volunteering or what

The VIPs

2011-10-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Uma ,the British Ambassador, His Excellency, the Nepalese Ambassador to UK, the children and Nabina the helper ,without whom the trip would have fallen short of our objectives. They have helped me to achieve most of the tasks we set out to do, in the short and medium term, at the sametime, develop a clearer vision for the future.
A special thanks too , goes to the trustees in UK ,and all the sponsors, donors and Friends of Kids in Kathmandu Nepal (KIKN) around the world,thank you

Gifts to Shree Neel Barahi School

2011-10-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Canon digital printer, the one Samsung computer and the First Aid kit, with appreciation from the Principal and the teaching staff.

Shree Neel Barahi School

2011-10-06T15:43:00.001-07:00

The facilities in the school:-
Toilets, current science lab ,library ,computer science room. and the full view of the main building with unfinished construction .

The Karate Kids in Kathmandu

2011-10-06T15:32:00.001-07:00

Warming and stretching before karate kicks !

Play Time

2011-10-06T15:16:00.001-07:00

Sujan-How high will the plane fly? and how long would it take me to be a pilot ?
Henna tattoo, part of Teej festival highlights for girls
Competent riders a year on
Dancing to an appreciative audience

The Annual Lunch 2

2011-10-06T15:08:00.001-07:00

A good feast by all . Receiving winter clothing from UK sponsors with some help from Uma's children

The Annual Lunch 1

2011-10-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Annual meeting / lunch for all the sponsored children , minus one and their parents (mums) , Uma's included

The Morning class

2011-10-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

English Language class before school each morning. Learning together and helping one another.

Children from the Neel Barahi School

2011-10-06T14:20:00.001-07:00

Uma's growing brood

2011-10-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

How the children have grown in a year ! A few budding teenagers in the making.

The Final Farewells

2011-09-17T02:05:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that 3 weeks have gone by! Its just one more day before I leave for home.

Having been here for the last 4 years, it feels comfortable to be living amongst the children. In addition, the 5 children from Neel Barahi School have become more relaxed with me . Their daily attendance here for their English language class has meant that I see them most mornings. All the children get on well together, helping one another in his/her home work

Upon my arrival , I gave every child a notelet/letter/card from hie/her sponsor, accompanied by some goodies,( obviously). Uma's children were quick to write the thank you letters to their sponsors. The 5 children from the school are less able to do it. So Uma's children helped. It was lovely to see them working together each morning.Sometimes the English teacher is a little late in arriving, then one could almost witness the making of a third world war. However,they are children after all, Any excessive energy need to be released every now and again.

One of the main differences between the children here and those in the UK is spontaneity.With the pressure of surviving and existing in Kathmandu, the children here are very compliant and obedient. They seem to be so well behaved at all times.There are times when I think they are all little adults.They are so responsible, like keeping house and preparing meals at the age of 8/9 years. However, Uma's children are more care free and happy. A lovely thing to see.

We have had our KFC feast for the second time.It was truly finger licking good, especially for me.I do love it but would ration myself to have it twice a year for all the obvious reasons..My venture out on the bike (again)during the evening rush hour to buy the KFC was hairy to say the least.It was worth it just to see the smiles and appreciation on the children faces.

Saw the school children this morning for the final time. All letters have been given to me to pass on to the sponsors.This coincided with Uma's children sitting for their school exam today. Talked about last minute cramming. I remember doing that as a student, a life time ago.

Reflection ? Well I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again .I know I will miss the children . However, I will leave with the satisfaction that Uma's children are growing up well. They are grasping every opportunity that's given to them. Yes, it is less so with the other children who live at home with their families. But they are on the starting block. Their journey will be more torturous and convoluted. For now, we can only give them the best we have. The rest is up to them and their families.

Namaste, Kathmandu!

Children's Day Nepali style

2011-09-15T01:37:00.000-07:00

Its Children's Day today.Children were let off school early .I said to Uma that I would like to buy bits and pieces , food wise to give them a treat.

It was interesting to go to the market to buy the fruit, cakes, sweets, juices and crunchy curls. Apart from the fruit, most of the food are unhealthy but nice.Bananas are bought at x rupees each. I was with Sankur, one of Uma's cousins who was dispatched to help me carrying the shopping. He was asking the street hawker how much the bananas would cost. We settled on 50 rupees for a big hand of bananas.Then it went up to 55, then 60 rupees. Its the fact that I am the foreigner therefore he hiked the price up.We walked away, angry.Its the same scenario I have experienced in Malaysia. The taxi fare would double the minute they see a foreigner in tow!

Its increasingly common nowadays to see cows sitting /crossing/wondering on the road.Being a sacred animal, there is no chance of them being hit by a speeding car. The driver would rather crash his car onto something than to hit the sacred cow.That would spell trouble, in a form of mob attack! However, there is a real problem to cross a road when you are out and about.The motorists do not stop , not even at pedestrian crossings. A chanced remark from one of Uma's volunteers in her soft German accent' I wish I were a cow'. It was said totally out of context . We looked at her,perplexed, not understanding. Then she said ' cars stop for cows, that's why'. We just collapsed with laughter. Uma had tears running down her face, it was hilarious.

