Arrived back here yesterday. We brought four bags of clothes to give out and three boxes of books which are a donation to a remote village school.
We left Jagat in charge of Bagawati who is in the hospital with the foot problem. Last night he said she was doing well but it is too early to tell if she will lose her foot or not.
I met Carol and her husband Keith here and we all had dinner together last night. These are the donors from Qatar. Today we are taking them to see their sponsored children in Simpani and to show them the science lab that was donated by their Rugby friends last October. They also have a donation for a new project possibly a school library. Mann and I are also going to buy sewing machines this morning.
We have a new staff member here in Pokhara. His name is Prem and I have known him for a year. He is my language teacher and also a school teacher. He is very happy to help us here and to be a member of the NEF family. I am delighted to have him join us. I will put his photo up here shortly.
Must go and have some breakfast.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Donor from Qatar arrives
Yesterday I met Carol and husband Keith from Doha in Qatar. They and their friends sponsor several children and their Wooden Spooner Rugby Club provided the Science equipment to the Simpani school. It was such a pleasure to meet them. They brought with them 180 kgs of clothing, quite amazing. They came to our office and we took them to see the children they sponsor near hear. One is Pinky and they use her name for their fund, "The Pinky Fund". They were so happy to meet her in person. We also visited another very poor family and Santi who they sponsor also. Santi and her mother and father are terribly poor and live in a tin shack, her father does blacksmith work and her mother, who is blind, pumps the bellows. They live in absolute poverty making about $1 per day.
Sima had told me that the Santi's mother had a bad foot. When I looked at it I was horrified. There was a gaping hole in her foot, raw flesh with flies crawling in it. It was severly infected but because they have no money they could not go to a hospital. Mann and I took her to a private hospital where I felt she could get the best care. We stood in the emergency room for three hours and finally saw a sugeon who told me that the bone was also infected and that amputation may be required. I went with her to the treatment room where I held her while they cleaned and cut away the dead flesh. The poor woman was in agony and all I could do was hold her close and try to comfort her. When the doctor was finished he asked me look at what he had done and it did look a lot better. Today she has had surgery to cut away more and hopefully save the foot. This morning the doctor told me that if it does not start to heal in a few days then they will have to take off her foot. This poor blind woman has not a friend in the world, her husband last night when Mann went to get him was drunk. When we told him this morning the prognosis he cried. All so hopeless. They have the little girl Santi who is five.
Sometimes like last night I find the poverty overwhelming, there is never any end to it. How lucky we are. Stand in an emergency room here for three hours and you will never again complain about our medical system. We are the luckiest people in the world. Each stage of treatment has to be paid for and I watched as accident victims are asked for money. Otherwise treatment does not continue. Our bill for Santi's mother will be large but I could not let that even enter my mind as I just wanted this desperately poor woman to have the best treatment I could get for her.
Well enough for today. Tomorrow we head to Pokhara again to take many clothes and books and to to show Carol her projects at the schools there.
Sima had told me that the Santi's mother had a bad foot. When I looked at it I was horrified. There was a gaping hole in her foot, raw flesh with flies crawling in it. It was severly infected but because they have no money they could not go to a hospital. Mann and I took her to a private hospital where I felt she could get the best care. We stood in the emergency room for three hours and finally saw a sugeon who told me that the bone was also infected and that amputation may be required. I went with her to the treatment room where I held her while they cleaned and cut away the dead flesh. The poor woman was in agony and all I could do was hold her close and try to comfort her. When the doctor was finished he asked me look at what he had done and it did look a lot better. Today she has had surgery to cut away more and hopefully save the foot. This morning the doctor told me that if it does not start to heal in a few days then they will have to take off her foot. This poor blind woman has not a friend in the world, her husband last night when Mann went to get him was drunk. When we told him this morning the prognosis he cried. All so hopeless. They have the little girl Santi who is five.
Sometimes like last night I find the poverty overwhelming, there is never any end to it. How lucky we are. Stand in an emergency room here for three hours and you will never again complain about our medical system. We are the luckiest people in the world. Each stage of treatment has to be paid for and I watched as accident victims are asked for money. Otherwise treatment does not continue. Our bill for Santi's mother will be large but I could not let that even enter my mind as I just wanted this desperately poor woman to have the best treatment I could get for her.
Well enough for today. Tomorrow we head to Pokhara again to take many clothes and books and to to show Carol her projects at the schools there.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Literacy program offers much more
Talking with my literacy ladies I was happy to find out that they are getting much more than education from their classes. They told me that they have all made many new friends and really enjoy the social networking they get from their school friends. They said that they were isolated before but now they all have each other. This probably keeps a lot of them coming to class also which is so good. When I thought about it a woman's day here is totally consumed by work, looking after her family, cooking and working and the type of work they do leaves no time for conversation.
