Three months of Nepal and on my way home nearly!

I left Bhu Po school on 21st March and travelled to Kathmandu.  The journey was not uneventfull.  There was a two hour hold up from a demonstration on the the road very early on in the journey. Women had put benches accross the road to demonstrate about the road condition.  In this part of Nepal there has been a Hydo – Gas plant built, it was supported by the German government, but the contractors had left the road along this village in a dreadful dusty state.  For 2 hours the women would not let traffic through, it was a  hot and dusty wait.  Eventually 4 government officials were call out and the there was an agreement signed.  It was a good cause although I just wanted the bus to move.

Finally we got moving again and the bus got squashed with pasangers as usual.  The Nepali lady next to be decided to fall asleep on my bad shoulder, that had been strained somehow by a rock fall during my trekking.  I also had the pleasure of sitting opposite a chicken in a box, and was able to photograph its lovely head poking out of the box.

So I am here and have spent my last days  working and planning our objectives for the next year.  Actions that have to be addressed.   I have spent some time resting, and having a massage with oil, that was wonderful as my back was just getting to the stage of constant aching.  I have not done the tourist thing as I have seen everything in this area, but on my next visit I hope to go to some other remote areas.

My experience this time has opened my eyes so much.  I have learnt so much which will help me make the differences in the remote areas correctly.  I have never done my projects with all guns blazing.  I have always investigated and been careful to ensure that our families and children get the best within their cultural environment.

Binod and I have a lot to do this year, we need all the support we can get.  I have worked here now for 6 years, my experience is wide but I will continue to learn.  I love this country although it frustrates me with it’s politics, its corruption and its ignorance of the poor.   We visited the river side and spoke to the refugees in Kathmandu, the conditions were horrifying, there was no sanitation whatsoever, I asked where do you go to the toilet and they looked and me and said wherever!!  Where are the big charities why are they not here, I am always so surprised, apparently they work with the corrupt government.  I in all the time I have worked here never seen a charity worker at the sharp end, by that I mean physically visiting the people and assessing their needs.  Our UK government give aid every year enormous amounts of money, directly to the Nepali government.  They are supposed to have people working out here ensuring correct distribution of funds, someone show me where this is convince me that the money is going to the good of the country and not into the pockets of officials.  On one salary of an aid worker from one of the big charities I could do so much.  I think it is time that our government employed people that know this country and are dedicated in their heart to work for it, and are not bureaucrats.  So enough of my emotional feelings, I am dedicated and will make a difference.

So home tomorrow from here at 5am arriving at London Heathrow early on Sunday morning and I can’t wait.  I am so excited and am off to the spa this afternoon for a facial, as I have bags that I did not bring with me!!!

Home sweet home just so excited can’t wait to have all those hugs, as the loneliness has been difficult.

The blog will continue, and there will be pictures to back up my trip with a fast internet connection.

Thanks for following my trip and watch this space.

Freda

www.himalayanculturalconservation.org

Continuing my trek to the next village of Jagot.  We had to stop at a guest house just before arriving there as there was a tremendous thunder storm and we began to get very wet.   No chance of a hot shower when I got there, a cold one and that was it.  I never realised how comfortable my western life was.  After getting wet walking or trekking and having a hot bath or shower.  But hey hoe there was not electricity, it was very cold and no hot water!  But all part of the experience (not)  it all wears a bit thin after a while.

We stayed the night there , the mattress was soft so my back thanked me in the morning.  We had breakfast and continued our trek to Jagot.  We had lunch there and decided that we could trek on to Chyamje  as we were leaving I say a lady walking along towards me that I had visited in 2008!  I was taken aback as we had searched for her again following my visit to give her support and Binod had not been able to find her.  I recognised her and she me, she was so happy to see me.  Her family was shown in my short film.  It was just like a miricle after all this time.  This lady is deaf and dumb, but she showed me how she was overjoyed to see me.  Her husband is blind, she is quite young here husband is older. I would love to show you pictures, but my speed here is impossible.   We visited them and took some details and this time we know where they are we will help them in some way, they are really poor, living in one room and the house is falling down, when I say room it is the size of a small bedroom at home.  We will help them somehow little by little. This was a real highlight for me the way we both recognised each other.  I had given her some gifts for her children on the last visit, this just made me feel so happy within myself, who needs religion!