Sankur the cousin comes from a remote village, hoping to look for work here. He is also applying for a visa to work in Qatar or Kuwait.Life is tough here. He has his elderly parents, his wife and son dependent on him.He is without a job.He is staying with Uma for a week or two hoping to pick up the odd job here and there.He has left his wife to toil the small field at home while he tries his luck here. He was telling me that food in his village in Terai is a lot cheaper than Kathmandu. For example, a banana would only cost one rupee, as opposed to six rupees here,not that I have any understanding the value of one rupee.

We walked to the Kalimati market which is a mile away, and bought pomegranates, pears, apples and bananas for the kids.Any bash for the children cannot happen without the cakes and sweet desserts. For 15 people in all, we had a feast for a princely sum of 18 pds sterling, with quite a lot of left over. This is what I call value for money. Sterling does go a long way here.

For their part, the children perform their folk dancing to entertain us. They dance very well, especially Nitisha and Sangmu. I have videoed them performing the dances.One could see how much they enjoy dancing, including the boys.I intend to show them at the Sponsors' tea on the 1st October

I can't help but reflect , in the scheme of things, how lucky these children are comparing to many others in less salubrious orphanages and homes with parents. They have stability, love and encouragement from Uma, and everyone around them. They are nurtured.In the same token,how lucky the children are in UK,and those in the developed countries.What the children here would not give to have the same opportunities as those in UK!

Our Moral Dilemma

2011-09-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

Having completed all the tasks we have set out to do , Uma and I have been doing a bit of post mortem on how we have done things, as well as what are the pressures and gaps in what we are doing.

One of the issues is around putting the existing children on a waiting list. At present we have 5 children who are without sponsors (Probably less by the time I return to UK). The main reason which the sponsor cease tend to be around the inability to continue payment for whatever reason. We decided that we will put the children in an order of priority, then we'll see what happens.

We reviewed each child in terms of progress and future potential, taking into account the support or lack of it from the parent/s. The case of K, the 12 year old girl whose mother runs an illicit bar came up.I have put forward a very clear picture in my previous blog. Its about the fact that her mother is only interested in what the sponsor can provide materially. We established during the home visit that Mum is not concerned at all about the child's welfare or future. It is highly likely that she'll end up not able to continue her schooling in the future,for whatever the reason. Are we likely to waste the sponsor's money given what we know now ? In view of the number of our children that are without sponsors, shouldn't we switch the money to a child who has potential and a greater chance of achievement with good parental support?

On the one hand, are we playing god and deciding a child's life on just pure merit? It is not her fault that her mum asks her to serve behind the bar, and been touched by lewd and drunken old man. Yes, its breaking our child protection policy (for UK
), but this is Nepal.But then do we just leave her to her fate? with sentiments like its tough, but its Nepal, or do we still do what we can until such time when we can no longer help her?

The flip side of the coin is that the much needed money for schooling could be so helpful to one of the other unplaced children. During one of our home visits, one of the mums almost pleaded with us to help her son. The son is going to school, but with the low family income of 3,000 rupees (27 pds approx)per month, the educational expenses place a great burden on the poor mum. Having visited and witnessed the dire home condition,we can be certain that this is a case of genuine hardship. Should this child be helped at the expense of the 12 year old K? It would certainly mean better outcome and money better or well spent ,if one were to take a long term view.

We are clearer on our position regarding another child.Mum has been trained as a driver for foreign agencies who work in Nepal. She is in the process of looking for a driving job.We both agreed that we will like to switch the sponsorship from her daughter to one on the waiting list next year when mum has started working.This case is more clear cut fortunately. Of course it does not mean that mum won't be upset by the change if and when the time comes...

Having slept on K's case, we both accept that the sponsorship will continue for the foreseeable future. We will provide all the educational material at the start of the October term as per all our other children. However, it will be reviewed in January 2012

We welcome views and feedback from all sponsors, donors and Friends on the aforementioned issue.

A Red Letter Day

2011-09-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a red letter day

It started with a visit to the Neel Barahi School. I aimed to take photos of the all singing all dancing photocopier which was delivered to them yesterday. No, it was not gold plated but it certainly looks like a very useful and sturdy industrial model. I was told by the School Head that the teachers were overwhelmed by the gift. They were amazed at the functions it can perform at a touch of a button ! This means that the school will save money each year,but most importantly, the time and effort incurred by the staff when they outsourced all the printing jobs in the previous years.

Having written kikn on the copier, Uma ,Stephanie (volunteer) and I were asked to the staff common room cum Principal's office. A speech of thanks was given by the computer science teacher ,followed by the Principal who presented me with gifts.I understand from Uma later on that this was planned. She knew about it but forgot to mention it to me. It was a nice surprise,albeit totally unexpected. However , if I had known, I would probably dress a little more formally, possibly with my tiara on:=)

The other thing that took place early this morning was the delivery of the kitchen cabinet to Santimaya's home. Mum arrived @ 8 am to pick it up. She took one look at it and smiled. She realised that it is far too heavy to be lifted even by 2 people, let alone carry it back to her room/home which is mile and a half away. In the end , we found a porter to carry it back . For 200 rupees ( 1.75 pounds approx ), it was a tough way to earn a living. Mum went home very happy. Santimaya's newly made uniform was handed to her as well.