Our new literacy program starts next week in a place called Hamza. We are just waiting on desks to be made. We rented a room located in a stone quarrey by a river. This is a very poor area. All the women work in the quarrey and they are all young, one only 19 but with no education. They approached us for this program so it should be successful. They will go to class at 6 pm after their work day and after they have cooked the food.
Tomorrow we go back to Kathmandu for three days to visit a donor from Qatar and then we will come back here on Monday. We will have a very busy week here then matching children, getting the sewing program up and running and the new literacy program.
Our new literacy program starts next week in a place called Hamza. We are just waiting on desks to be made. We rented a room located in a stone quarrey by a river. This is a very poor area. All the women work in the quarrey and they are all young, one only 19 but with no education. They approached us for this program so it should be successful. They will go to class at 6 pm after their work day and after they have cooked the food.
Tomorrow we go back to Kathmandu for three days to visit a donor from Qatar and then we will come back here on Monday. We will have a very busy week here then matching children, getting the sewing program up and running and the new literacy program.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
pictures
Mish mash of photos here. This one on the left is near Chimkhola on our way down. At the top Kirsten and Rita. Rita's teeth are in bad condition and Dag and Kirsten are paying to have her teeth fixed. 7 bad teeth to be fixed including 2 root canals and she is only 18. Dancers at the Chimkhola school ceremony. Other photos of the ceremony. Joe with some villagers. The trail to Chimkhola. A newly sponsored child in Simpani. The new sewing shop being measured for shelves. Our first two sewing ladies, Daumayer and Khimayer showing their happiness with the new shop. Hopefully to be up and running in one week.Monday, March 15, 2010
Pokhara and Simpani
Sorry that I have not had time to add more photos here but hopefully tomorrow as it now 10 pm. There is so much happening that there is so much to tell. The village experience was a great one for everyone and now the Rotary have gone their separate ways some to India and Dag and Kyrsten left for home today. Tonight there was just Joe and me left and Joe leaves tomorrow to go trekking. I have enjoyed sharing with them the memorable experience of Chimkhola and they have all said how special it was for them.
We are starting our sewing project in Simpani. We have rented a 9 x 10 store space and the carpenter is already working on shelving, table and chairs. Tomorrow Mann and I are going to buy more sewing machines. Daumaya and Khimaya, the two ladies who we have already trained are just so happy and because they are in the literacy program and can say in English "we are so happy, so happy" and they kept saying that. We hope to have it up and running in one week. They will then be able to make our school uniforms for this year. We are going to hire a teacher for a few months to help them out. They will also train other women and girls to sew. We are very excited about this program.
New Literacy Program. Yesterday we went further up the river from Simpani where we have been requested to start a new program. These women work at the river gathering stones and breaking them into gravel. We rented a small room here and today ordered desks from the carpenter. As soon as they are done we will start hopefully next week. This room can only hold 20 women so have to limit our numbers here.
Yesterday we also looked at some new children. It was the poorest area we have worked in. The families we visited lived in abject poverty, it was very sad. One lady had been hit on a motorcycle by a bus and really could move around without extreme pain. She did not have proper medical care when it happened and her back and leg were badly damaged. They lived in a bamboo shelter covered with rags. Another family lived in a mud hut which stank of manure. 13 people lived in this tiny dwelling and not one child had ever finished school. So we really could not help here except with a donation of clothes. Another family, a single mother, had lost her six year old son last year because she could not afford medical treatment. We are going to sponsor her daughter.
Some of you will remember the green-eyed little girl who is our poster child. She is on the website and on our brochure. While in Chimkhola Joe, Dag, myself, Mann and Jagat made the six hour trek further north to visit her. Her parents were getting married that day (they had not married and now their eldes daughter could not marry till they did). They made us so welcome and poured a spoonful of milk down each of our throats as part of the ceremoney, then gave us a lovely meal. We handed out eye-glasses to the elders of the group donated by Keith Grey and also Emu oil donated by Dr. Code. Sunita is now 12 and just as lovely as her photo taken two years ago. I felt so emotional seeing her again. Joe and Dag also felt she was a very special child. We asked her parents if they would let her come to Pokhara to go to private school and live with Aama, Mann's mother. They agreed. They are all related somehow. They were happy they said to have at least one child well educated. As for Sunita she could not hold back her smiles and wanted to come with us that very day. She will come in ten days time.
Photos tomorrow I promise. It is difficult with load shedding, hours without electric, to be able to do this.
