Well it’s Sunday evening here in Kathmandu and we are just catching our breaths after what turned out to be an unexpectedly eventful weekend. As is often the case in Nepal, things have the ability to surprise you in the most unexpected ways, sometimes good and sometimes not so good.
On Friday evening we went to Bhaktapur to spend the evening with our friend, Rabindra. He has a beautifully restored Newari house in Bhaktapur and we always look forward to the chance of spending an evening there relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of Thamel. This time was no different and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Rabindra followed by a fantastic quiet night’s sleep and a lovely breakfast the following morning.
We then met some other friends in Bhaktapur’s main square later on Saturday morning. These friends are 2 students who we have been sponsoring since the Mitrataa Foundation started 7½ years ago. As you can imagine, they have grown so much in that time and it was wonderful to see them now developing into young adults.
On Saturday afternoon we returned to Kathmandu and were greeted with quite a shock. There is a woman who works on the streets of Thamel running a small cigarette cart and selling stitched bags to tourists. We have known her for many years and have suported her and her family in various ways. This time she seemed quite agitated about something and although her English is quite good she could not immediately communicate her problem to us. After a lot of gesticulating and questions we finally worked out that she was telling us her 16 year old daughter was being sexually abused by the caretaker of the hostel where she was living. Absolute shock and horror does not begin to describe how we felt once we were sure this was what we were being told. Although we were aware this was a common problem in Kathmandu we had never encountered it personally.
It turns out that this has been going on for many years but the girl was too afraid to tell her mother and did not want to worry her. However, the problem has become worse recently and she has become too afraid to go back to the hostel when school resumes next week. The problem was made worse by the fact that her education is being paid for by a foreigner who stipulated that she would only support the girl if she attended this school and lived in this hostel. Naturally the girl and her mother were concerned that if they told anyone of the problem this educational support would be lost. Mess does not begin to describe things!
We have had no experience of how best to handle this type of issue in Nepal so we spent the rest of Saturday evening and Sunday morning on the phone with various friends and contacts trying to work out what could be done. Fortunately, thanks to one of our partner organisations that works with, among other things, abused women and children, CWISH, we have been able to help. A counsellor from CWISH has been very helpful in gathering information and details from us today and has explained exactly how these types of things should be dealt with in Nepal. We will take the girl tomorrow to CWISH to meet with the counsellor and help her understand what has happened. We will also be helping the girl to find another school so that she will be able to start there when school resumes next Sunday after the Tihar festival.
Whilst in this instance it appears that everything is going to work out, the whole experience reminded us of some of the disturbing things that can happen here. It became apparent that the hostel caretaker singled out this girl because he knew she came from a poor family and so wouldn’t be able to do anything (supposedly) to stop him. He also prevented her from making phone calls or emailing even though these are standard facilities available to children living in this hostel. He also threatened her that if she told anyone she would lose her sponsorship to go to school and she would “end up on the streets like her mother”.
Without wanting to draw out the unpleasantness of the whole thing further I will just add that this situation really reminds us of how important education is for people in developing countries. With education people learn about their basic rights, where they can turn for help if they need it, and also hopefully people learn that such behaviour is never acceptable. I know this girl is one of the lucky ones, and the ordeal is by no means over for her yet, but tonight she is safe. We will be working with her from now on and closely monitoring her progress. We are very grateful to CWISH for their support and for the wonderful work they do in this area to protect women and girls.
Lastly, if anyone would like to contribute to supporting this girl we are urgently looking for sponsorship. We are not sure of the exact cost as yet (it will depend on which school and hostel she attends) but any expressions of interest would be appreciated. You can email me at adam@mitrataa.org.
05 November 2007
02 November 2007
Teacher Training Workshop
We have had the most amazing time over the last 2 days conducting our frst teacher training course in the new model school we will be working with. The course was entitled “Teachers’ Workshop on Learner Centred Education” and was attended by around 20 teachers from the Rosy Garden School in Maijubahal, Kathmandu.
The first day of the course included an introduction to Howard Gardner’s model of “multiple intelligences”. The seven main intelligences in this model being linguistic, logical/maths, visual/spatial, musical, bodily/kinaesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. The teachers explored how they can use this model in their classes to help their students learn in different ways. On the second day we put this into practice and delved into the importance of lesson plans and thorough preparation to ensure the teachers use as much learner focused activity as possible. It was very practical and the teachers went away with many examples to help put what they had learned into practice in their classrooms.
We were heartened and encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of the teachers involved. Many of them had not had any formal training but nonetheless approached each of the tasks and activties with vigour and a can-do attitude.
At one stage Rebecca had the class standing in a circle outside and throwing a roll of toilet paper at each other whilst asking questions and shouting answers. I’m sure they have never encountered such a thing before and may well have been hoping they will never do so again!
Nepal’s education approach is based heavily on rote learning to pass exams and we hope to break open this way of thinking with more of these courses in the future. We have tentatively scheduled the next courses for March/April 2008 and beyond then we will be providing advanced training to some of the teachers with a view to them then conducting the course on a more frequent basis for teachers from other schools. We also plan to make the course available to teachers from outside the Kathmandu Valley through some form of sponsorship program for teachers from remote schools in disadvantaged areas.
The Rosy Garden School has only recently been taken over by some people that we have been working closely with through CWISH. They are extremely passionate about developing a school that is cutting edge in terms of its approach to education and it is for this reason that we have become involved. We have many great plans for the model school (including a name change!) and are so excited about the possibilities it presents for the development and growth of the Foundation through the number of people whose lives we can touch.
We will keep you posted as plans progress but it certinly seems as though 2008 is going to be a huge year for the Foundation and we can’t wait to share all of the experiences and excitement with you!
The first day of the course included an introduction to Howard Gardner’s model of “multiple intelligences”. The seven main intelligences in this model being linguistic, logical/maths, visual/spatial, musical, bodily/kinaesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. The teachers explored how they can use this model in their classes to help their students learn in different ways. On the second day we put this into practice and delved into the importance of lesson plans and thorough preparation to ensure the teachers use as much learner focused activity as possible. It was very practical and the teachers went away with many examples to help put what they had learned into practice in their classrooms.
We were heartened and encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of the teachers involved. Many of them had not had any formal training but nonetheless approached each of the tasks and activties with vigour and a can-do attitude.
At one stage Rebecca had the class standing in a circle outside and throwing a roll of toilet paper at each other whilst asking questions and shouting answers. I’m sure they have never encountered such a thing before and may well have been hoping they will never do so again!
Nepal’s education approach is based heavily on rote learning to pass exams and we hope to break open this way of thinking with more of these courses in the future. We have tentatively scheduled the next courses for March/April 2008 and beyond then we will be providing advanced training to some of the teachers with a view to them then conducting the course on a more frequent basis for teachers from other schools. We also plan to make the course available to teachers from outside the Kathmandu Valley through some form of sponsorship program for teachers from remote schools in disadvantaged areas.
The Rosy Garden School has only recently been taken over by some people that we have been working closely with through CWISH. They are extremely passionate about developing a school that is cutting edge in terms of its approach to education and it is for this reason that we have become involved. We have many great plans for the model school (including a name change!) and are so excited about the possibilities it presents for the development and growth of the Foundation through the number of people whose lives we can touch.
We will keep you posted as plans progress but it certinly seems as though 2008 is going to be a huge year for the Foundation and we can’t wait to share all of the experiences and excitement with you!
01 November 2007
Women Journalists' Forum
It feels like a long time since my last blog but that is partly due to our being so busy here in Kathmandu! So, to bring you all up to speed, let me start with Monday this week.
As I had mentioned in previous entries, we have been joined in Kathmandu by one of our good friends, Janet. Janet has worked in journalism in Australia for many years and has been very eager to use her skills to help women journalists in Nepal. Journalism for women in Nepal is similar to many other professions in that it is much more difficult to be heard whether from a career prospective or simply just in the content of your work. The problems of access to education and family and social pressures also make journalism a challenging pursuit.