Uma and I then planned for our visit to the British Ambassador in the afternoon. Mr Tucknott , the Ambassador, was most welcoming.We had tea from the most exquisite china . The tea certainly tasted different in that cup.It's quality, something I can get used to quite easily I think

This is the second time in my life when I have met a VIP. The first was His Excellency, the Nepali Ambassador to UK . The meeting took place only a few weeks ago. The purpose of both my visits is to explore whether both the Ambassadors would consider to be the charity's patrons. Though my requests have not been turned down,they have not said yes either.I am afraid I have put them in a difficult position. Understandably they must have endless requests from charities like ours. Therefore they are in no position to say yes to everyone.I am still positive though , but would need to do more work on my return to UK. As the saying goes,
' Never say die '

Mr Tucknott talked about the social problems facing the country, making special reference to child and women trafficking. Interestingly enough, it is the same topic raised by the Nepali Ambassador when we met in London. He talked about the work of some of the charities in that arena. Again he would support the charity in that line of work should it chooses to go in that direction in the future.

We talked about the work that we have been doing in the orphanage and the school.He was most encouraging of our efforts.He is very much involved with the various Gurkha support groups/trusts in UK and Nepal.He gave us useful advice on various things which will help us in the future. To top the visit, he graciously agreed to be photographed with us. He laughingly said he is probably the most photographed Ambassador around. He even consented to the photo being put on the website! something I forgot to ask when I left the meeting with His Excellency, the Nepali Ambassador to UK

We left the British Embassy on a high. Though it was raining cats and dogs, it did nothing to dampen our spirits.We were both a little nervous before we left home. Having met Mr Tucknott MBE, we think he will support us in our future endeavours.

Bag Hunting

2011-09-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

This is a sorry tale, and I only have myself to blame.

When I first arrived in Kathmandu, I had a talk with Uma about the bag. Unfortunately the reliable contact that she has is in Hong Kong at the moment. So I took upon myself to talk to my Pashmina man.He is the man whom I bought all the craft/pashminas/scarves etc from each year. He is honourable and reliable. He also has a factory.

I showed him the design we wanted for the bag a few days after my arrival. All the way along, he told me that there is no problem. It would take no longer than 10 days max to get the bags produced to our specifications. That was 24th August. With constant rain, and overrun with customers,he said he has not been able to make the necessary contacts.Therefore unable to give me any idea about cost or timescale. He kept reassuring me that there is no problem, he would do it the next day.I popped down to his shop almost daily in the previous week. Then I decided that I can no longer wait for him.So 2 days ago I took the design and bag samples off him.I realised at this late stage that he is just too polite to say he cannot do it, not within the timescale any way. I blamed myself for allowing it to drag on for so long

Uma made a few phone calls after I told her about this sorry state of affairs. As per usual, she came up trumps. We went to see a few potential manufacturers but to no avail.It was frustrating to say the least. The taxi fares is starting to accumulate. The visit we did this morning was the penultimate one. As luck would have it, it is possible and within the bottom line I have set for myself in this transaction. Uma and I were overjoyed to say the least. Then came the bumper. It is not going to be possible to get them done before my departure on 19th.

I agonised (again ) whether I should still go ahead and place an order . If I do it tomorrow, there will be 10 days at least before it will be ready.Knowing Nepal, the timescale could move again because the festivals are just round the corner. We are possibly looking at beginning of October( which will miss the sponsors' tea )before entering the uncharted water of sending the packet either by air freight or surface mail.And the cost is again dependent on weight!

On the one hand, it is a small order to test the water. The cost is not phenominal. On the other, would we be too late before people starts doing their xmas shopping? And hence we will miss the boat or will we?

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Sunita's Home

2011-09-09T23:26:00.000-07:00

This is our first visit to Sunita's home. Mum was very busy working when we tried to visit last year.

We left with Sunita and her brother in a taxi following their English lesson here.As we taxied along the chaotic and busy roads, we were amazed at the distance these children have to travel each morning to come to Uma's. It is a good mile and a half. Yet, these two youngsters would walk the distance each morning to Uma's for 8 am start, then onto school( another mile or so ) for a 10am start. To me ,that is commitment for one so young. I understand that they have never missed the English class. According to the teacher, Sunita is progressing well, so is her brother Sunil. Sunil is not one of our sponsored children, but he is included in the class because there is no one else at home when Sunita leaves for Uma's each morning. The arrangement is working out quite well.