We are starting our sewing project in Simpani. We have rented a 9 x 10 store space and the carpenter is already working on shelving, table and chairs. Tomorrow Mann and I are going to buy more sewing machines. Daumaya and Khimaya, the two ladies who we have already trained are just so happy and because they are in the literacy program and can say in English "we are so happy, so happy" and they kept saying that. We hope to have it up and running in one week. They will then be able to make our school uniforms for this year. We are going to hire a teacher for a few months to help them out. They will also train other women and girls to sew. We are very excited about this program.
New Literacy Program. Yesterday we went further up the river from Simpani where we have been requested to start a new program. These women work at the river gathering stones and breaking them into gravel. We rented a small room here and today ordered desks from the carpenter. As soon as they are done we will start hopefully next week. This room can only hold 20 women so have to limit our numbers here.
Yesterday we also looked at some new children. It was the poorest area we have worked in. The families we visited lived in abject poverty, it was very sad. One lady had been hit on a motorcycle by a bus and really could move around without extreme pain. She did not have proper medical care when it happened and her back and leg were badly damaged. They lived in a bamboo shelter covered with rags. Another family lived in a mud hut which stank of manure. 13 people lived in this tiny dwelling and not one child had ever finished school. So we really could not help here except with a donation of clothes. Another family, a single mother, had lost her six year old son last year because she could not afford medical treatment. We are going to sponsor her daughter.
Some of you will remember the green-eyed little girl who is our poster child. She is on the website and on our brochure. While in Chimkhola Joe, Dag, myself, Mann and Jagat made the six hour trek further north to visit her. Her parents were getting married that day (they had not married and now their eldes daughter could not marry till they did). They made us so welcome and poured a spoonful of milk down each of our throats as part of the ceremoney, then gave us a lovely meal. We handed out eye-glasses to the elders of the group donated by Keith Grey and also Emu oil donated by Dr. Code. Sunita is now 12 and just as lovely as her photo taken two years ago. I felt so emotional seeing her again. Joe and Dag also felt she was a very special child. We asked her parents if they would let her come to Pokhara to go to private school and live with Aama, Mann's mother. They agreed. They are all related somehow. They were happy they said to have at least one child well educated. As for Sunita she could not hold back her smiles and wanted to come with us that very day. She will come in ten days time.
Photos tomorrow I promise. It is difficult with load shedding, hours without electric, to be able to do this.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Back from Chimkhola
Well we are back and it was a successful and amazing trip. The villagers made us so welcome and it was three days of celebration. They could not have done more to make us welcome. The children at the school danced and sang which we all enjoyed. Six or Seven Pokhara Rotary members also came. It was funny to see people like Keith Grey and Joe Simpson doing Nepali dancing with the villagers, something I never thought I would see happen. Dr Bill Code was a big hit and once the word got around that there was a doctor in the village he was kept busy seeing patients. They were shown around the village, saw the poor little medical clinic, the school, the mill for grinding wheat etc. I think it was a huge event for the village with much hope for the future.
I have to run as I have just returned and now have to go to dinner with a Pokhara Rotary Past President.
Hopefully tomorrow I will have time to tell you more news and add some photos.
I have to run as I have just returned and now have to go to dinner with a Pokhara Rotary Past President.
Hopefully tomorrow I will have time to tell you more news and add some photos.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Incredible Rotary Evening
Last night's Rotary Ceremony and dinner was a wonderful, memorable evening. The Pokhara Rotarians made us feel so welcome and special and they certainly had made a huge effort to make this a great evening. We were given embroidered Rotary tee shirts with our names on them, flowers and their club brochure and Joe, Dag and I received their club flag. I felt very honoured by this. I did not know that I would have to give a speech but managed it quite well off the cuff. It must be because I can talk about NEF endlessly. We all so enjoyed talking to our hosts and there was so much food and some drink!
This morning we head off to Beni to begin our trek to Chimkhola tomorrow. We have so many people coming now that one of our schools has offered their bus. Today is a holiday for International Women's Day. Mann mother and father are coming which is great news. Aama has not visited her village in three years. I have assured her we will go slow and help her up there.
I will not be able to update here till we come back at the end of the week.
Things are going very well for this project and NEF. I fee very satisfied with that.
This morning we head off to Beni to begin our trek to Chimkhola tomorrow. We have so many people coming now that one of our schools has offered their bus. Today is a holiday for International Women's Day. Mann mother and father are coming which is great news. Aama has not visited her village in three years. I have assured her we will go slow and help her up there.
I will not be able to update here till we come back at the end of the week.
Things are going very well for this project and NEF. I fee very satisfied with that.
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