Photos from Nepal Trip

Sorry these photos are all over the page, it is hard to change them. They are at top: Sabitra BK who is to be sponsored in the spring, children from Chimkhola, the Principal and social sciences teacher Lomaya, the village ceremony, view of Dauligiri, the trek to the village, Kasack at the orphanage, Rusma, marigold malas sold on the street for Tihar, below is Hira helping her mother sell tea on the street and Samjhana and the children at SBCH home.

The child in the photo on the trek to the village, you can just see her, is only 4 and walked all the way up there with no complaint, in fact she led the way for 7 hours. She is the daughter of the math teacher and he and his family were returning home so walked with us and the mother carried the baby of about 18 months all the way on her back.

Leaving Nepal

Tonight we leave here for Hong Kong to begin our journey home. Today we are going to spend with Mann,Sima and the new baby. As always it is sad to leave.
This trip has been different in that I have spent a lot of time with the Rotary and the registration of NEF which is to be finalized now. So although I have visited many children, some I have just not had the time to visit.
When I get home I will put a lot of photos on here for you to see.

Till later

Photos on left is Sumitra getting her hair washed. Above Kabita in her new clothes. On the right is the building in Chimkhola that NEF is going to refurbish for computer lab, medical centre and upstairs for some of the children of other villages to stay.

We have been in Kathmandu for two days. This morning visited Dev Raj's mother who lives in the tiny, narrow room. It is a challenge just getting up two flights of stairs as it is so dark. We then took her out for the morning with us which she enjoyed. Also been shopping for Nepali handicrafts that I sell for the charity. Tomorrow we are visiting more children and also taking vet supplies to the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre.

A very successful Day and a New Baby

Mann's wife Sima delivered a baby girl this morning at 5am. I am so happy that she was born while we were here. Can't wait to see her now when we return tomorrow to Kathmandu.

Today we found a new and better room for Mrs. BK for just 100 rupees a month more. It is in a nicer area near some friends for her. We bought her a bed, stove, door curtain and some lino and she is so happy. A new start for her and her little girls. We also checked out a sewing school and decided to train her and another lady, susmita's mother, for two months. Hopefully then they can teach others in the area in new sewing school we plan to start. Decided it was better to train our own ladies rather than hire a teacher from outside. Mrs. BK seemed very keen and said once trained she would be able to look after herself and family. Susmita's mother a little hesitant owing to her lack of education but the two of them together hopefully will give her confidence. Later we can train more. These women are single mothers. I envision this to become a ladies co-op where they can make school uniforms for the two schools and other handicrafts in the future. This will require some money but I am optimistic as always that this will happen.

We both feel very satisfied with our day's work. Dipak who has been helping us has done a great job. Other good news is the Rotary Club is back from Chimkhola and said they agreed that the village was in great need and also said they had never received such a great welcome and from such nice people. They are meeting right now and working on the paper work to send to Canada.

So goodbye to Pokhara or as they say here "until next time".

Life is hard in Nepal

Back to Simpani today to give out clothes. Many children packed into a small room just waiting to get a piece of clothing or shoes. We managed to have something for all our sponsored children and others got a toothbrush. Immediately they have the clothes on running around the street. We had lots of tea. Tomorrow we are going to return again to try and find a better and larger room for one very poor family, Mrs. BK and her four little girls. Her terrible living condition is really bothering us so we will see what we can do.
We visited with the young Rotarians of Pokhara this morning. They spend Saturday mornings cleaning up plastics in the city for recycling. They were very dedicated and offered to volunteer for us if I had a project for them. The Rotarian President is so helpful and so very keen that our Chimkhola school project is successful.
Sometimes here when we are exposed to so much hardship it becomes emotional and I find myself comparing our world to theirs. They have to worry everyday that they will have a little work to be able to survive and enough food for their children. Education seems to come before anything else and they will do anything so that their children are educated.
So many men go outside the country as migrant workers and that is less than desirable but their only hope of making a living. I met today for lunch with Kamal and Mann's mother and sister, Gita. Her husband is in Qutar and earns only 300 rupees per month about $4.00 as the rest goes to pay his agent and airfare back. He is terribly unhappy but has no way out. And then we have the caste system and that is really bad.
So you see life is very tough here. Their only bright spot is that they have such wonderful family ties and will do anything to help each other. I envy them that.
Anway onwards and upwards we do what we can.

Simpani

Sometimes running NEF in Nepal is like an emotional rollar coster. From the highs of Chimkhola village and then today meeting the mother of Serriya who we lost to a heart problem just two months ago. Seeing the mother's tears I had a hard time holding back my own. She apparently died in a bus on the way to the hospital. Imagine having your child in critical condition and having to take her to hospital in a bus. Raj Kumar, Serriya's brother, also looked so sad. I have a new sponsor for him in Serriya's name. Her photo was in the school office adorned with tikas.
Everything seems fine in Simpani and we saw a lot of the children. I have to return in the morning to give out clothes and shoes. It always seems so poor there. Some families, like Mrs BK and her four little girls in their tiny dark little room is very upsetting. Today only the girls were there as the mother had gone to cut rice. The subedi family of nine children are another example of extreme poverty but they are always delighted to see us. Mina Puns grandmother just would not let go of me. I told her I would have tea with her tomorrow and I had to somehow extricate myself from her grip as it was getting late. Wonderful people and how I wish you could all meet them and see what I see.
This trip is somewhat of a marathon and I cannot possibly see all the children. Bob and I are tired today and have stomach upsets. Only minor but it slows us down. We go back to Kathmandu in a couple of days.

Photos

This has taken a long time to download and a few of the photos of the children just keep getting lost. so I have to give up until I get home. The photos are of the children, me cutting the ribbon to the room where NEF concreted the floor and made a new blackboard, handing over the football and basketball chains from the Duncan Daybreak Rotary and the children presenting us with tikas and malas, there were some from each class.

Chimkhola photos

Back from Chimkhola

Some experiences and memories of Nepal live forever and this one will stand out like a bright light. Visiting the school in Chimkhola was something that is hard to explain. The whole school was waiting for us and the musicians led us to the school yard where everyone was waiting and had been for a long time. We were adorned with flower malas and tikas (my hair is still red) and there were speeches of such gratitude. I cut the ribbon to the classroom where we concreted the floor. It all seemed so much for so little. The whole village welcomed us and we were invited to homes and there was much music and dancing in the evening.
We discussed how the Duncan Daybreak Rotary funds would be spent and how NEF funds would help. They had some old buildings which had long been abandoned but still were solid so with our funds we will refurbish one building to start with that will house the new computers and medical room. Also upstairs we will make a room where some of the children that walk two hours to the school can stay during the school week.
We met a new friend, Dipak, he is a guide and he came with us and Mann to help carry things and was really good. We are just on our way to his house now for Dal Bhat (lunch)
More later and some photos.