On to Chyamje the rain began again.  We arrived and then met our supported child Bijay.  I had bought some clothes and books with me for him.  As he walked through the guest house door, I was fortunate enough to see yet another miracle!  Bijay had grown and was full faced, it was amazing.  I first met him in 2008 his parents brought him to  me he and showed me his unfortunate condition of scoliosis his back was completely twisted. At this time I was told by 2 UK GP’s that were there at the time that nothing could be done.  I told his parents this.  About a year later, his parents approached me again, as he could not walk and kept falling down, and he was not growing.   We decided to have an MRI scan done and get some advice.  So to cut a long long story short, the doctors operated, he came through well.  He wears a brace for his body still and neck support.  But his body is straight and his eyes have balanced and he has grown!!!  Such wonders or determination.  He ran to me so happy.  He has been going to school and read the English books that I gave him.  He is now 7 years old and just brings me so much happiness to see what wonders we can perform!

So then end of the trip was upon us.  We trekked to Old Jagot which is off the trekking route, where one of our supported familes are.  We got a very warm welcome.  The child we support from this village is Suman, he also had operation sto straighten his feet, as he could not walk to school or wear shoes.  We have supported him in medical and education now for nearly 3 years.   His has come a long way, he has had 2 years education in Kathmandu and able to speak Nepali and a little English.   The village old Jagot is a Gurung village and they speak their own language so it was very hard for Suman at first.  He is now just back in his village for the school holidays, he will be going to school in Besishahar from April which is closer to his cultural background.   This leg up has given his family extra enthusiasm his father has a job working with a  carpenter and he runs the mill that we had repaired.  So what a visit amazing stuff!

To see such improvements with such little funding and a lot of attention can do.  We raise just about £8,000 a year if we are lucky yet we can make such amazing differences to peoples lives.   I am convinced we can do  more work like this in Nepal.

Anyway end of the trip truck back from Jagot in the rain again……………

Freda

www.himalayanculturalconservation.org

Doing this in the dark as there is no electric at the moment, on battery only.  There is not any electric no hot water, my geyser seems to have completely given up the ghost, and my rechargeable lamp needs charging.  I Can’t even have a cup of tea.   Well loneliness has certainly kicked in for me tonight.  But I have had an exciting and very successful visit to the mountains. So I will commence telling you of my adventures.

I left the school on Monday and got a bus to Khudi, which was reasonably uneventful apart from the bumpy ride and the overcrowding of the bus.  We stopped for some lunch when we arrived to wait for another bus going towards Bahundanda.  This was the worst bus ride ever to date.  I was sat on a tyre at first and slipping towards the open doors.  I became very nauseous as I saw the ground moving below me, and had to hold tightly on to anything I could to stop me slipping. The bus was so overcrowded.  Binod jumped off when the bus stopped at Bhubule to put my passport in.  I get a special consideration because of the charity, and do not have to pay for a permit.  While he popped to the check in office more passengers got onto the bus, it became impossible for me as I was now on the floor with my feet against a metal post to stop me moving.  I managed to get my phone from my pocket to call Binod as the bus began to move.  He said he was coming not to worry.  Then a boy shouted to me to tell me he had gone on the top, the top is like a roof rack.  It felt like this journey would never end I was beginning to feel so ill.  Eventually some people got off and I saw a seat, but this man had his hand on it.  I looked at him and could not understand what was going on until I realised that he had saved it for a new passenger.  I went crazy and said no I have been on this bus for ages bugger off and many more expletives I can assure you.   So I got the seat.