We invited a group of around 10 women who all shared a passion for making their voices heard to a round table discussion on the issues facing women in this industry. Janet, Rebecca and I met with the women in the ‘back room’ of a café in New Baneshwor and spent a lively 2 hours discussing the main issues they face, their hopes for the future and the areas in which they felt they needed the most help and support from us. Some of the recurring themes included their strong desire to hear about Janet’s experience of journalism in Australia and the prospects for women there. All of the women felt that this type of discussion was really inspiring and motivating for them. They were also keen to have an impromptu class on the basics of constructing a story and looking at some examples of the way news is reported across different publications in Australia. Janet came well prepared on this front and had even brought copies of some different newspapers from Australia to illustrate her points which the women enjoyed.
The tone of the class and the feedback afterwards was overwhelingly in favour of us working with Janet to setup a formal training course and in fact a number of the women enquired as to whether Janet would be available next week to start the training! This is testament to Janet’s demonstrated knowledge in this area as well as her presentation technique and we are immensely grateful to her for putting herself ‘out there’ and giving this a go. Of course now the real work for all of us begins as Janet is going to work on preparing a course that will give maximum benefit to the women whilst we will be working on the logistics of running the course probably some time in March next year.
Some unexpected benefits of the forum also came in the form of a number of the women meeting each other for the first time and vowing to keep in touch and perhaps even form an ongoing support group in order that they might work together on particular issues and projects. This would be a fantastic outcome as we always try to keep sustainability in mind when developing these projects – if these women can take their experience and training we provide and use them to promote their causes and help others to do the same, then who knows what the future might hold for Nepal?!
Stay tuned for updates as this project takes shape…
As I had mentioned in previous entries, we have been joined in Kathmandu by one of our good friends, Janet. Janet has worked in journalism in Australia for many years and has been very eager to use her skills to help women journalists in Nepal. Journalism for women in Nepal is similar to many other professions in that it is much more difficult to be heard whether from a career prospective or simply just in the content of your work. The problems of access to education and family and social pressures also make journalism a challenging pursuit.
We invited a group of around 10 women who all shared a passion for making their voices heard to a round table discussion on the issues facing women in this industry. Janet, Rebecca and I met with the women in the ‘back room’ of a café in New Baneshwor and spent a lively 2 hours discussing the main issues they face, their hopes for the future and the areas in which they felt they needed the most help and support from us. Some of the recurring themes included their strong desire to hear about Janet’s experience of journalism in Australia and the prospects for women there. All of the women felt that this type of discussion was really inspiring and motivating for them. They were also keen to have an impromptu class on the basics of constructing a story and looking at some examples of the way news is reported across different publications in Australia. Janet came well prepared on this front and had even brought copies of some different newspapers from Australia to illustrate her points which the women enjoyed.
The tone of the class and the feedback afterwards was overwhelingly in favour of us working with Janet to setup a formal training course and in fact a number of the women enquired as to whether Janet would be available next week to start the training! This is testament to Janet’s demonstrated knowledge in this area as well as her presentation technique and we are immensely grateful to her for putting herself ‘out there’ and giving this a go. Of course now the real work for all of us begins as Janet is going to work on preparing a course that will give maximum benefit to the women whilst we will be working on the logistics of running the course probably some time in March next year.
Some unexpected benefits of the forum also came in the form of a number of the women meeting each other for the first time and vowing to keep in touch and perhaps even form an ongoing support group in order that they might work together on particular issues and projects. This would be a fantastic outcome as we always try to keep sustainability in mind when developing these projects – if these women can take their experience and training we provide and use them to promote their causes and help others to do the same, then who knows what the future might hold for Nepal?!
Stay tuned for updates as this project takes shape…
28 October 2007
Bal Mandir Orphanage
Today provided one of the most enjoyable as well as depressing aspects of our visits to Nepal. We visited the main orphanage in Naxal in Kathmandu. 11 of the Foundation’s scholarship girls are orphans living here. As well as checking in on them we also had the opportunity to take a look around at the facilities and meet many of the other children and babies that have been abandoned for various reasons here.
Orphans and orphanages in Nepal are experiencing a very difficult time at present on a number of fronts. The first of these is that the ongoing political instability combined with an already high incidence of chronic poverty means that many families simply cannot afford to keep their children, especially if they are girls. As you probably know, girls and women do not enjoy an equal footing with boys and men in the minds and attitudes of many Nepalis. Children born with disabilities, even if relatively minor by developed world standards, are also often discarded. Today we saw a number of babies and children with various disabilities such as deafness, blindness, down’s syndrome and muscular dystrophy. In spite of the additional challenges these children face, their spirit, smiles and energy were infectious and inspiring.
Another challenge faced by orphanages in Nepal is the alarming rise in the number of people who have basically rented a house, put up a sign and declared their premises an orphanage. Even worse is that many of these places are buying (and in some cases kidnapping) babies and children from remote and poor areas and placing them in their ‘orphange’ in order to show foreigners who obviously then make donations for the care of the children. You can imagine how little of these donations are put towards the care of the children. Some of these establishments have also been selling babies to naïve foreigners for obscene amounts of money. This kind of behaviour has tarnished the reputation of all orphanges in Nepal and made things much more difficult for the legitimate organisations.
As a result of the alarming increase in the numbers of these ‘dodgy’ orphanages the government recently put a hold on all overseas adoptions until systems could be put in place to prevent this black market. Unfortunately as with most things in Nepal it has taken longer than expected to rectify the situation as the ministerial post responsible for handling this situation keeps changing and in fact at present does not have anyone to fill it! This causes particular concern for the legitimate orphanages which would typically be adopting out a reasonable number of their orphan babies to overseas parents – as this has ceased they are rapidly running out of space. Just because the government has stopped processing adoptions does not mean that children and babies have stopped becoming orphans.
This is just another example of the many challenges facing Nepal on a daily basis. You could be forgiven for thinking that the people must have given up hope but we can proudly report that we were shown around the orphange by a dedicated member of staff there who was as optimistic and determined as a person could be. Of course all of the children were playing as though they didn’t have a care in the world and we continue to hope for and work towards a Nepal in which this is true.
Orphans and orphanages in Nepal are experiencing a very difficult time at present on a number of fronts. The first of these is that the ongoing political instability combined with an already high incidence of chronic poverty means that many families simply cannot afford to keep their children, especially if they are girls. As you probably know, girls and women do not enjoy an equal footing with boys and men in the minds and attitudes of many Nepalis. Children born with disabilities, even if relatively minor by developed world standards, are also often discarded. Today we saw a number of babies and children with various disabilities such as deafness, blindness, down’s syndrome and muscular dystrophy. In spite of the additional challenges these children face, their spirit, smiles and energy were infectious and inspiring.
Another challenge faced by orphanages in Nepal is the alarming rise in the number of people who have basically rented a house, put up a sign and declared their premises an orphanage. Even worse is that many of these places are buying (and in some cases kidnapping) babies and children from remote and poor areas and placing them in their ‘orphange’ in order to show foreigners who obviously then make donations for the care of the children. You can imagine how little of these donations are put towards the care of the children. Some of these establishments have also been selling babies to naïve foreigners for obscene amounts of money. This kind of behaviour has tarnished the reputation of all orphanges in Nepal and made things much more difficult for the legitimate organisations.
As a result of the alarming increase in the numbers of these ‘dodgy’ orphanages the government recently put a hold on all overseas adoptions until systems could be put in place to prevent this black market. Unfortunately as with most things in Nepal it has taken longer than expected to rectify the situation as the ministerial post responsible for handling this situation keeps changing and in fact at present does not have anyone to fill it! This causes particular concern for the legitimate orphanages which would typically be adopting out a reasonable number of their orphan babies to overseas parents – as this has ceased they are rapidly running out of space. Just because the government has stopped processing adoptions does not mean that children and babies have stopped becoming orphans.
This is just another example of the many challenges facing Nepal on a daily basis. You could be forgiven for thinking that the people must have given up hope but we can proudly report that we were shown around the orphange by a dedicated member of staff there who was as optimistic and determined as a person could be. Of course all of the children were playing as though they didn’t have a care in the world and we continue to hope for and work towards a Nepal in which this is true.
24 October 2007
Back in Kathmandu!
We arrived in Kathmandu without incident on Sunday morning after taking an alternate route on Air China via Chengdu and Lhasa. The usual Thai flights have been booked out for weeks which is a fantastic sign for Nepal, which is absolutely buzzing with tourists. Another bonus for us was flying over the expanse of the Himalayas and directly alongside Mount Everest – a view that always inspires.
