Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Busy Few Days

I am having trouble with internet connections so a lot has happened since the last post. 

We visited Simpani and some of the children there and both schools.  The government school is much improved and some new rooms are being built.  We showed the sponsors, Lori and Jay and their daughter,  the science lab that NEF put in a few years ago.  The compound has all been cleaned up and a wall built.  The sponsors visited their child and family which went well.  I had some letters to give out to women and children and we gathered those in a classroom and handed them out.  We read the letters to those who could not read them.  As usual these are always received with joy and gratitude.  We also gave out clothes.  We then took the sponsors to visit their other family on the far side of town.  This family of three,. a mother and two children, is very destitute and Lori and Jay bought them a month's supply of food. 

Yesterday we visited Phumbi Bumdi as Jay wanted to paint a school room so this we arranged to do.  The Annurpurna Rotary helped with organizing and several of them came along.  First they took us to the top of the village to see the amazing view of the Annurpurna range which is breath taking.  Then there was a ceremony to thank us for previous work and for the painting.  The painting commenced after cleaning the walls and scraping.  The first coat was applied and after a excellent meal of dhal bhat the second coat was applied.  Personally I did not paint but spent the time with the children and women practising Nepali language and we also gave out the clothes that had been sent from Qatar.  Our donors, Keith and Carol from Doha, have done work at this school and it is a favourite of theirs, so we thought it a good place to give out the clothes donated by them.

Today Bob and I spent most of the day visiting one of our ladies at the hospital.  She is quite sick with a women's problem.  I asked her if she had eaten and she had had nothing to eat since being admitted two days ago.  In Nepali hospitals the patient has to pay for everything and relatives have to bring in their food.  Her sister was with her but they had no money for food because they had to pay for the medicine and blood transfusions she needed and they had no money left.  We went and bought dhal bhat for them and later went and got fruit and samosas.  When we arrived with this the sister broke down and cried.  My heart broke for them.  Both have no husbands and they have children to care for and do manual labour for little money.  I sometimes cannot grasp how some of us have everything and others totally nothing, it just does not seem fair.  For these ladies life is a constant struggle wondering where the next meal for their children will come from.  If they get sick they can literally die for lack of money to pay the medical bills. 

Tomorrow we are having a picnic for the women and children.  Photos will have to be later because of internet connections.

1 comment:

Joe Simpson said...

Following your blogs & photos here and on FB with keen interest, Susan.....good or Jay and Laurie and Maddie for all their kindness, concern & contributions. Jay looks as if he's really enjoying himself in the classroom renovations photo with Bob! Looking forward to discussing the school near Hattiban & the budget for that future project once you get back here in a couple of weeks. Namaste, Joe. PS - Penny sends her best too. It's raining cats & dogs here most of the time, no more drought!