We arrived just a short trek from Bahundanda I needed the air and the walk after being cooped up like and animal for I don’t know how long!  We arrived at the guest house where we stay and had a drink; I just had to sit and start to feel real again for a while. We managed to get one of our phones to get a signal and I called my partner to tell him we had arrived safely.  We then trekked up to the village to look at a house that was for sale.  Some of you that have been following my blog will remember that we had purchased some land in Bahundanda to build a house for a family we had commenced the boundaries of the land and were about to start building.  We had just a week ago been offered a house that was adjacent to the land for 3 lack about £2,800.  I wanted to see the house and see if it would be a better idea to buy the house and also use the land that we had purchased for farming.  It would all be a great investment for us and would give so much to the village.  So we are now negotiating to buy this house.  I know it is going to be hard for us, but I am convinced that we could make the cost over the next months.

We then visited the others in the village, our dear fruit seller who has managed to buy a roof for her house with the leg up that we gave her.  We gave her 4000 r’s to stock up on fruit about a year ago.  She then set up her little business selling fruit to the trekkers.  We met all our families and they seemed so happy.  There is just so much need and so much to resolve for these people.  But the amazing thing is that such little things make big differences.  We took notes of needs and ideas.  A sewing machine was requested we will be able to manage this on our next visit.

We trekked onto Jagot after this visit ……………………. next blog.

Feeling tired today but still so much to tell.

I have decided today to talk a little about the excitement of food or not.  At the beginning of my arrival here at the school, I joined the residential staff in the evening meal.  The rest of the time I had breakfast in my room, originally Weetabix that I found in Kathmandu. When I ran out I ordered Weetabix from my project manager Binod when coming from Kathmandu as there was no sign of Weetabix here in Besishahar he arrived with a large bag of toilet rolls, I gave up on the Weetabix.  Eventually I found some Cornflakes, some of them flavoured with fruit cordial, they are imported from Sri Lanka. Then things got even better I found a shop that sold reasonably tasting bread, so the next adventure was to find a toaster and that was found on a visit to Kathmandu.  So with all these wonderful things including marmalade, peanut butter and honey, well happiness just overcame me.

Milk was difficult, although in Kathmandu you can get long life, and there is fresh milk here, but it has to be boiled, so that was difficult.  In the end I settled for dried sweet milk, I make it up every morning as it goes off by the end of the day.  Butter had to be sent from Kathmandu, all these things I spent day after day in the market here asking for only when it was really impossible I got Binod to bring the stuff from Kathmandu.  I also suddenly remembered curd (like yogurt) and asked around for it, has been an amazing enrichment to my diet. With banana and honey as a dessert or on top of my cornflakes absolute heaven.

Well the evening meal, after so many nights of rice, and curry which is normally vegetables in season at the moment it is cauliflower and potatoes.  After about 3 weeks of cauliflower and potatoes and cloudy dhal I gave up.  So now and then I go to dinner to just be sociable.  I discovered Yum Yum noodles and snack pots that can be made with boiling water, so now you know my staple diet!  Oh I forgot to mention the daily tiffin which is very acceptable samosas which are cooked every day.

I have also had meals with different families especially the Headmaster here his wife is a great cook.  So roti bread and chapatti have been a great experience and homemade mo mo.’s.  The other evening I was asked to a mo mo dinner watching the preparation that took so long was fascinating. Every meal like this has an accompaniment of pickle made up of tomatoes, onions, garlic and chillies it is really hot, oh and one herb I detest coriander.  Yes I have had to suffer that so much during my stay and it has not enticed me to like it.  The other evening at the mo mo session I was given a berry that was from some tree which helps digestion.   Whatever it was it was repulsive and I had real trouble getting rid of the taste, it was not just hot but so strong.  But it did make me burp, so it worked.  This was being put in the pickle needless to say I avoided the pickle.

I now have to say I really miss meat, if there is ever an opportunity to have chicken it is just wonderful.  But it is very rare.  When I get home the excitement of bacon or a steak will just be amazing.   These people though are happy to have food, our western diet full of variety is something we come to get used to.  But I have spoken to many of the teachers and they could not cope without their rice and feeling completely full.  Many of the Nepalis over about 20 get tummys they are thin in arms legs but the tummy is pronounced.