It is the middle of the major festival time in Nepal which always adds to the excitement around town. Many Nepalis are wearing their best clothes and racing from house to house to share food with their friends and families. There are often offerings placed on the streets and out the front of people’s homes in the hope of attracting Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, into the home or shop.
On Monday we met with some Nepali friends who invited us to their home for some dal bhat, well I should say it was rather more special than the usual variety. They placed about 15 dishes in front of us containing everything from spicy chicken to goat’s lung and most things in between. It was wonderful to share the festival experience with a local family. We also talked with them about the current political situation in the country and unfortunately it sounds as though things are as up in the air as always.
Tuesday was the first day of ‘work’ and our first task was collecting our friend, Janet, from the airport – always an adventure in its own right! This is Janet’s first visit to Nepal and she is planning to work with us on devising some Journalism training program for women journalists. We will also be showing her some of the sights of Kathmandu as well as some of the projects we have been working on.
In the afternoon we met with Milan and Shanti, directors of CWISH, one of our partner organisations in Kathmandu. We had many projects to discuss with them and are excited to confirm that we will be running our first teacher training program in the model school at the beginning of November. Bec will be conducting a 3 day course for the teachers of the school on different teaching methods encompassing different learning styles. This is the first step in our long term plan to make the model school a resource for this type of work so that we can then expand the program to other teachers and schools thoughout all of Nepal!
On the model school, CWISH have taken over an existing school for this purpose about 1 month ago. We will be visiting the school next week and helping them with plans for decoration and sourcing resources and equipment. The school currently has about 200 students between Nursery and class 10, including 40 students living in the school hostel. We will be looking at a particular scholarship program that will be run through this school in the coming months so stay tuned!
We also discussed the jounalism program with Janet, Milan and Shanti. We are going to conduct an initial session one morning with some young women journalists who are currently working on their own community radio station. We hope to get an idea from speaking with them about exactly what type of things they are most interested in receiving support for and also an idea of what they are most passionate about in pursuing journalism in Nepal. From there we will be able to devise a program targeted to their needs and aspirations, and this can then be run on future visits to Nepal.
So, as you can see it’s full steam ahead for us here! Later in the week we will be visiting Bhaktapur and possibly Phulbari, and also checking in on some of the sponsored girls. As always we love to hear from you if you have any comments or questions – particularly whilst we are here in case it is something related to being in Nepal. That’s all for now but look out for more updates soon…
It is the middle of the major festival time in Nepal which always adds to the excitement around town. Many Nepalis are wearing their best clothes and racing from house to house to share food with their friends and families. There are often offerings placed on the streets and out the front of people’s homes in the hope of attracting Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, into the home or shop.
On Monday we met with some Nepali friends who invited us to their home for some dal bhat, well I should say it was rather more special than the usual variety. They placed about 15 dishes in front of us containing everything from spicy chicken to goat’s lung and most things in between. It was wonderful to share the festival experience with a local family. We also talked with them about the current political situation in the country and unfortunately it sounds as though things are as up in the air as always.
Tuesday was the first day of ‘work’ and our first task was collecting our friend, Janet, from the airport – always an adventure in its own right! This is Janet’s first visit to Nepal and she is planning to work with us on devising some Journalism training program for women journalists. We will also be showing her some of the sights of Kathmandu as well as some of the projects we have been working on.
In the afternoon we met with Milan and Shanti, directors of CWISH, one of our partner organisations in Kathmandu. We had many projects to discuss with them and are excited to confirm that we will be running our first teacher training program in the model school at the beginning of November. Bec will be conducting a 3 day course for the teachers of the school on different teaching methods encompassing different learning styles. This is the first step in our long term plan to make the model school a resource for this type of work so that we can then expand the program to other teachers and schools thoughout all of Nepal!
On the model school, CWISH have taken over an existing school for this purpose about 1 month ago. We will be visiting the school next week and helping them with plans for decoration and sourcing resources and equipment. The school currently has about 200 students between Nursery and class 10, including 40 students living in the school hostel. We will be looking at a particular scholarship program that will be run through this school in the coming months so stay tuned!
We also discussed the jounalism program with Janet, Milan and Shanti. We are going to conduct an initial session one morning with some young women journalists who are currently working on their own community radio station. We hope to get an idea from speaking with them about exactly what type of things they are most interested in receiving support for and also an idea of what they are most passionate about in pursuing journalism in Nepal. From there we will be able to devise a program targeted to their needs and aspirations, and this can then be run on future visits to Nepal.
So, as you can see it’s full steam ahead for us here! Later in the week we will be visiting Bhaktapur and possibly Phulbari, and also checking in on some of the sponsored girls. As always we love to hear from you if you have any comments or questions – particularly whilst we are here in case it is something related to being in Nepal. That’s all for now but look out for more updates soon…
15 October 2007
Trip to Nepal
Where does the time go? I can’t believe we are already half way through October, it feels like only yesterday I was in Kathmandu! Well, it is time to return so Rebecca and I will be travelling to Nepal next Saturday, 20th October and we will be staying for around 2 weeks.
During our time in Nepal we have loads of exciting projects to both conduct and also plan for future trips next year. I will just mention a few of the main ones here and of course will keep you all updated with regular blogs when we are there.
Intellectual Property Training
Bec will be running two IP training courses for various industry groups in Kathmandu. We have been working towards this program for some time with the Nepal Trade and Export Promotion Centre. The course is designed to provide Nepali business people with basic information about their Intellectual Property rights and also their obligations. It will be particularly useful for those with import/export interests to help them exploit their brands and Nepal’s unique traditional knowledge overseas. With the recent political uncertainty in the country, IP has been one of the many areas that has failed to make it on to the list of priorities for government and seeing as it is Bec’s specialty we thought it would make sense to try and help out!
Teacher Training
We will be running the first of what we hope will be many teacher training courses with one of our new partners. We are in fact hoping that the course will be run from the new Model School which has recently been acquired (more on that once we are in Nepal). The course is designed to present teachers with more variety and creativity in teaching methods and to use non-violent means of disciplining students – two issues of critical importance in Nepal these days. We expect to run the course with some more experienced teachers this time with a view to them becoming trainers themselves so that the course can continue on a regular basis.
Journalism Course
A friend will be joining us on this trip which is going to be a lot of fun. She is a production editor with a professional publication in Australia and we are working with her to set up training for women interested in journalism. Long term we hope to set up facilities for the women to use their skills in creating community newspapers/newsletters as well as helping more experienced female journalists to make their voices heard. It will also be a great experience on a tourism level as our friend has never visited Nepal before so we will be showing her the sights and sharing some of the crazy adventures that inevitably happen there!
Dream Catchers
We will try to visit as many of the girls who are currently studying thanks to scholarships provided under our Dream Catchers project as possible. will be collecting report cards for all of the girls with their 1st term results and we will be sending these on to sponsors upon our return.
Other projects and plans
We will be meeting with some other people to work on developing some potential new projects and will provide updates as these come to fruition. We will also be spending a lot of our time working on plans for the trip next year by a group of girls from MLC Burwood. For more information on the plans for their trip you can take a look at our previous blog entry - http://mitrataa.blogspot.com/2007/07/exciting-plans-for-2008.html.
We are as always very excited to be returning to Kathmandu and hope to share as much of this fun and enthusiasm with you all through this blog along the way. In the mean time, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions for us for this trip or any other aspect of the Foundation.
During our time in Nepal we have loads of exciting projects to both conduct and also plan for future trips next year. I will just mention a few of the main ones here and of course will keep you all updated with regular blogs when we are there.
Intellectual Property Training
Bec will be running two IP training courses for various industry groups in Kathmandu. We have been working towards this program for some time with the Nepal Trade and Export Promotion Centre. The course is designed to provide Nepali business people with basic information about their Intellectual Property rights and also their obligations. It will be particularly useful for those with import/export interests to help them exploit their brands and Nepal’s unique traditional knowledge overseas. With the recent political uncertainty in the country, IP has been one of the many areas that has failed to make it on to the list of priorities for government and seeing as it is Bec’s specialty we thought it would make sense to try and help out!