The family lives in a rather small and dark rented room.It was very clean. I was amazed at how mum was able to keep the place so spotless when she has so little room to manoeuvre. We had to negotiate worn cobbled stone paths, uneven steps, uphill concrete path with railings to hang on to, through the backyards of some families before reaching Sunita's home.It was quite a journey to walk through before reaching the block of multiple rented rooms

Sunita's mum was waiting for us at the door, smiling and warm in her usual self . A very lovely woman. The husband now works as an odd job man, therefore the income is erratic. Mum cleans for a school. She gets a wage of @ 3,000 rupees( @28 pounds sterling) a month. It is not enough to make ends meet. Therefore she does the odd washing jobs in the area to get the extra income to stay above the starvation level.

Two double beds are placed on either side of the room, with the cooking utensils placed on top of the kitchen unit in the middle. The room is not big, but the space is maximised. The mother was very hospitable. She asked the son to get 2 bottles of coke, a real treat for the family. Uma and I shared one, with the other left for the children.

While we were talking, the room was suddenly swamped with people . Some were in the door way talking, others peering from outside the window giving opinions about something. One neighbour even came in to sit on the bed without invitation.I thought she was a relation, but no.Then there was a girl in class 7 who lost her mother recently.She was hugging by the door way, listening intensely.All of a sudden, the room was filled with a lot of noises and faces appearing from nowhere. I was a little confused for a while, unsure what was happening. It would appear that the whole community who live around here gets on well with one another. Though every household lives in rather cramped conditions, they all appear to be warm and concerned about one another. Every household lives in one rented room regardless of the size of families. This would appear to be the norm . However, it is interesting to see how differently each household manages the space they have in the room.

Life is pretty tough on mum, trying to keep the children clothed and fed,as well as giving them the opportunity for education.She is the main bread winner in the family.She finds the expenses on sending them to school is a real burden. Having a sponsor for Sunita has helped a great deal.She asked if a sponsor could be found for her son, Sunil.I told her that there is a list of children who are waiting for me to find them sponsors. I will add Sunil's name to the list, but I have made no promises. Mum truly appreciates the opportunity Sunita has been given.I reinforced the expectation of the sponsor,that she encourages Sunita to study hard and do well in her school work.

Both parents have not had any formal education in their time. And yet mum recognises the importance of what a good education can do. Mum has the foresight and wisdom to know . She truly wants her children to have what she has missed-a normal education which we take for granted, as a given.

We have done a few home visits in the past 2 weeks. We have despaired at the helplessness /hopelessness of some of the home situations we have found ourselves in . It is on visits like this that gave me hope . That I am not wasting Uma's and my time and effort in trying to make a small difference to the children we are sponsoring. And I applaud the mother !

Who says life is fair?

Computer and miscellaneous

2011-09-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

The new computer was handed over to the school today.The photocopier which swallows up the cost of 3 computers will be delivered directly to the school next week. Along the way, we discovered that a decent first aid kit will be useful for a school of such huge school population. So we purchased that as well, seeing that we have managed some savings from the computer and the photocopier.

Mrs Nepal,the Principal wanted me to convey her appreciations and gratitude to everyone in the charity, for the much needed equipments the school is receiving .This is an example of her vision and aspiration in the face of poverty and financial constraints. In the past year, she has managed to secure a generous donation to build a filtering plant which provides clean drinking water to the children.

While we were there, some of the teachers were labelling paper bins for every class room. This is to start the process of educating the children to be civil minded, not to drop litter at will, but to keep the environment they are in clean and clutter free.The school had to take out a loan to build the toilets because of pressing public heath issues. As a result the other building programs , ie the science lab and the school hall on the second and third floor have come to a halt until the school finances improves.I was approached whether the charity could help with the loan payments. Regrettably I had to say no to that.

One of the projects Mrs Nepal would like to see happening is the provision of sanitary supplies to the girls in the school. I listened with interests but made no offer of help.It is an excellent project to fund, but would require trustees to agree to such commitment on my return.

I was shown the lower floors of the unfinished building. Since April, the nursery class has started on the ground floor. There are 57 children in the class with 2 teachers.Admittedly all the windows still require glass panes to be put in to be weather proof, what with the winter drawing near. Everyone seems happy enough though. The box of pencils(around 60-70 pencils) given to me by one of the Friends was very well received.The lower kindergarten class is placed on the first floor. Again the windows in the class room would need weather proofing soon.

The money for the construction work has run dry for the time being. Therefore the work on the science lab on the second floor and the school hall on the third will have to wait. Timescale is immaterial in this part of the world. Its as and when the finance starts to flow again.All things being equal, the School Principal has achieved much in the past 12 months. I am very impressed.

As requested prior to my departure, I have taken loads of photographs of everything and anything. Unfortunately I am unable to upload onto the blog until I return to my desk top. Still , all good things come to those who wait.......

P/S I did a fun thing the other day. I was a pillion passenger on a bike, only for half a mile though. It was fun. The occasion arose when I had purchased bags of pashmina and scarves,and the shopkeeper thought it will save my arm muscles (for carrying the bags) and legs(for the load).This is a first for me .I must admit I enjoyed the brief sensation of freedom and wind in my hair (no helmet). Uma saw me and she laughed her head off.