There is also a lack of protein which must lower their resistance, here at school the children have so little protein just once a week either meat or egg they get a choice, and there is no morning milk.

Noodles for me tonight, and some bread and butter, not the bread that we are used to but it is passable when there is nothing else.

More news on the way.

Freda

www.himalayanculturalconservation.org

There have been many occurrences  since my last blog, needless to say not really disastrous.

I have been ill as many of you know as detailed in my last blog.  The cough has only just died off.  But during that time my laptop died, the night of an electric storm here, not sure if that was the reason.  My dear partner Richard has assured me that somehow we will get the stuff on it back, he gave me a few tips on revitalising the machine but none of them worked.  Luckily we had a new laptop donated by one of our trustees and Binod our project manager brought it to Besishahar as he was due for another trip here anyway.

I never realised how I depeneded on the www.  The day before the laptop died I submitted my TMA to the OU on line.  How lucky am I! That was another reason why no blog.  I had to get that essay done and out of the way.  I am finding it pretty hard to do that stuff from here, but I managed it and feel a bit free of that pressure for a few weeks.  Just doing the reading and note taking now until my test paper which I intend to do when I get home.

To fill you in a bit about life here.  Teaching is very different and very repetitive.The resources are short and so is the imagination.  We know that they have to stick to the curriculum but so do we in the UK, but imagination is something that is not natural here, also of course resources, but even if you give the teachers resources they do not see how they can fit them around the curriculum learning.  I keep teaching and explaining and working on this, but it is hard.

If I repeat myself at anytime I apologise, but it is difficult to remember what I say from blog to blog.  I have seen more and more of the way people are in this country, I am sometimes shocked and saddened by the daily stories that I hear, and see.  Children are regularly beaten here, I see this on a daily basis.  Small tiny children are hit with hard sticks, they are pulled and pushed.  Sometimes for as little as not being able to answer a question.  I have to turn away when I see it as it is the Nepali way of punishment.  I have asked teachers why they have to hit the children so violently.  They tell me that this is the punishment that they are used to, and their parents use this type of punishment at home.  I do see a lot of children around with sticks and they also hit each other with them.  They also treat animals like this that is also awful to see.  It is all so everyday, you never ever know when you are going to encounter yet another act such as this, but I will not get used to it.  I think for me it is not just the smacking it is the using of a weapon quite often a thick stick.

There are many other things also which I think I may have mentioned before.  Nevertheless I will point them out again.  It is so very common to leave your children and wife and have another women.  Men go off and never come back to support their children, there is no help for the mothers that are left alone.  We have one such family at the moment, and the child is at this school.  How do the children feel to be completely abandoned like this.

The problem is most of us when coming to Nepal do not learn about these things.  We see the charm and the grace of Buddhism and it’s passiveness, but we do not learn about the real stuff.  Nearly all the children here are from Buddhist families. How is it that, they are believed to be passive and against violence, the world takes a lot to understand.  So many famous celebrities in the UK practice this peaceful practice, do they know anything of the people that are born to it.  Come live here and understand the people, the lack of education and the hard graft to live.  There is no other way to understand but to become part of their community.

The people are charming to me so kind and obviously fascinated by this odd Western lady that sits outside here room at various times of the day and works on her lap top.  That takes snapshots of odd things like my neighbour ploughing his field with 2 Ox’s.  Such everyday things to them such wonderful experiences for me to see.