Teacher Training
We will be running the first of what we hope will be many teacher training courses with one of our new partners. We are in fact hoping that the course will be run from the new Model School which has recently been acquired (more on that once we are in Nepal). The course is designed to present teachers with more variety and creativity in teaching methods and to use non-violent means of disciplining students – two issues of critical importance in Nepal these days. We expect to run the course with some more experienced teachers this time with a view to them becoming trainers themselves so that the course can continue on a regular basis.
Journalism Course
A friend will be joining us on this trip which is going to be a lot of fun. She is a production editor with a professional publication in Australia and we are working with her to set up training for women interested in journalism. Long term we hope to set up facilities for the women to use their skills in creating community newspapers/newsletters as well as helping more experienced female journalists to make their voices heard. It will also be a great experience on a tourism level as our friend has never visited Nepal before so we will be showing her the sights and sharing some of the crazy adventures that inevitably happen there!
Dream Catchers
We will try to visit as many of the girls who are currently studying thanks to scholarships provided under our Dream Catchers project as possible. will be collecting report cards for all of the girls with their 1st term results and we will be sending these on to sponsors upon our return.
Other projects and plans
We will be meeting with some other people to work on developing some potential new projects and will provide updates as these come to fruition. We will also be spending a lot of our time working on plans for the trip next year by a group of girls from MLC Burwood. For more information on the plans for their trip you can take a look at our previous blog entry - http://mitrataa.blogspot.com/2007/07/exciting-plans-for-2008.html.
We are as always very excited to be returning to Kathmandu and hope to share as much of this fun and enthusiasm with you all through this blog along the way. In the mean time, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions for us for this trip or any other aspect of the Foundation.
12 September 2007
New fundraising ideas and other news
Some good news to start things off – we have finally set up a PayPal account and now have this option for donating money and paying sponsorship through our website. You can currently pay through the Dream Catchers section but we are also re-jigging a few of the pages on the site to incorporate the option on other pages and will post an update here when that is complete. The PayPal setup also relates to a couple of other ideas we have been working on…
As more of our projects take off, we need to raise more funds so we are looking at some creative fundraising ideas:
Gratitude Elephants
Many of our friends have recently received a small gift in the mail - a Gratitude Elephant. These are small elephants hand-made by women’s co-operatives in remote areas of Nepal. We are working on sourcing a regular supply of them from Nepal and plan to sell them as a gift option from our website. We enclosed a small message when we sent them to friends that reminded them to be grateful for everything they have in the world and to always think of those less fortunate. We were amazed at the enthusiastic response we received and some have even decided to take up the gesture with their own network of friends which is very exciting. It all comes back to the idea that the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. As the result of enthusiastic requests, we have decided to make these Gratitude Elephants available on the website. Stay tuned for news of when this part of the website is up and running and get ready to place your orders! Of course 100% of the profit from the sale of the elephants will go towards the work of the Foundation and you will be helping Nepali women as well as getting a great gift to give friends.
Mitrataa Incense
Once we have the website shop up and running we will be offering Mitrataa incense for sale. The incense comes in a compact box and includes a Mitrataa ceramic tile to hold the burning incense, and four different fragrances of incense to burn. We will be able to take larger orders for the incense if people want to on-sell them in their shops, cafes etc too. As with the elephants, 100% of the profit from the sale of the incense will go towards the work of the Foundation.
So, lots of new reasons to come back to our website http://www.mitrataa.org! As we start to expand the range of things on offer it may also be a great time to forward this blog posting or our info on to anyone you think may be interested in Mitrataa and the work we do.
We are off to Nepal in October for 2 weeks to run a teacher training course, an IP training course and an exciting new training course for women journalists in Kathmandu with a wonderful guest presenter. Watch this space for more information to follow shortly.
As more of our projects take off, we need to raise more funds so we are looking at some creative fundraising ideas:
Gratitude Elephants
Many of our friends have recently received a small gift in the mail - a Gratitude Elephant. These are small elephants hand-made by women’s co-operatives in remote areas of Nepal. We are working on sourcing a regular supply of them from Nepal and plan to sell them as a gift option from our website. We enclosed a small message when we sent them to friends that reminded them to be grateful for everything they have in the world and to always think of those less fortunate. We were amazed at the enthusiastic response we received and some have even decided to take up the gesture with their own network of friends which is very exciting. It all comes back to the idea that the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. As the result of enthusiastic requests, we have decided to make these Gratitude Elephants available on the website. Stay tuned for news of when this part of the website is up and running and get ready to place your orders! Of course 100% of the profit from the sale of the elephants will go towards the work of the Foundation and you will be helping Nepali women as well as getting a great gift to give friends.
Mitrataa Incense
Once we have the website shop up and running we will be offering Mitrataa incense for sale. The incense comes in a compact box and includes a Mitrataa ceramic tile to hold the burning incense, and four different fragrances of incense to burn. We will be able to take larger orders for the incense if people want to on-sell them in their shops, cafes etc too. As with the elephants, 100% of the profit from the sale of the incense will go towards the work of the Foundation.
So, lots of new reasons to come back to our website http://www.mitrataa.org! As we start to expand the range of things on offer it may also be a great time to forward this blog posting or our info on to anyone you think may be interested in Mitrataa and the work we do.
We are off to Nepal in October for 2 weeks to run a teacher training course, an IP training course and an exciting new training course for women journalists in Kathmandu with a wonderful guest presenter. Watch this space for more information to follow shortly.
Take care and have fun always!
18 July 2007
Exciting Plans for 2008!
I mentioned in a previous entry that we are planning some activities for a group of girls from MLC Burwood (a private girls’ school in Sydney) to do when they visit Nepal next year. Well, their trip is now booked and we are getting down to the nitty gritty of sorting things out! There are about 30 people coming in total so it is sure to be a fantastic experience for all involved. The first week the group will be doing some trekking and the second week will be spent with us on various Foundation projects.
Bhaktapur
We are going to spend one morning visiting the historic town of Bhaktapur, just outside of Kathmandu. Bhaktapur has many beautifully restored temples and buildings and is an excellent living example of traditional Nepalese architecture and design. We have been helping the Muscular Dystrophy Centre there so we are going to work with them to do a treasure hunt weaving through the alleys and laneways of the town. We will divide the group up into teams and each team will include a couple of boys from the centre. This will be an amazing day for these boys as they rarely ‘get out’ and are not allowed to go to school because of their disability – it really will be a once in a lifetime experience for them!
The program will conclude with a lunch in a traditional Newari (one of the main castes in Nepalese society and the major influence on the architecture and culture of Bhaktapur) house. The house we have in mind has been renovated recently after it fell into disrepair and became a chicken shed! The restoration work is spectacular and has even received an award from UNESCO.
Phulbari
One day will be spent visiting a school the Foundation is working closely with in Phulbari. This is a small village in the hills just outside of the Kathmandu Valley. Reaching the school will involve a small trek as the bus can only get us so far!
At the school the MLC girls will be divided into groups to work on a number of different activities including:
1. Teaching an art class with a view to the Nepali students preparing some works that can be auctioned in Australia as a fundraising exercise;
2. Painting a mural on one of the outside walls of the school building; and
3. Delivering library bags that the girls will have prepared in Sydney before the trip.
Teaching – Model School
Two of the days will be scheduled for teaching programs in the model school, another project the Foundation is working on at present. Some of the activities we are working on doing with the girls include:
1. Teacher training programs in which the girls from MLC provide examples of the different methods of teaching that could be used to teach a straightforward class such as Maths or Geography;
2. Starting the 100 VIEWS project, a teaching project focused around students doing creative works based on places/things of significance in their school’s area (more information can be found at http://www.100views.com.au/); and
3. Preparing a musical/dance item to perform for the school. The idea here is that the Nepali students will also perform a traditional Nepalese dance and then each group can teach the other their dance, no doubt leading to loads of fun and laughter!
These are just a few of the things we are working on at the moment and it already looks as though it is going to be an amazing experience. The plan is for MLC to introduce this trip as a regular activity for the girls each year which means they will be able to develop ongoing relationships with the places they visit and the people they meet.