Challenges At The School

2011-09-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Uma and I visited the school and met up with the School Head again. She showed us the computer room, new toilets, the library, the new water fountain with clean water, and the yet to be built science lab ( a skeleton of steel rods at present) as well as the current one .

One of the new features in the school is a series of water fountain built into the concreted floor.The water is somehow piped from a clean supply.This was donated by a visiting couple.What a brilliant innovation for the school. The children can now access clean drinking water, one of the fundamentals in promoting good health

The new toilets are situated on the ground floor- 4 for each gender. They do look very clean from outside. They do not have a flushing system, but I baulked at asking how it works....

The school library is situated in one of the out buildings. One has to climb steep metal stairs to get to the library on the second floor. It is a lovely and spacious room once you get to the top. I can see the need to increase the varieties of English books at different levels . It is very encouraging to see that books on the shelves are well thumbed.

We have been to the computer shop and placed an order for the photocopier. I am reliably informed that it is a Canon digital copier which prints as well. It is a rather bulky table top model. The only concern I have is the price. It seems to be a lot of money for that. I have no idea if the price is realistic with 20% import duty added. With that purchase, we managed to buy only one computer with the remaining balance.

I have angst over the decision.Its a question of imposing our wishes to purchase the 4 computers as originally agreed, or to go in the spirit of helping the school to improve its facilities. Both are needed. However, in the order of priorities, it is the School Head who knows best I feel.Therefore I chose the latter.

We met the Science teacher who will do further work on the costing in clusters as requested.I was shown the current ' science lab' in an outbuilding.It has seen better days.It measures no bigger than 12 by 10 feet, a rather small room to be a science lab. The wooden stairs leading up to the lab/room are rickety, with some steps missing, others cracked and broken.It was a hazardous climb to see the room. I can understand the school is building a new one from scratch.The only thing worth mentioning is that there is a skeleton I call 'Jimmy'. This seems to be a common feature in every establishment/room that deals with science/health/nursing/medicine. When I started nursing, there was one in the classroom, and we called it Jimmy. And I have seen many since in various heath/ hospital set ups. A very interesting fact.

We gave the school the go ahead to start the Karate and dancing classes.Uma has been instrumental in getting the teachers to run 2 classes each for the price of one. Therefore there will be 2 classes of each per week to start after the Deevali festivals in October. We talked about criterias the school will use for the classes.I stressed the importance of feedback and review to ensure that it is effective and value for money. The teacher assured me that will happen. Uma will handle the payment etc

All in all, a satisfying project to date. It is accepted that there are more work to do.However, I have no doubt we will get there if we work together towards the same end

Footnote
Following our home visit to K's home where her mum sells alcohol involving K serving the customers, we have had many discussions. Though we accepted that there is not much we can do, Uma has since spoken to a few people in the social and welfare agencies for women and children, of which is her sister -in-law . Uma has been made aware of the things she can do. And I am happy to see it happen as and when. Hopefully saving s few girls to have a better future

The Home Visit

2011-09-04T04:25:00.000-07:00

We went on a home visit to see K's parents today. We went to the basement bar for the first time last year.Mum was out then. Uma was not happy about the home condition then, and had a word with mum when she came to lunch. Uma urged mum to move to somewhere more suitable , what with 6 girls growing up in the household. Nothing has changed

The family lives in 2 rooms. It looks like the temporary outside wall was rendered to enclose the spaces into 2 bedrooms.The walls were covered in black ,damp and mouldy patches( in the summer).Old newspaper was used to cover bits of the wall. The rooms have a small bed each, with floor covering for the children to sleep in. Imagine what it must be like in winter- no heating with damp walls and floors !

One has to go down the dark dingy basement bar to get to the bedrooms at the back . We saw big rats running across our path last year.Therefore I was particularly nervous today that we would encounter this again.The dark dingy bar reminded me of the twilight zone. Imagine having to live like this all the time.Its pretty horrific

The bar is a place where local labourers come to relax and consume the cheap local brew.One can understand that the mother needs to work and make a living. She has obviously made her choice. Mum is a haughty looking woman wearing lots of gold and jewellery. She serves her customers drink and food as well.Unfortunately, with the older 3 girls growing up, they are living in a very unsuitable environment.The eldest have left since to stay with a teacher .K, the child we are sponsoring is 12 going on 13. She helps to serve the customers after school. She has been groped and touched by the somewhat drunken customers before now. She is starting to develop, and Uma is very unhappy about the state of affairs.

Uma is on a mission. The home visit today turned into a torrent of very strong words(sounds like to me anyway)aimed at the mother. Uma challenged the mother -' Are you not interested to protect your daughters? They are growing up. This is very bad environment for them. Do you want them to become like you?'.Strong exchanges followed. I was there taking in the non verbal communication, because I do not speak Nepali at all. However, through intonation, I understood a lot of what was being said.There were customers sitting behind us who had stopped drinking, witnessing this exchange with a Chinese woman next to one of them. I wondered what they must make of all these.