Yesterday the school was visited by a young man from the British Army, he is here with his regiment for 10 weeks intensive training, with the Gurka’s in Pokhara.  This gave me an opportunity to mention the years that the Nepalis have been supporting and fighting for the British army.  Most of the Gurka’s come from the area that Hi-Cap supports, it is the Gurung caste.   Many of them have spent their lives fighting with the British army, only to be insulted by receiving less pay in the UK poor living conditions and horrifically low pensions.  About 18months ago Joanna Lumley visited Kathmandu being cheered for her accomplishment of equal pensions being paid to the Gurkha’s.  Let me tell you that this did not happen the Nepali’s get a very small pension very much less than the British.  It is about £50 a week it is nothing like the UK pensions.  It is no good anyone saying that is is cheaper to live here, because actually that is not the overall case, and also many Gurkha’s and their families live in the UK.  Nepalis cannot afford cars, as they are 3 times the price of our cars, as the import is controlled from India.  Motorbikes are also much more expensive.  Houses are dreadfully expensive, that is why they are more likely to buy land and build their own homes.

I did manage to say all this to the young ‘Regiment Commander’ of 24 he knew nothing about all this of course.  It was his first visit to Nepal and after his intensive language training could speak reasonable Nepali but he know nothing about the country or the history of the Gurka’s youngsters a or rather the system!!!

So guys I am off after a long blog.  Will be updating more often so watch out for even more news.

Regards

Freda

www.himalayanculturalconservation.org

I am just about OK now to tell you all about my massive adventure over the last 4 days.  Now I am safe and back at school I will commence.

I left Besishahar on Saturday 19th February to start my 4 day adventure!   I trekked up to the bus and managed to catch a micro bus very quickly.  I started my journey with a cough that had started just a few days before, but I thought is would be on it’s way out by the time I got to Kathmandu.  The journey was absolutely fast, the fastest ever,  I was surrounded by women being sick.  The Nepalese rarely travel on the buses so it is without saying that there will be travelers throwing up in black plastic bags which are then thrown out of the windows.  As I always travel with the locals I obviously am used to encountering this.  But still it is not pleasant and I do feel sorry for the sickies! Tourist buses are very different, but of course more expensive.  I am restricted by cost being a charity and also prefer to be with the people that I am supporting.

At Kathmandu I did not feel too bad, but not completely on top form.  I went back to my previous hotel at 500 r’s a night about £4.50, I was there for 2 nights.  I had a common bathroom which meant outside your room.  It was all fine until I went into the room and said to Binod oh it has a sink in the room I was so pleased at this extra luxury.  Until I heard the drip of the tap ahhh!!! Binod in is infinite wisdom got rid of the drip by swinging the tap to the back. By that morning my floor was wet.  I moved the tap back to allow the floor to dry.  The following day we worked at our office and did some project planning.

That night as Richard my partner suggested I tied a flannel around the tap so the dripping was not so bad, but it got bad Chinese torture commenced, eventually I put up with the wet floor again.  I can’t complain about the hard bed and the tap, as the shower was hot in the common bathroom and this is Nepal!

The following day we were due to go back to Besishahar in the morning.  I had asked Binod to bring me a toaster with him that morning to my hotel as we were leaving from there.  I had not been able to get one anywhere in Besishahar the excitment of toast was overwhelming!

We caught our bus loaded up with our travelling stuff, and of course my very heavy (wonderful) laptop!  My rucky was really heavy but hey ho I was going straight to Besishahar.  My cough seemed to be a little better although I still did not feel right.   We got to the half way point on the bus and all was fine, I gave my partner a call to everything was going well.  WE got back on the bus and 10 minutes later we were stuck and I mean stuck.  That road is horrific when it stops it stops.  After some consideration and oohing and Ahhhring trying to find out what was happening.  We with the other passengers from our bus decided to walk to the next village, our bus driver had decided to go back to Kathmandu by this time. Yes I walked (I never mind walking) with my rucksack really heavy 4 kms.  Not far really but my cough and chest were giving up.

We got to the village to see it laden with police officers with batons, guns and riot shields, not really sure what had happened. We were told that the police had shot a member of the public.  But ambulances were going back and fore.  Perhaps we will eventually find out what it was.  I took some pictures, will somehow let you see them when this word press is a bit faster.