We want to give our heartfelt thanks to Rosemary King and Judy Tenzing, both of whom originally approached us with this idea. Rosemary is a teacher at MLC and is the chief organiser within the school, Judy teaches at another school and is a good friend of Rosemary’s and most importantly is responsible for organising all of the travel logistics for the trip! Judy has a longstanding association with Nepal and she shares our passion for its people and culture. We are really excited to be working with her on this initiative.
It is so rewarding to be able to work on a project that creates more direct involvement with people from Australia and hopefully it is only the start of something that will become much bigger!
Bhaktapur
We are going to spend one morning visiting the historic town of Bhaktapur, just outside of Kathmandu. Bhaktapur has many beautifully restored temples and buildings and is an excellent living example of traditional Nepalese architecture and design. We have been helping the Muscular Dystrophy Centre there so we are going to work with them to do a treasure hunt weaving through the alleys and laneways of the town. We will divide the group up into teams and each team will include a couple of boys from the centre. This will be an amazing day for these boys as they rarely ‘get out’ and are not allowed to go to school because of their disability – it really will be a once in a lifetime experience for them!
The program will conclude with a lunch in a traditional Newari (one of the main castes in Nepalese society and the major influence on the architecture and culture of Bhaktapur) house. The house we have in mind has been renovated recently after it fell into disrepair and became a chicken shed! The restoration work is spectacular and has even received an award from UNESCO.
Phulbari
One day will be spent visiting a school the Foundation is working closely with in Phulbari. This is a small village in the hills just outside of the Kathmandu Valley. Reaching the school will involve a small trek as the bus can only get us so far!
At the school the MLC girls will be divided into groups to work on a number of different activities including:
1. Teaching an art class with a view to the Nepali students preparing some works that can be auctioned in Australia as a fundraising exercise;
2. Painting a mural on one of the outside walls of the school building; and
3. Delivering library bags that the girls will have prepared in Sydney before the trip.
Teaching – Model School
Two of the days will be scheduled for teaching programs in the model school, another project the Foundation is working on at present. Some of the activities we are working on doing with the girls include:
1. Teacher training programs in which the girls from MLC provide examples of the different methods of teaching that could be used to teach a straightforward class such as Maths or Geography;
2. Starting the 100 VIEWS project, a teaching project focused around students doing creative works based on places/things of significance in their school’s area (more information can be found at http://www.100views.com.au/); and
3. Preparing a musical/dance item to perform for the school. The idea here is that the Nepali students will also perform a traditional Nepalese dance and then each group can teach the other their dance, no doubt leading to loads of fun and laughter!
These are just a few of the things we are working on at the moment and it already looks as though it is going to be an amazing experience. The plan is for MLC to introduce this trip as a regular activity for the girls each year which means they will be able to develop ongoing relationships with the places they visit and the people they meet.
We want to give our heartfelt thanks to Rosemary King and Judy Tenzing, both of whom originally approached us with this idea. Rosemary is a teacher at MLC and is the chief organiser within the school, Judy teaches at another school and is a good friend of Rosemary’s and most importantly is responsible for organising all of the travel logistics for the trip! Judy has a longstanding association with Nepal and she shares our passion for its people and culture. We are really excited to be working with her on this initiative.
It is so rewarding to be able to work on a project that creates more direct involvement with people from Australia and hopefully it is only the start of something that will become much bigger!
29 June 2007
Just some thoughts...
Well I'm back in Shanghai after a fantastic trip to Australia, successful both as a holiday for Bec and I but also for some of the really positive and exciting meetings we had for the Foundation.
I have just finished reading "The End of Poverty" by Jeffrey Sachs and I have to say it is well worth the read. He gives some amazing examples of ways that developing countries have been able to move forward and he also sets out exactly how achievable initiatives such as the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) are. It is also interesting to read about the apparent disconnect between the rhetoric of developed countries and their real actions, and the fact that we all have a responsibility to call them out on this.
I then also happened across a little article in the Nepali Times recently which suggests that at the current rate the MDGs with regard to education will not be achieved. It also reveals that almost 700,000 Nepalese children are still without access to education. You can access the article by clicking here. I was shocked by this figure but not surprised.
All of this reading has led me to two thoughts:
1. How worthwhile and critical the work of the Foundation is in helping the children of Nepal to create opportunities and the means to end their struggle with poverty; and
2. How easy it is for all of us to make a difference. Contributing does not always have to involve giving money, there are many other things all of us can do such as -
I have just finished reading "The End of Poverty" by Jeffrey Sachs and I have to say it is well worth the read. He gives some amazing examples of ways that developing countries have been able to move forward and he also sets out exactly how achievable initiatives such as the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) are. It is also interesting to read about the apparent disconnect between the rhetoric of developed countries and their real actions, and the fact that we all have a responsibility to call them out on this.
I then also happened across a little article in the Nepali Times recently which suggests that at the current rate the MDGs with regard to education will not be achieved. It also reveals that almost 700,000 Nepalese children are still without access to education. You can access the article by clicking here. I was shocked by this figure but not surprised.
All of this reading has led me to two thoughts:
1. How worthwhile and critical the work of the Foundation is in helping the children of Nepal to create opportunities and the means to end their struggle with poverty; and
2. How easy it is for all of us to make a difference. Contributing does not always have to involve giving money, there are many other things all of us can do such as -
- becoming more informed about situations of particular interest
- promoting awareness of these issues
- volunteering time and skills
- joining groups of likeminded people to share ideas and work together on larger projects
I know it often seems as though there are too many problems in the world and so there is no point doing anything. I also know from first hand experience that very small acts of kindness and generosity can change the lives of people in unimagineable ways.
We all have a choice, what will yours be?
14 June 2007
Travelling Again!
Namaste again and apologies for the gap on posting lately! I returned to Shanghai from Kathmandu on Tuesday (5th June) after a very productive and rewarding trip. I barely had time to wash my clothes and detox myself before Bec and I were on a plane to Sydney the next Saturday (9th June).
Our time in Sydney has been extremely hectic in terms of catching up with friends and family but most importantly we have also had the opportunity to get some work done for the Foundation. We met with the board of directors in Sydney and spent a few hours discussing my recent trip to Kathmandu as well as plans for many of the projects to move forward. Some simple little things that we have worked out include adding PayPal to the website for easier donation/sponsorship payment, adding a subscribe button to this blog so we can spread the Mitrataa story further more easily, and making plans for more regular fundraising ideas for Sydney.
At the rather inhumane time of 7:30am on Tuesday (12th June) we visited MLC Burwood (a private girls' school in Sydney) to discuss Nepal and plans for a group of girls to visit next year. This is a really exciting project that now has around 28 people booked in to attend. They will travel to Nepal in April 2008, spend one week trekking and seeing the sights, and then the second week will be spent working on various projects for the Foundation. It was awesome, as always, to have the opportunity to speak to a group of people about our experiences in Nepal and share some of our passion and enthusiasm for doing work there. As plans become more concrete we will post details on our website - http://www.mitrataa.org/.
We also had the good fortune of being able to give a presentation about the Foundation to one of the Sydney district Rotary Clubs. This was organised through one of our good friends and directors, Sarah Johnstone. Again, we were more than happy to have the opportunity to speak about Nepal and we are hoping that we may be able to work with the Club on some initiatives in the new fiscal year.
That's all for now, Bec and I are spending this week in Bendigo having a bit of a retreat and catching up on some work that inevitably arises from all of this travel!
Our time in Sydney has been extremely hectic in terms of catching up with friends and family but most importantly we have also had the opportunity to get some work done for the Foundation. We met with the board of directors in Sydney and spent a few hours discussing my recent trip to Kathmandu as well as plans for many of the projects to move forward. Some simple little things that we have worked out include adding PayPal to the website for easier donation/sponsorship payment, adding a subscribe button to this blog so we can spread the Mitrataa story further more easily, and making plans for more regular fundraising ideas for Sydney.
At the rather inhumane time of 7:30am on Tuesday (12th June) we visited MLC Burwood (a private girls' school in Sydney) to discuss Nepal and plans for a group of girls to visit next year. This is a really exciting project that now has around 28 people booked in to attend. They will travel to Nepal in April 2008, spend one week trekking and seeing the sights, and then the second week will be spent working on various projects for the Foundation. It was awesome, as always, to have the opportunity to speak to a group of people about our experiences in Nepal and share some of our passion and enthusiasm for doing work there. As plans become more concrete we will post details on our website - http://www.mitrataa.org/.