Uma was on a crusade to save her daughters, through bullying and blackmailing , like 'if you do not make changes, we may have to stop sponsoring your daughter next year etc' When we left, I experienced for the first time, that the mistress of the house did not wish us goodbye- 'Namaste' with both palms held up together.Mum was angry. She glared at us as we left the bar. No matter.

Uma and I talked about this. There is really not a lot we can do about it. She can see K getting into some trouble by the time she is 14/15 years old , and be on her own . Her life will be over by then. It is a very likely outcome, and I totally agree with Uma.

So , what's next ?

Our Nepali Lunch

2011-09-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. I have always been treated as a VIP whenever I come to Kathmandu . It is especially so this year. I did offer to help in the preparation of the lunch, but was continuously told that its OK, the girls can manage. Admittedly the 3 older girls and Rajesh are so much more grown up this time round. Apart from being the cashier for all the shopping trips , I have not been allowed to lift a finger since my arrival on Monday. I did not even get a chance to peel one potato, not that I am complaining........

The day started early @ 8am. I sat in the English class to watch the children ( Uma's and the Neel Barahi school children ) doing a 5 minutes presentation (15 in total ) in front of the class.It was most encouraging to hear the school children actually speaking English clearly and confidently, apart from one. This shows the skills of the English teacher, comparing to what I managed to get out of them yesterday. I videoed the session for the sponsors' tea in October. It will give the sponsors an opportunity to see the progress of the child s/he sponsors.

Having met all the mums last year, coupled with recent home visits, every one was more relaxed and chatty from the word go.Uma had a volunteer cook whose son we helped earlier on in the year. It was the youngster who lost his father and we raised over 300 pounds at Chinese New Year towards his school fees.We had a most fabulous Nepali lunch. I have to say my jeans are getting tighter by the day!

With the first arrival at 10am, I have ample time to talk to some of the young adults we are sponsoring. I was able to check out the progress of Madhusudan, a 17 year old who has started his year 11 ( 6th form), as well as Nischall Karki, the boy who lost his father early on in the year. He is 15 and doing his year 10 ( 5th form). Madhu talked about the pressure of having to find his fares to college (@600r =over a fiver) a month. With 150 pounds in credit from his sponsor, I was able to help him out. Uma suggested that the money is given to his grandmother, whom he lives with, to manage. This was done. I made a big mistake in not doing it more discreetly. Reflecting back, it must have given some parents the impression that I can help them with anything (financially) if they only ask.

The jackets/tracksuits/t-shirts/socks were given out to every child. This was achieved by Uma's children taking turn to give them out.The children and the mums went on to enjoy a good lunch We had chicken, dhal, potato& vegetable and a soya protein in tomato sauce, with chilli and tomato salsa on the menu. It was yum.

There were @ 40 people in all . Some mums brought younger children along whom we have not met. I asked Uma to reinforce the message that the sponsors are still very committed to helping their children in their education. However they must do their bit as parents to encourage their children to grasp that opportunity to make something of their lives. It will help them to get good jobs to support themselves and their families when they grow up. Hopefully to break the cycle of deprivation. Uma and I share the same vision. She does not beat around the bush. If anything, she is probably more brutal in getting the honest message across. A little of finger wagging would not come amiss here, I have discovered.

I was waylaid during the lunch by one of the mums. She asked if I could help with some medical expenses for her child (one of our sponsored children). It would seem that the child has something wrong with her throat? tonsilitiss? whatever, and needed to see a specialist which the family cannot afford. It was a moral dilemma.Its about setting a boundary in my work here. I feel for the family. However, the charity's effort is focused on education and self improvement. I do not have the budget nor the trustees' agreement to spend on anything else. I talked to Uma about my difficulty. Uma explained to the mum the reason I was unable to help. I felt really bad, but had to accept that this is life. I cannot save the world, nor do I want to ,really. That has made me reflect on how I have done things which led to this .I have to take some responsibility for allowing this to happen.

All things being equal, it has been a very fulfilling and positive day ,albeit that it was long drawn out and exhausting.Some of the tasks for this trip have been achieved. Thank you all, sponsors , donors and Friends of KIKN for making it happen.

The Home visits

2011-09-02T02:33:00.000-07:00

With festival'Teej' around, the children have had 3 days off school this week. It was quite heartening to see that the children from the school continued to attend the hourly English lesson in the morning at Uma's

Without the teacher this morning, I had an opportunity to get down to their level and tried to talk to them in English. They have met me several times before now albeit always in the presence of their mothers/Uma/other adults and teacher. With my bags of sweets and fancy pencils, I was able to bribe my way into their little circle. They understood very little. Uma's children did all the translating. This is surprising to me having been told by the Head that every class has 2 periods of 40 minutes per day. Uma's view that the standard needs to be upped is right. We need to do everything we can to help to improve the standard in the school.