We then found a bus that was going to Pokhara if we wanted to to to Besishahar we would have to change again.  I was so tired and worn out by this time I just said we will just go to Pokhara and get a hotel for the night.  I was beginning now to feel pretty ill.  The bus smelt like a cattle truck and it was not much more that one.  It bounced and creaked and banged over rocks as our heads hit the top of roof!! Two seats in front of me elevated themselves over a bump and fixed me into my seat. The smell go worse and I could see fluid running down the windows.  I was feeling pretty awful and it was getting very late. Suddenly just before Pokhara the bus pulled into a cattle market.  I then realised!

Yes!  there were goats above us, forty goats were unloaded from the roof, animal rights please do not read this.  The goats were pushed off the top of the roof screaming, they were pulled and pushed into a compound.  Goats are a really good bit of stock for the Nepali’s as the feed is natural, and one good goat can bring good money at market enough to live on for a year.   There were big rams with big horns being unloaded, of course I took pictures, I woke up a little for the excitement.

Back in the bus the smell eased a little and we arrived at our destination.  I was by this time exhausted.  Off the bus rucky on back looking for a hotel.  Found a reasonable room with shower for 800 r’s about £7.  Soap and toilet roll were given to me, and I showered washed my hair with the soap. I had not taken shampoo during my trip as I thought my hair would last, but hey ho no chance after sitting in the cattle truck.   Of course I also had no clean clothes, but I had what toiletries I had taken.  Binod and I then went to a very nice restaurant and had a very good meal.  The cost was not extortionate £11. We had not eaten since breakfast so we shared 3 litres of beer, I had roast chicken and chips Nepali style and of course dear Binod had Dhal bat.  It was just bliss to be clean safe and somewhere to sleep.

The next day my cough took a turn for the worst.  But I still felt it would get better soon.  As we were in Pokhara I popped to the Orphanage that I set up in 2006, and was run by the locals from 2008. The children now had grown up and some still recognised me. I had not visited since November 2008. I took some picture, it was amazing to see how grown up they all were.

Binod and I then continued our journey we left Pokhara about 11am and arrived at Besishahar at about 4.30pm.  Guess what the bus left us at the top of the village so the rucky still had to be carried.  But once through my room door at the school. I phoned my partner to say I was safe, took 2 antibiotics and just about had the energy to take off my clothes.   My cough was becoming a chest infection (self diagnosis).

Yesterday I should have gone with Binod to the villages in our project area, but I just could not make it.  He has gone up and is making notes and taking pictures to give me feed back.  I is now Thursday and I am eventually on the mend.  I am still on the tablets I will not stop them too early, got all the instructions from the net.

As soon as I can I will present the pictures.

So join me again for more exciting adventures of my project work in Nepal.

Freda

www.himalayanculturalconservation.org

Schools out for 5 days.  So here I am having a day off before I get the bus to Kathmandu tomorrow. I have cleaned my little home, done my washing (by hand of course), washed out the shower bathroom, swept my floor with the broom, tided up. Why did all this take so long, well probably because I spend so much time boiling water for drinking and bottling it, I boil more water for my Thermos just in case I need a drink and there is no electric.  I check that I have everything on charge. It just seems to take ages, sweeping constant dust out of the room is also another time consuming activity.

But here I am, it is quite warm here although the sun goes in and out.  I have spoken to my partner on skype which is a real luxury that we did not expect to have so regularly.    I have watch a man plough his small piece of land behind me, with his 2 ox’s and a manual plough being pulled along while he continuously shouted at the animals to get on with the job.  Afterwards the land is looking very good.  They spend so much time on their little bits of land, tending every small detail.  There is always so much to do to just survive really.

I have a cough at the moment so got up later today.   I have the western comfort of blackcurrant sips, and some cough mixture. I made sure that I brought plenty with me.  I have been pretty healthy while I have been here really and it is just little cough.

I also had the pleasure about 10 minutes ago of seeing 2 Eagles circling just near me, their wing span and flight is amazing to see.  I thought about getting my camera, but by the time I had decided to get it they had moved on.  There are often Eagles in the mountains.