We also had the good fortune of being able to give a presentation about the Foundation to one of the Sydney district Rotary Clubs. This was organised through one of our good friends and directors, Sarah Johnstone. Again, we were more than happy to have the opportunity to speak about Nepal and we are hoping that we may be able to work with the Club on some initiatives in the new fiscal year.
That's all for now, Bec and I are spending this week in Bendigo having a bit of a retreat and catching up on some work that inevitably arises from all of this travel!
02 June 2007
More Smiling Faces, More Sad Stories
Yesterday was a similarly exhausting but invigorating day as the day before. This time I set off early from Kathmandu for the cultural city of Bhaktapur. Famous for its beautiful examples of Newari architecture, the wonderfully preserved/restored temples and buildings shone magnificently in the morning sunlight. I was in Bhaktapur to meet our friend Rabindra, who is responsible for managing around 30 of the scholarships that have been granted this year.
After a quick breakfast and update on our news, we prepared to leave to visit the first school. My first surprise came at Rabindra’s office where he revealed that he and a couple of his dedicated staff had managed to source some backpacks full of school supplies, uniform and shoes for each of the girls receiving scholarships to be given. They had also managed to have ‘Mitrataa Foundation’ stitched across the front of each pack! I was so touched as this was particularly unexpected. It is always fantastic to be able to work with people equally as dedicated to our cause!
We set off for the small village of Phulbari which is in the hills on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley. For people who know Nepal, it is near to Dhulikhel and Namo Buddha. Rabindra luckily has a 4WD otherwise it would be a long trek along some very rough roads and tracks! It is always nice to get out of the cities and up into the countryside and yesterday was no exception.
After about 1½ hours driving we reached our destination. Rabindra is already somewhat of a celebrity in this village as he raised the funds to build a brand new school building to replace the old tin sheds that were being used previously. He is also helping to restore some of the traditional style homes and other buildings in the area. As we rounded the final bend and walked down the track that leads into the school I was stunned to find the entire school lining the path clapping and cheering. There must have been around 300 people there – I think half the village had joined in too! I really don’t like to make a big deal out of the work we do and I find these displays a little embarrassing but I have come to learn that it is as much for the children’s pleasure as it is to show appreciation.
After walking through our welcome tunnel and meeting the school’s principal we were seated at the front of the school with all the students sitting and standing before us. After a couple of short speeches I presented one of the new backpacks to each of the scholarship girls. Of course they were very shy and humble when in front of everyone receiving their bags but I spied a number of them quickly racing away to the side to look at what was inside! Once the presentation was finished Rabindra and I had some tea and chatted with the teachers for a while. When it was time to leave we were greeted with the sight of all the girls in their brand new uniforms asking for another photo! No matter how often you see it this amount of enthusiasm is so contagious. 
So after another small photo shoot we left for our next stop on the trip – the town of Panauti, which is half way back towards Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. We were just briefly going to meet a few of the girls that had received scholarships here. Again some terrible stories of poverty and struggle unfolded. The first girl we met had 5 sisters, basically because the parents kept trying for a son. Eventually they gave up but are now ‘stuck’ with 6 girls to feed – and in traditional Nepali culture that is pretty much the attitude towards having girls. To add to the families problems the father has basically drunk himself into brain damage and spends his days roaming around the town shouting at nothing and mumbling to himself. The mother and grandmother both work as labourers to try and earn enough for rent and to feed everyone. The most heartening news to come from this story is that the daughter with the scholarship is actually coming first in her class, she takes her studies very seriously and she also really enjoys it!
The second girl we met had 7 sisters, including 2 sets of twins! Their situation is similar to the one above in that basically the father is useless and the mother is left to struggle to take care of all of the girls. It is easy to detect the slight bitterness in her voice when she tells the story – she knew they should stop having children after 2 or 3, but her husband wanted a son so she basically was forced to keep churning out the kids. Of course she is now especially frustrated that it is she that is left to try and take care of them as the husband blames her for not giving him a son. In his eyes she caused this problem so she can deal with it!
The final girl we met in Panauti was in many ways in the most dire situation. Her father died a few years ago and not long after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother sold all of their property and possessions to pay for her medical treatment which worked initially. But at the beginning of the year she relapsed and is now in hospital with not long to live. The girl has one older sister who attends college in the morning and works in people’s houses washing clothes and dishes in the afternoons to make enough money take care of her and her sister. Tragically, the little girl was all too aware that soon it would only be her and her sister left in the world.
By the time I returned to Kathmandu in the early evening I was once again relieved to be able to lie down and contemplate the day’s events. Such joy and sorrow in equal measures, it really reminds me how lucky we are.
I probably won’t be visiting any more children on this trip, and this morning I was greeted with the news that today is another strike! So, I must now try to find some creative ways to still finish all the meetings I had planned before I leave next Monday!
After a quick breakfast and update on our news, we prepared to leave to visit the first school. My first surprise came at Rabindra’s office where he revealed that he and a couple of his dedicated staff had managed to source some backpacks full of school supplies, uniform and shoes for each of the girls receiving scholarships to be given. They had also managed to have ‘Mitrataa Foundation’ stitched across the front of each pack! I was so touched as this was particularly unexpected. It is always fantastic to be able to work with people equally as dedicated to our cause!We set off for the small village of Phulbari which is in the hills on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley. For people who know Nepal, it is near to Dhulikhel and Namo Buddha. Rabindra luckily has a 4WD otherwise it would be a long trek along some very rough roads and tracks! It is always nice to get out of the cities and up into the countryside and yesterday was no exception.
After about 1½ hours driving we reached our destination. Rabindra is already somewhat of a celebrity in this village as he raised the funds to build a brand new school building to replace the old tin sheds that were being used previously. He is also helping to restore some of the traditional style homes and other buildings in the area. As we rounded the final bend and walked down the track that leads into the school I was stunned to find the entire school lining the path clapping and cheering. There must have been around 300 people there – I think half the village had joined in too! I really don’t like to make a big deal out of the work we do and I find these displays a little embarrassing but I have come to learn that it is as much for the children’s pleasure as it is to show appreciation.
After walking through our welcome tunnel and meeting the school’s principal we were seated at the front of the school with all the students sitting and standing before us. After a couple of short speeches I presented one of the new backpacks to each of the scholarship girls. Of course they were very shy and humble when in front of everyone receiving their bags but I spied a number of them quickly racing away to the side to look at what was inside! Once the presentation was finished Rabindra and I had some tea and chatted with the teachers for a while. When it was time to leave we were greeted with the sight of all the girls in their brand new uniforms asking for another photo! No matter how often you see it this amount of enthusiasm is so contagious.
So after another small photo shoot we left for our next stop on the trip – the town of Panauti, which is half way back towards Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. We were just briefly going to meet a few of the girls that had received scholarships here. Again some terrible stories of poverty and struggle unfolded. The first girl we met had 5 sisters, basically because the parents kept trying for a son. Eventually they gave up but are now ‘stuck’ with 6 girls to feed – and in traditional Nepali culture that is pretty much the attitude towards having girls. To add to the families problems the father has basically drunk himself into brain damage and spends his days roaming around the town shouting at nothing and mumbling to himself. The mother and grandmother both work as labourers to try and earn enough for rent and to feed everyone. The most heartening news to come from this story is that the daughter with the scholarship is actually coming first in her class, she takes her studies very seriously and she also really enjoys it!
The second girl we met had 7 sisters, including 2 sets of twins! Their situation is similar to the one above in that basically the father is useless and the mother is left to struggle to take care of all of the girls. It is easy to detect the slight bitterness in her voice when she tells the story – she knew they should stop having children after 2 or 3, but her husband wanted a son so she basically was forced to keep churning out the kids. Of course she is now especially frustrated that it is she that is left to try and take care of them as the husband blames her for not giving him a son. In his eyes she caused this problem so she can deal with it!