I had the opportunity to talk to each of the 5 children individually.Energy of the children was very low. I would imagine its to do with light breakfast, and difficult home conditions.Bikas is the only boy we have from the school. He was jolly and upbeat when we first met in 2010 with his mother. Today he looked listless, tired and almost depressed.It transpired that his mother left home 2 months ago. He has not seen her since. I understand that he went off the rail a bit initially. Being a very conscientious hard working boy,he was often found hanging around internet cafe with video games . Uma had spoken to him about this. He said he no longer goes there. When I asked about mum, he looked really dejected and flat.My heart went out to him.He no longer sleeps on the floor, he told me. He now sleeps with his father in the bed. At least there is one positive aspect out of all this sadness.

Uma and I then went on to do 2 home visits.The first one was Santimaya's home. It is a common practice that the family (in lower socio-ecnomic class ) lives /cooks/eats and sleeps in one rented room.I expected that. What I found heart rendering is that 5 adults and a teenaged girl could manage that in a room no bigger than 12 ft square! The furniture consist of 2 single beds , a square table with 2 gas rings on top, a small wardrobe and a fold up mattress. Her two older brothers sleep in one single bed, the other is occupied by her mother and a sister, with the remaining sister and Santimaya sleeping on the floor. I did find this aspect quite distressing. How realistic are we as sponsors to expect this poor girl to study under such horrendous home situation? How unfair life is ? Her sponsor has specifically asked that I buy something for the family, whatever we feel is needed. Mum said she would like a small kitchen unit with shelves. Uma has since placed an order for the cabinet to be built.

We then went on to Laxmi's home. Though we have to climb 4 flights of stone steps, the home situation was much easier.Again the whole family lives in one room, with shared toilet and bathroom with other families living in the same block, not just on the same floor!She has a much smaller family. There are her parents and a younger brother. An uncle is staying there temporaraily.And the room is much bigger -16 to 18 feet square approximately.

Doing these 2 home visits has reminded me of the reason I am here. I accept that I cannot save the world period. I can only do the best I can when I am here.However , it does not take away the angst I feel for some of these unfortunate children. Its called accident of birth. It could have been you or me, and we would not be any the wiser

I will stop here before I get any more morbid.......

Shree Neel Barahi School

2011-09-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

We met up with the School Head- Mrs Nepal and her English teacher yesterday. It was a very productive meeting.

Normally I would catch 5 minutes here and there in her office, in between queries from parents,her staff and the children.This was the first time I had a chance to have 2 uninterrupted hours of her time, exploring , discussing and understanding both our perspectives. Being a school holiday , Mrs Nepal was able to come to Uma's before going to the school to do some catching up.

Since my last visit in September 2010, the school took out a loan to have 8 new toilets built. It was a very pressing public heath issue I understand. I have been invited to visit the school on sunday to see the progress they have made in the various areas

Through total misunderstang on my part, it would appear that the school curriculum do include English language. The teaching medium is Nepali at the moment. However they welcome any help the charity can give to improve the language skills of the pupils there.In fact, the school has introduced English as the teaching medium this year for the first 3 junior grades.We had discussion around useful aids to engage the children more. A continuous audio video tape playing on a big screen would be useful. Something to plan for in the near future.

The purchase of 4 computers was discussed. From the school 's point of view , a sturdy and reliable photocopier is what is urgently need .The school currently spends s lot of money getting printing (exam papers termly for its 675 pupils among other things ) done outside. Just imagine running a school without a photo copier in UK ! However, the purchase of a photocopier would mean that we will be left with just enough money to buy one computer. But needs must. Uma is trying to source one @ 745 pounds sterling. There is no such thing as a contract for x years here in Kathmandu I am afraid. I am convinced it will save the school a lot of money each year. Hopefully the trustees agree with my view.

The school library could do with stocking up of more English books. They could be adventure/fable/ scence fiction, as well as factual books about the world aroud us.I showed the Head some of the books that I sourced from charity shops to ascertain the type and level the school needs.I feel sure this is an area the charity and its supporters would be able to help by donating unwanted dictionaries/encyclopaedias etc etc

The equipping of the science lab was discussed. Mrs Nepal will get the Science teacher to do further work on the costing before my return on 19th

The other important aspect we discuused was looking at ways of how ,on the chariity's behalf,Uma could be more involved with the school through joint projects with her children from the orphanage,as well as using her volunteers to teach English in the school.For longer term, possibly plan for an exchange programs with UK school children with both the orphanage and school children. We even talked about a cultural show involving both lots of children, and do a tour in UK.We fully understand the implication of that.However, it is good to dream , and dream the impossible. So, Watch this space :)

My First Days

2011-09-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Well I am here.A little jet lagged but rearing to go

My untimely arrival in Kathmandu was met with a mass protest in town (tell me something new !).The 30 minutes ride to Uma's took over 2 hours. I was dog tired by the time we reached 'home'@ 4.30pm. I had to stay up because the children have been waiting patiently on the door steps in the rain :) for god knows how long, to wish me ' Namaste Lai See didi'

The children have all grown ,in fact shot up.The older ones in particular are like bean poles. They are narrow and skinny. Puberty has set in I think for some of them. They all look amazingly well, and very happy.The girls change their hairstyle each year. It was short back and sides last year .This year is pony tails with plaits at the front, all looking very trendy. All are uniform in their looks. I think the older girls will catch up on me height wise, next year . I might have to look up to them I think.