So I am off to Kathmandu tomorrow, I suspect the journey will be a long one knowing the Nepali buses.  Maybe I will make it in 5 hours but it will be more than likely 7 hours!  I will be working with Binod my project manger do some planning for a new project.  I will be back in Besishahar on Tuesday, when we hope to go to Kudi to see some land.

Everything with our work is going well, but funds are always short as there are so many needs here and so much work I would like to do.  But hey ho as long as the money that comes it is spent correctly and we do as much as we can with it.

Please check out the website www.himalayanculturalconservation.org  there are so many way to make a difference.

All the best to everyone, keep in touch

Freda

Things are going pretty well here. I have managed to make some inroads into the schooling system here.  After a long time I have persuaded the Headmaster to open the library.  This result was great for me. I achieved this by taking some of the bored children out of their morning English lessons to the library, where I got them to choose books and read out loud.  The excitement was tremendous.  I still taught the normal curriculum at the same time.  But these boys were so excited.  This had been working now every morning first lesson.  The library is now open all day, I now take a class in the library now and then.  Today I saw the major breakthrough in the lunch break, children in there themselves reading, and mostly English books.  I will certainly keep my eyes on this and make signs and put up posters.

Today we had two boxes of books arrive, we have about 10 boxes altogether.  Room to read have an office in Kathmandu and dear Binod my project manager has become friendly with their office.  That has been since I emailed their head office in the US and complained about the school in Banhundanda have a new building completed.  RTR had commence a project there but had never completed it.  We investigated Binod and I and found that there had been some type of corruption.  We also complained about the type of books that were being taken to the school, the teachers could not even read them.   Well it all worked out fine in the end, the school building was completed, and the books have improved. So the result has been very good for us.  I will distribute the books to some school and give some to the children they do not really own books of their own, the fees of sending the children to school is enough of a stretch for the parents let alone buying books.

I have often wondered why there are so many boys at this school.  Every class I teach there is a very small percentage of girls.  There is only one class where the girls are about 40% .  I asked about this as I have been very aware over the years of working here how women are considered less important than men.  I was told that parents would rather send the boys to a good school like ours, where the fees are high for them,  and send the girls to the government schools as their education was not so important. But strangely enough, like the UK the girls are much quicker to learn and pay more attention to their lessons.

I am learning so much about the systems here, and how hard life is. I watch everyday people working on their little bit of land.  They start of at about 5.30am the women cleaning and carrying wood from the forest up the hills and rocks.   Then tending the animals and the vegetable plots.  The men will not be seen very often doing these chores.  They normally have jobs either locally or in India, or the UAE, that is quite normal.

Myself and my project manager Binod have been doing a lot of planning and hope to be going to our project area around about the 20^th of February.  We hope to see how Ramans house is getting on.  We are also planning to have some sewing machines taken to Bahundanda  this being part of our womens empowerment project.

The electricity and water supplies are not always good, but I am used to it now.  When I have both water and electric I do all the topping up and filling up just in case.   It has become part of my routine.  When I get home I will not know I am born it will be utter luxury.

I have become accustomed to being invited into everyone’s home to take tikka,on one of the days when they are celebrating one of the gods.  Taking tikka is having rice mixed with a red dye placed on your forehead, it is a religious ceremony.  You are also expected to eat dahl bat when you are there.  I am so welcome everywhere, and am always expected to eat!  Difficult when you have been invited to take tikka and eat 3 or 4 times that day, and you have to climb back down to your home afterwards in the dark!  But the Nepalese are just such wonderfully welcoming people and they just so respect us.  This is something that Western culture really does not have.  Can you imagine coming out of your house in the morning and seeing a stranger and asking them to come into your house for dinner!  If it happens let me know!  I may do it if George Clooney passes my door!

Well if any of you have got this far well done.  Keep reading I am sure over the next six weeks I will have plenty more to tell.