The final girl we met in Panauti was in many ways in the most dire situation. Her father died a few years ago and not long after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother sold all of their property and possessions to pay for her medical treatment which worked initially. But at the beginning of the year she relapsed and is now in hospital with not long to live. The girl has one older sister who attends college in the morning and works in people’s houses washing clothes and dishes in the afternoons to make enough money take care of her and her sister. Tragically, the little girl was all too aware that soon it would only be her and her sister left in the world.
By the time I returned to Kathmandu in the early evening I was once again relieved to be able to lie down and contemplate the day’s events. Such joy and sorrow in equal measures, it really reminds me how lucky we are.
I probably won’t be visiting any more children on this trip, and this morning I was greeted with the news that today is another strike! So, I must now try to find some creative ways to still finish all the meetings I had planned before I leave next Monday!
01 June 2007
Smiling Faces, Sad Stories
Yesterday (Wednesday) was a long but very exciting day. It was the first time on this trip that I had the opportunity to meet some of the girls that have been given scholarships by the Foundation to attend school.
First thing in the morning I travelled to the office of an organisation we are working with (CWISH) to meet 11 of the girls. All of the girls we sitting very quietly in a circle around the periphery of the room when I came in with the director of CWISH, Milan. Milan explained that they were very meek and shy as each of them came from a bonded labourer background. This is still a disturbingly common practice in Kathmandu, wealthy families basically buying children from village families to work as little more than slaves in their homes. The transaction is often a loan, with the girl handed over as collateral. This is a sign of the desperate situation many Nepalese people face living in remote areas outside the conveniences and infrastructure of Kathmandu. In fairness some girls are treated very well, are given an education they otherwise would not have had, have a clean and safe place to live, and do not have to worry about where their next meal will come from.
A number of the girls in this room told heart wrenching stories of such extreme poverty living with their families in the villages that coming to Kathmandu seemed like a blessing. Imagine the confusion and feeling of isolation and abandonment when some of them were then thrust into a household in which they have to eat off the floor, sleep on the floor, go to the toilet in a patch of dirt outside, and are verbally and physically abused. Fortunately most girls are not treated this way.
However my heart still broke a little when 2 of the girls shared particularly sad stories. The first girl was 12 years old and said that she had been washing dishes for as long as she could remember. She wanted to apologise to us for her uniform being dirty because she had not had time to wash it as she had too many chores to do for her master. Also, she explained that to wash her clothes meant walking around 600 metres to fetch water from the nearest supply as she was not allowed to use the home’s water for her needs. She was almost crying as she told this which was so unbelievably difficult to watch. The second of the 2 said that whilst her home situation was quite good, she was not allowed to have any of the break times at school. At morning tea/recess and also at lunch she had to immediately return to the home to clean and do chores, such as making cups of tea, for her master. This meant she was not eating for the entire school day most times and she was also struggling to be allowed the time to complete her homework. Nonetheless, she was determined to continue her studies as she knew it was her only chance of a better future. It was amazingly uplifting for her to tell us that she wanted to become a teacher when she grew up, and she wanted to focus purely on helping children in similar situations to her.
As always, Nepal is a country of extremes. In the same instant as hearing a new case of extreme poverty and struggle you also hear a new story of determination that leaves you invigorated and inspired.
That afternoon I travelled to another CWISH location in Lalitpur, just south of Kathmandu. I met another 12 of the girls that have been given scholarships and heard many similar stories to the ones mentioned above. Despite all of this it never ceases to amaze me how happy and eager for learning these girls still are – it is a true triumph of the human spirit.
Back in my hotel room that night I collapsed on the bed and just kept thinking about all the poor young girls out there in the big opulent homes of the Kathmandu upper class – washing dishes, scrubbing floors, being shouted at. The day proved to be a very sobering and exhausting experience but one thing kept pushing its way to the front of my mind, “at least we are trying to do something”. I guess its fair to say if everyone that could do something to help someone or some cause, did actually do that something, then imagine how different the world would be. It may sound trite, clichéd, whatever, but its working toward that goal and vision that makes doing this possible.
First thing in the morning I travelled to the office of an organisation we are working with (CWISH) to meet 11 of the girls. All of the girls we sitting very quietly in a circle around the periphery of the room when I came in with the director of CWISH, Milan. Milan explained that they were very meek and shy as each of them came from a bonded labourer background. This is still a disturbingly common practice in Kathmandu, wealthy families basically buying children from village families to work as little more than slaves in their homes. The transaction is often a loan, with the girl handed over as collateral. This is a sign of the desperate situation many Nepalese people face living in remote areas outside the conveniences and infrastructure of Kathmandu. In fairness some girls are treated very well, are given an education they otherwise would not have had, have a clean and safe place to live, and do not have to worry about where their next meal will come from.
A number of the girls in this room told heart wrenching stories of such extreme poverty living with their families in the villages that coming to Kathmandu seemed like a blessing. Imagine the confusion and feeling of isolation and abandonment when some of them were then thrust into a household in which they have to eat off the floor, sleep on the floor, go to the toilet in a patch of dirt outside, and are verbally and physically abused. Fortunately most girls are not treated this way.However my heart still broke a little when 2 of the girls shared particularly sad stories. The first girl was 12 years old and said that she had been washing dishes for as long as she could remember. She wanted to apologise to us for her uniform being dirty because she had not had time to wash it as she had too many chores to do for her master. Also, she explained that to wash her clothes meant walking around 600 metres to fetch water from the nearest supply as she was not allowed to use the home’s water for her needs. She was almost crying as she told this which was so unbelievably difficult to watch. The second of the 2 said that whilst her home situation was quite good, she was not allowed to have any of the break times at school. At morning tea/recess and also at lunch she had to immediately return to the home to clean and do chores, such as making cups of tea, for her master. This meant she was not eating for the entire school day most times and she was also struggling to be allowed the time to complete her homework. Nonetheless, she was determined to continue her studies as she knew it was her only chance of a better future. It was amazingly uplifting for her to tell us that she wanted to become a teacher when she grew up, and she wanted to focus purely on helping children in similar situations to her.
As always, Nepal is a country of extremes. In the same instant as hearing a new case of extreme poverty and struggle you also hear a new story of determination that leaves you invigorated and inspired.
That afternoon I travelled to another CWISH location in Lalitpur, just south of Kathmandu. I met another 12 of the girls that have been given scholarships and heard many similar stories to the ones mentioned above. Despite all of this it never ceases to amaze me how happy and eager for learning these girls still are – it is a true triumph of the human spirit.
Back in my hotel room that night I collapsed on the bed and just kept thinking about all the poor young girls out there in the big opulent homes of the Kathmandu upper class – washing dishes, scrubbing floors, being shouted at. The day proved to be a very sobering and exhausting experience but one thing kept pushing its way to the front of my mind, “at least we are trying to do something”. I guess its fair to say if everyone that could do something to help someone or some cause, did actually do that something, then imagine how different the world would be. It may sound trite, clichéd, whatever, but its working toward that goal and vision that makes doing this possible.
30 May 2007
Small Project Success!
Yesterday turned out to be a very productive day thanks to a chance encounter with Bagman the evening before. I found him and his wife manning their little stall out the front of Centremart in the middle of Thamel as always. We chatted for a while about the latest happenings and I was particularly relieved to hear that his first grand daughter, born very prematurely when we were in Kathmandu in January, had finally gained enough strength to be released from hospital. Now she is a smiling little bundle of joy and Bagman could not contain his relief and pride. I do recall that during the ordeal it took a great toll on the family as he wanted to be with his son and daughter-in-law in the hospital but also had to run his stall to make the money to cover the enormous medical expenses. It is just another example of how much more difficult life is for the average people in this country.
Anyway, I was happy to see Bagman again because I had a small business proposal for him. We wanted him to make around 100 small cloth bags, similar to library bags, that we could use to distribute materials for our training courses and other projects. I explained the basic design and dimensions to him, we discussed fabric type and colour, and he confirmed it would be no problem. He asked me to visit his house (room) the next morning and he would show me the sample. I was a little surprised that he would have it ready so soon and began to wonder if he had understood my description!
So I arrived at his place the next morning (Tuesday) and was stunned to find he had produced exactly what I had asked for. I was really excited and so asked him if he could stitch ‘Mitrataa Foundation’ on the outside of the bag and he confirmed this would be no problem as well. He would have it ready by this afternoon! We agreed on quantity and price and I left him some money to go and buy fabric. He was obviously very excited by this project and I guessed it wasn’t often he had the opportunity to make such a large lump sum of money.
