Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Devastation in Nepal. How can we help?!

Here I am again, on a plane, heading to St. Louis, Missouri. As much as I am looking forward to visiting family there, a part of me wishes I was back on a plane heading to Nepal. But I know that not being trained in disaster relief, that would not be very helpful right now and funds sent over will provide the most help. It’s been over a week since I returned from Nepal and now close to 48 hours since it was rocked by the largest earthquake they have had in 80 years. Hardest hit were areas in and around the Kathmandu Valley. I can’t believe that some of the ancient temples that I visited in the last month are gone. I can’t believe that friends whose homes I had visited are now living out in the open, exposed to early rains and cold. How can this be? How can this be happening!? But it does and when it does, many people are affected. In a country like Nepal, which thrives on tourism from people who come from the most affluent and developed countries, basic services are oftentimes lacking. And it’s only been in the last decade, after the end of the Maoist insurgency, that development resumed - roads were built, telecommunications expanded, and with that the building boom occurred. Many were leaving their rural homes to find a better life for themselves and their families in the city. Some sold their lands and built homes in the city. Others came without much to live in shanty towns or to rent a room from those more fortunate than themselves. But most came to the city to find a better life. Since my visit in 2006, Kathmandu had grown and my worst fears about the city and it’s people came true on Saturday.

So what can we do to help? This is always the question that comes to mind for many of us when disaster strikes. Being so far away, we feel so powerless to help and can only assist with our pocket books, if we have the means. Fortunately for Nepal, there are many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) already situated there who have already mobilized and many disaster-relief teams heading over there. However, that doesn’t mean everyone who needs the help has been getting the help. I’m hearing from friends, that their rural communities near the epicenter have been flattened. Communities to the east and north of Kathmandu, also decimated. It’s unknown if aid is getting out there yet, so some folks are resorting to local, grass roots efforts.

It doesn’t matter which route you take to help. Assistance will be needed immediately, but also long-term. Do a little homework when choosing a large organization and if giving to a specific individual or grass roots campaign, be sure you know who you’re working with. At TRIFC, we are keeping in touch with our contacts in Nepal and will eventually need to help with long-term assistance, however, we are directing our friends to help with direct relief efforts by those trained to respond to these kinds of disasters. Here are some links:

Message from Charity Navigator: http://blog.charitynavigator.org/2015/04/tips-for-donating-to-nepal-earthquake.html

New York Times article on how to help:
http://www.nytimes.com/live/earthquake-katmandu-nepal-updates/how-to-help-the-relief-effort-in-nepal

Link to Global Giving - Organization which will be supporting other relief organizations with funds.
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/nepal-earthquake-relief-fund/?rf=fb

Link to Bo M Karlsson Foundation - local Washington-based scholarship organization who will be providing supplies via a local advisor.
http://bomkarlsson.com/

Link to Empact Northwest - local Washington-based disaster team heading to Nepal
http://www.empactnorthwest.org/


 As many of you know, Nepal occupies a special part of my heart. From my first visit there in 2001 to today. I can’t tell you exactly why that is but one thing I know for sure, our friends, their families and communities need our help and our prayers (from whatever spiritual background you come from). Please keep them all in your hearts and help if you are able. Namaste.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Back in the US of A and am I ready for it?

Wow! What happened? I feel like I have been slingshotted back to the future but not really. Going from the US, with all it’s modernity, to Nepal, which is coming of age in some ways, back to the US, can really do a number on the body (via jet-lag) and the psyche. Does that make sense? I know it doesn’t. But overall, the transition back has been going well and thankfully, it really started when I was back in Nepal.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of Thamel, the tourist district of Kathmandu, I shifted (that’s the word they use there in Nepal to indicate a move, and I like it) to the Boudha neighborhood about 30 minutes to the west. It was like I had moved to an oasis of quiet amid an ocean of sound. Situated next to one of many monasteries in the area and in the shadow of Boudhanath Stupa (one of the largest stupas in Asia), the guest house was a welcomed change. I met travelers who had spent months studying Buddhism and meditation at the neighboring monastery and I met newly arrived travelers who had yet to shed the anxiety they were unable to leave behind.

My pace slowed down in Boudha. However, that’s relative because the pace is never fast to begin with. Everything feels slower, but mainly it’s the movement of people that’s slower. Traffic is slower, walking is slower. As a result of this slowing down of movement, it feels like one can see more. See more of each other and become a part of the movement rather than one trying to beat it.

And with this slowing down, I rode on the back of some of my friends' motorbikes. I would never do that here in the states! No way! But there, I did and it was exhilarating. Not because we were going fast (because we sure weren’t!), but because it felt like I became a part of the city and its people. Many get around on motorbikes or scooters. It’s an easy way to navigate around the bigger vehicles. Husbands and wives with a baby or child sandwiched between them were a common sight! I felt like I became a part of that fabric of life. It was one of many amazing and of course, fun, experiences!

So here I am back in the US. Everything is orderly. No honkings, no dogs barking, no traffic (except during rush hour), no uncontrolled exhaust blowing in your face. Interestingly enough, it feels slower than I remembered it to be. I feel like I am in a different kind of oasis, one in a sea of order. This is neither good nor bad. It just is. And although I was sad to leave Nepal, I am home. This is my reality and I'm ready for it. Now it’s time to get on with things here and continue to support the work we do there in Nepal. I’ll just have to remember to not rush, to be slow, and continue to be grateful. Thank-you for being a part of this journey. A journey of a lifetime. Dherai dhanyabaad and Namaste.

