be used to fund the first year of studies of Juna Tamang, an 18-year-old orphan who is going to start a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

When Juna’s father died, her mother left her and her older sister with relatives who couldn’t take care of them either. Through the intervention of the Samundra Devi Unesco Club they were sent to the Riou Academy, Nepal, and eventually transferred to the Kids Shangrila Home.

Mr Cremona said: “Nepal has given me some of the best experiences of my life, so it is only natural that I should want to give something back. And what better way than to give somebody a chance in life, than through education?”

The Johnnie Walker Man of the Year Award is organised annually by M. Demajo (Wines and Spirits) Ltd.