I returned that afternoon to find that he had completed the stitching perfectly to spec as well! He also informed me that he would have 130 bags completed by Sunday, in time for me to take them back to Shanghai with me! I stressed to him that there was no hurry and he must eat and sleep but he insisted that this blessing was sent from God and he was excited and honoured to do it. This also presented another interesting fact about Bagman and his family, they are Christian. I don’t know the figures but almost everyone in Nepal is Hindu (maybe 80%) or Buddhist (maybe 19%) and all other religions each make up less than 1%. Bagman had previously told us the sad tale of his being alcoholic which eventually led to some brain damage which is why his speech is somewhat impaired. He was shunned as a monster and mutant by his village, strictly Hindu, and so escaped to Kathmandu where he found a small Christian church that helped him and his family get back on their feet. I had never heard of such a story like this in Nepal, its quite amazing.
Anyway, the day ended with two missions accomplished – I had given Bagman some much need work and I had found someone to make our bags for us!
Anyway, I was happy to see Bagman again because I had a small business proposal for him. We wanted him to make around 100 small cloth bags, similar to library bags, that we could use to distribute materials for our training courses and other projects. I explained the basic design and dimensions to him, we discussed fabric type and colour, and he confirmed it would be no problem. He asked me to visit his house (room) the next morning and he would show me the sample. I was a little surprised that he would have it ready so soon and began to wonder if he had understood my description!
So I arrived at his place the next morning (Tuesday) and was stunned to find he had produced exactly what I had asked for. I was really excited and so asked him if he could stitch ‘Mitrataa Foundation’ on the outside of the bag and he confirmed this would be no problem as well. He would have it ready by this afternoon! We agreed on quantity and price and I left him some money to go and buy fabric. He was obviously very excited by this project and I guessed it wasn’t often he had the opportunity to make such a large lump sum of money.
I returned that afternoon to find that he had completed the stitching perfectly to spec as well! He also informed me that he would have 130 bags completed by Sunday, in time for me to take them back to Shanghai with me! I stressed to him that there was no hurry and he must eat and sleep but he insisted that this blessing was sent from God and he was excited and honoured to do it. This also presented another interesting fact about Bagman and his family, they are Christian. I don’t know the figures but almost everyone in Nepal is Hindu (maybe 80%) or Buddhist (maybe 19%) and all other religions each make up less than 1%. Bagman had previously told us the sad tale of his being alcoholic which eventually led to some brain damage which is why his speech is somewhat impaired. He was shunned as a monster and mutant by his village, strictly Hindu, and so escaped to Kathmandu where he found a small Christian church that helped him and his family get back on their feet. I had never heard of such a story like this in Nepal, its quite amazing.
Anyway, the day ended with two missions accomplished – I had given Bagman some much need work and I had found someone to make our bags for us!
28 May 2007
Strikes - What's New?!
Ok, so it hasn’t taken long for the usual challenges of life in Kathmandu to rear their ugly heads! Yesterday (Sunday) I was greeted at breakfast with the news that “today is strike”. In typical Nepali fashion there was no warning of this coming but it means the entire valley goes into shutdown. Most shops and businesses are closed, and there is no public transport, including taxis. As I had planned a number of meetings that involved me travelling to various places around the city my schedule was immediately thrown into disarray!
But, as they say in Nepal, “ke garne”! (“What to do!”)
I therefore spent most of yesterday making phone calls to rearrange meetings which was somewhat frustrating. However the upside was that I was able to spend the rest of the day leisurely sitting in a garden café drinking tea and reading. I guess when I put it that way its pretty hard to claim I was hard done by!
Today I had the great fortune of meeting our old friend ‘the bagman’. He was standing by his stall, in the same position as he always is, and gave me an enormous smile and greeting as he always does. I was particularly glad to meet him as I am hoping he will be able to sew some lightweight bags to be used for carrying notebooks etc. We will then use these for the various teacher training courses and other programs that we run outside of typical school programs. I figure it also gives him a good piece of business that he would probably not otherwise get. He tells me on average at the moment, when tourism volume is quite high, that he sells around 10 small bags and maybe 20 purses a day. This really is nowhere near enough for his family to get by and it is frustrating to think that he probably takes home less each day when he is trying to do something to earn money than the beggars in other parts of Thamel who make money by irritating people to the point that they pay them to go away. Anyway, that’s my little rant for the day!
So, tomorrow brings some (rescheduled) meetings and probably lots of typically unexpected things as is always the case in this crazy place! The good news is this means there will no doubt be lots more for me to write about in the days to come!
But, as they say in Nepal, “ke garne”! (“What to do!”)
I therefore spent most of yesterday making phone calls to rearrange meetings which was somewhat frustrating. However the upside was that I was able to spend the rest of the day leisurely sitting in a garden café drinking tea and reading. I guess when I put it that way its pretty hard to claim I was hard done by!
Today I had the great fortune of meeting our old friend ‘the bagman’. He was standing by his stall, in the same position as he always is, and gave me an enormous smile and greeting as he always does. I was particularly glad to meet him as I am hoping he will be able to sew some lightweight bags to be used for carrying notebooks etc. We will then use these for the various teacher training courses and other programs that we run outside of typical school programs. I figure it also gives him a good piece of business that he would probably not otherwise get. He tells me on average at the moment, when tourism volume is quite high, that he sells around 10 small bags and maybe 20 purses a day. This really is nowhere near enough for his family to get by and it is frustrating to think that he probably takes home less each day when he is trying to do something to earn money than the beggars in other parts of Thamel who make money by irritating people to the point that they pay them to go away. Anyway, that’s my little rant for the day!
So, tomorrow brings some (rescheduled) meetings and probably lots of typically unexpected things as is always the case in this crazy place! The good news is this means there will no doubt be lots more for me to write about in the days to come!
26 May 2007
Back in Kathmandu!
I arrived in Kathmandu yesterday so I think it is fitting that our first blog entry should come from the source so to speak! I was greeted with the usual chaos at the airport and had a particularly eager driver as we swerved through the small streets of the city, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake. Everything here is pretty much the same as before, not surprising as it was only 4 months ago we were here. One difference I could do without is that it is now blazing towards summer and the temperature has been threatening to reach 40 degrees (C)!
But crazy taxi drivers and uncomfortable weather are just two of the many things that make Kathmandu at once a challenging and exhilarating experience. There is no chance to ease into the different pace and culture here, it slaps you in the face the minute you set foot in the airport terminal. Life here quickly becomes a sink or swim situation!
Most of next week will be filled by meetings with our various partners and one of the things I am most looking forward to – meeting all of the girls that have received scholarships to attend school. I also have a lot of work to do with progressing plans for some of our other projects such as teacher training and adult literacy classes. I am only here for 10 days so I will probably spend this weekend catching up with old friends – the rickshaw driver who always has a new story to share, the beggar who actually hands out business cards showing her email address and mobile phone number (!) and ‘the bagman’, a speech impaired man who was treated as an outcaste for his disability so taught himself to sew and now has a small stall in the middle of Thamel where he sells his little bags and purses.
So on that note, I’ll leave it here. Stay tuned for updates….
But crazy taxi drivers and uncomfortable weather are just two of the many things that make Kathmandu at once a challenging and exhilarating experience. There is no chance to ease into the different pace and culture here, it slaps you in the face the minute you set foot in the airport terminal. Life here quickly becomes a sink or swim situation!
Most of next week will be filled by meetings with our various partners and one of the things I am most looking forward to – meeting all of the girls that have received scholarships to attend school. I also have a lot of work to do with progressing plans for some of our other projects such as teacher training and adult literacy classes. I am only here for 10 days so I will probably spend this weekend catching up with old friends – the rickshaw driver who always has a new story to share, the beggar who actually hands out business cards showing her email address and mobile phone number (!) and ‘the bagman’, a speech impaired man who was treated as an outcaste for his disability so taught himself to sew and now has a small stall in the middle of Thamel where he sells his little bags and purses.
So on that note, I’ll leave it here. Stay tuned for updates….
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