Sally Hunsdorfer brought tales of poop, poverty, and purpose to Sippican School on Friday as she shared her adventures in rural Nepal.

Hunsdorfer, a Marion resident, first visited Nepal in the 1990s when she and her husband took their two teenage sons on a one-year voyage around the world.

“We fell in love with Nepal and we wanted to do something that made a difference,” said Hunsdorfer.

After traveling to the country for several years, she formed The Himalayan Project to provide warm clothing and school supplies for rural Nepalese people on the country’s northern border. Over the years, the nonprofit has also helped to expand a school started by Sir Edmund Hilary, the first man to climb Mount Everest.

Hunsdorfer has had a partnership with Sippican School for several years as well as other schools in the northeast.

The philanthropist, who spends two to three months in Nepal each year, said visiting schools and asking them to collect fleece coats for the Nepalese is an opportunity to show them another world.

On Friday, students saw photos of people living in the harsh, mountainous region  with no running water or electricity. The kids definitely perked up when Hunsdorfer talked about children their own age picking up “poop” to use as fuel for fires.

But a little shock value has purpose for Hunsdorfer. She said she doesn’t want to whitewash difficult conditions in Nepal. Ultimately, she wants kids to think about the needs of others, some who may be as close as next door.

“This isn’t really about Nepal,” she said. “It’s halfway around the world when there are needs in their own backyard. I want them to start dreaming about a better world and how they can make a difference.”

Hunsdorfer will make her next trip to Nepal in February with as many fleece as she can afford to ship. She plans to return in May to show the students her journey with the coats.

For more on The Himalayan Project, click here.