Boudhanath on Nepali New Year's Day 2072

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

HAPPY NEPALI NEW YEAR 2072!

Happy Nepali New Year, everyone! You might be wondering, how is it 2072 in Nepal? It’s because in Nepal, the official calendar is the Bikram Sambat calendar. It is approximately 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar and Mid-April usually marks the beginning of the year.


It’s been a wonderful trip leading up to the New Year! Over the last couple of weeks, our organization, TRIFC, hosted a camping trip with the kids from both DHC Newlife Center (DHC) and Disabled NewLife Center (DNC) followed by a 6-day Life Skills Training course for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI). Many last minute changes occurred due to weather and bandhs (road closures due to political strikes). However, everything went without a hitch. The camping trip was a huge success - it included art and craft activities, a magic act, sleeping in tents (a first for many of the kids), followed by a road trip to Dhulikhel for a wonderful picnic at a gorgeous and spacious park. Both events, the camping trip and the Life Skills course was based at the DNC home. Fun was had by all!



 




The Life Skills Training course for the BVI, was a huge success. It was organized by TRIFC Founder and Executive Director, Rob Rose, ADSoN Executive Director, Nirmala Gyawali, and members of the Rotaract Club of Dhulikhel. The Rotaractors have been involved with a local school in their town which is home to 14 BVI kids who participated in the program. These young men and women of Rotaract, visit the kids weekly to provide nutritional fruit and provide some basic life skills training. The week-long program focused more intensely on what these kids will need to know once they are out in the the real-world. Such things as mobility (white-cane use), self-defense, kitchen skills, money identification, house cleaning specifically sweeping, exercise and yoga were taught. All with the goal of empowering the kids to take charge of their lives and surroundings. Sristi KC, Founder of Blind Rocks was one of the main instructors along with a cadre of other BVI instructors and Rotaractors. Sristi and all those involved in teaching the were awesome. They all did a fantastic job making the teaching both relevant and fun. An added bonus was having the training at the DNC home facility. The children there have a variety of physical disabilities but they have not had much contact with BVI children. They jumped in and helped and when possible, were also invited to participate in some activities. It was the best experience one could hope for given all the changes that occurred. I must say, I really did not want this experience to end and I sure learned a ton!









But alas, here I am back in Thamel, the tourist district and last night was New Year’s Eve. Food vendors had set up shop on the sidewalks and the streets were packed with people all dressed up and ready to party. I got back early from my activities of the day and spent the evening with Naseer, a shop owner from Kashmir, India, talking about each others’ lives over a cup of tea. Tea flows freely here. Walk into any shop and tea will usually, but not always, be offered. I then headed to the closest store and got some treats for myself and the boys at the front desk here at my hotel. We enjoyed a delicious platter of buff (buffalo) momos, Fanta (it’s the go-to soda pop drink here!) and some crunchy snacks. It was our little way of celebrating the New Year. But it was short-lived as the boys had to get back to work to attend to their guests.

One thing about Nepal, there are numerous occasions to celebrate the New Year. For many of us the New Year is a time of reflection. As I reflect back on the last year and the last month for that matter, I am very grateful. I am grateful to be able to return to this lovely country in such a short time and spend it with amazing people, especially the kids! This trip has been and continues to be everything - exhausting but mostly rejuvenating, sad but mostly happy, yet most of all, inspiring. I’m inspired by the strength and spirit of the Nepali people. I wish them and all of you, a joyous, healthy and uplifting New Year 2072! Namaste.

Monday, April 06, 2015

More than everyday people

Where do I begin? The days are flying by faster than I can keep up this blog. I last wrote of the amazing people of Nepal who are doing great things for their fellow citizens, but over the last few days, I have spent some time with people who are just trying to make a living here in the Kathmandu Valley. I’ve chatted with trekking guides, cab drivers, and shop owners, many of whom have left their home towns to come to the big city to provide a better life for their children.

There’s the guide I’ll call Kishor who only makes about $15 a day on trips where clients pay ten times as much for the trip. He struggles to make ends meet as jobs are scarce even during the trekking season. He will accept jobs that pay less, like that of a porter or kitchen boy, just to have work. He has to. He has a wife, two daughters, and a son with a profound disability. He lives in a room no bigger than my bedroom. He is the main provider for his family, which includes his ailing father who is still living in the village. All this on the shoulders of a 30 year old.   His wife, who only speaks her native language, is a strong woman who runs a small tea shop to bring in some extra income. While Kishor is away, she manages the entire household, while also bringing their son to physiotherapy appointments over an hours bus ride away.

Then there’s Suren, the cab driver who moved to the city from the foothills of the Himalayas, who dreams of the day when he can return to his village. He laughs easily and exclaims that he is happy to be driving a cab, something he has been doing for the last 9 years since he was 21, so that he can put his kids through school. He would have loved to have gone into the trekking business like his two younger brothers, but states his small stature works against him for a job that requires heavy lifting. And let me tell you, those trekking bags are mighty heavy.

What do these people have in common? They are hopeful. They love their children and will do anything for them. They are still able to laugh and enjoy the simpler things in life despite the difficulties that day-to-day life brings. They don't want to be pitied. At Kishor’s wife’s tea stand, village friends and family stop by to chat and visit the family. Lots of tea was served. Nepali style. Namaste and Tashi Delek.