Images are just so difficult to upload.  But I will keep trying may be soon I will get a fast connection!

www.himalayanculturalconservation.org

Freda

The end o f my trip to our villages was actually event less, well there were no panics. We trekked down to the bus at about 7.30 on the morning of leaving.  The weather was good and it was a an easy trek to the bus just about an hour.  We got the bus to Kudi then went to visit one of our sponsored children Rama.  We went to the school so see her.  We support her education there and her stationery and uniform.  When she arrived at the show she was very slow as she had not regular schooling.  She is now picking up and receiving averages marks.  Rama is such a charming girl we are very proud of her achievements.  She is blind in one eye.  We did try to get something done with this a few years ago, but we were told that it was too late, something should have been done during here infant years.  But she copes very well indeed.

At the school Binod introduced me to another child there who is an orphan. Both his parents have died of cancer.  He is a very bright student and needs support.  We have done our best for this boy and his sister.  They are looked after by their elder sister who is 21.  We hope to find a sponsor for this boy as it is difficult for us to keep him at the school.  We will persist with our support and persuading the school of their support until we get some funding.

We got a bus from Kudi back to Besishahar.  The bus was so full, incredibly so.  As we went around the mountain bends it bent over, it was a bit scary at times. I was so squashed that when I had to get off, I had to pass my belongings to Binod out of the window, I nearly had to climb out of the window otherwise I would be stuck on the bus, but I was rescued and some of the passengers got off the bus to give me room.  It was all quite a laugh.  Now I never get frustrated with the inefficiency of such things here, as they are really just amusing.  I will try to add some pictures later, it may be possible.

I have now been back here for over a week and time is passing.  I just have under 2 months to go of my stay here.  I am back teaching and enjoying my work here.  At the same time I am working on Hi-Cap UK and in touch with my dear partner Richard. He is working on various parts of the charities administration and fundraising.   I don’t know how I would cope without his support.

At the moment I am sitting at my door picking up a signal in the pouring down with rain.  (It is OK I am under cover of course) It is a bit cold though and my nose is running.  We had a thunderstorm last night, I awoke this morning with no electricity or water, but bliss both are back, don’t hold your breath though.  As soon as these facilities come back I spend the first 10 minutes, filling up buckets and bottles with water.  Boiling my hot jug (electric kettle) and filling my large thermos with the hot water.  I also put everything on charge, especially my rechargeable lantern.

Everything here is so very difficult, it takes time you have to be organised. But you soon get into the swing of things.  I have been so lucky to keep in touch with everyone.  The wi-fi connection although outside has been just amazing.

It is odd because I have not missed the TV very much at all, but I am looking forward to an intensive watch of Eastenders on my return to the UK.  But there is a lot of time yet before that!  So bye for now more stories to come.

see Rama below

www.himalayanculturalconservation.org

I hope to take you towards the final leg of my visit to our remote villages in the Himalayan region of Lamjung.

Further visit consisted of see and the land for Ramans house and also seeing Raman.  I saw him by chance when I was trekking back on my own to the guest house.  He came after me with his grandaughter.   I was shocked at the condition of him and the child.  They had rebuilt their little hut of a house and were living there together.  The child looked so uncared for.  He showed me his hand that he had recently burned on the fire.  What a desparate state of a life they were in.  His daughter is working at a hotel in Besisahar where I am living.  I had previously spoken to her about the house that we are building for the family.  Raman was in a terrible state and so was the child I was in tears to see one of our families like this.   I asked him and the child to come back to the guest house with me.  There I arranged through the locals to supply them with 2months worth of rice and dahl.  The child Sarita was starving, and so badly looked after.

I washed Sarita  and got one of the local women to go and buy her some warm clothes.  As I washed her I noticed her thin hair and extended stomach she was obviously suffering from malnurtion, as was her brother Sanjay when we brought him from the mountains to Kathmandu.  See my previous blogs.

Below the dear child and her grandfather when I met them on the way back to my guest house and picture of her after being bathed eating with me. Wrong order but uploading takes so long please excuse!  Just one cheerful thing I have just spoken to my partner Richard on Skype and he showed me the snow out of the windon in Chelmsford.  Well we have bright sunshine here it is beautiful!  It will of course be chilly tonight, but the season is certainly changing.