We have our usual sponsors' tea time. The cards/letters/notelets were given out to the children, accompanied by lots of goodies from UK.The moisturising cream and talcum powder were shared out.They always look forward to their books and puzzles, followed by the choccies and jelly beans etc .It was such a pleasure to see them enjoying themselves.I finally went to bed @10pm.

Over breakfast, Uma and I caught up on the affairs of the children. We started to make a list of the things we want to do while I am here
They are:-
Purchase winter clothes for all the children(20)plus 2 young adults
Invite all the parents and children for lunch (3/9 )
Meet with the school head and talk about Science lab and their plans for the future
Purchase 4 pcs for the school
Do home visits to meet up with the mothers of the children from Neel Barahi School
Meet up with the 2 young adults who are doing year 10 (5th form) and 11 (6th form)
Go to optician's to find out about new glasses for Laxmi- a specific but separate reguest from her sponsor
To meet with Santimaya and her mum with a view to buy some necessities again a specific but separate reguest from her sponsor

We charged around for the second day running. I am pleased to say that all the clothes have been bought for every child .We managed to buy alot of clothes for the 22 children we sponsor within the budget . That involved diving through the back streets where the wholesale merchants are. Uma did very well, and I merely hanged on to her and helped to carry the 5 big bags of jackets (20)/tracksuits(10)/t-shirts (10) /underclothes (20) etc.alongside Rajesh and Rasmila.Uma did it in double quick time because she knows I am uneasy walking through the back doubles.

So its on to another day

Kids in Kathmandu, here we come!

2011-08-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

Another year, another milestone. It is amazing how many changes a year can bring, in terms of personal development, achievements, and circumstances one finds oneself in.

Setting up a registered charity was a notion milling in my head last year. I then discarded it because it would mean unnecessary bureacracy and paper work . However, faced with the potential of raising more money in order to help the school, itwas too tempting to resist. With the support of some very loyal friends , we embarked on the journey. Hey presto,a year down the road, we are now a registered charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
For more information please look up WWW.kidsinkathmandu.org.uk

It has been and still is a steep learning curve for me. I experienced the utter frustration of doing the on line application repeatedly through to the early hours of the night. That happened because it kept disappearing from the screen,and I was not IT savvy enough to retrieve it. I am learning to let go of the feeling of urgency, as though I am working full time. I am learning to pace myself. Having a supportive Chair and fellow trustees has meant we share the administratiive tasks of setting up a company, and developing all the necessary systems to enable the new organisation to function effectively and efficiently. We have high hopes of achieving great things in the coming years. Watch this space

And so it is that time of the year again when I am bound for Kathmandu. Once again, bags of sweeties in fun sizes , lots of puzzles and books to bribe the children. It never fails to bring a lump to my throat when I see these children running towards me, hugging me, jumping around calling ' Namaste Lai See didi, namaste Lai See didi' To think they have so little, but really appreciating the tiniest piece of warmth and chocolate is just mind blowing. I guess I go back each year for the 'fix'. Its quite addictive really.

This is my fourth trip to Kathmandu in as many years. I guess I am beginning to train my mindset to a slightly different perspective. I used to just try and survive while I was out there. Since last year, I have been thinking of the demographics. I am starting to look beneath the surface, exploring in my mind what is possible, with Uma's help. The biggest challenge for the charity now is getting a clear vision of what's possible with the constraints operating in the city. This can only be achieved by having frequent and close dialogue with the enlightened Headmistress while I am in Kathmandu. Having seen at first hand how the school day is structured, all parties concerned will need to be very focused and committed to achieve a very clear and workable plan to enable the charity to help to improve its infrastructure to benefit the children.

The first thing we hope to do will be purchasing 4 computers for the school. The charity will also give the go ahead for the school to start both a dancing and Karate class on a weekly basis. Obviously, one class of each is not enough to cater for the needs of its 675 pupils, but it is a start. As the charity becomes successful in securing more funds, we will then be in a position to increase the number of classes. Regular monitoring and review will form part of the 'must dos' ensuring cost effectiveness

Almost there........feeling somewhat anxious of the challenges ahead

Sponsors' Tea 30/10/2010 MK2

2010-11-01T01:33:00.001-07:00

Sponsors' Tea 30/10/2010 MK 1

2010-11-01T01:22:00.000-07:00

The Things We Bought

2010-10-10T00:41:00.001-07:00

As you can see , we bought 1 computer table, had 7 tables( with folding legs) made; 9 Emergency lamps;2 bicycles; a sewing machine; new party frocks(x9) for the newly sponsored children;winter t-shirts ,underclothes and slippers (x8) for Uma's children.
Things that are missing include the computer which Uma will be getting, plus the pashminas I have bought for our sponsors' tea to fund raise further. Included in the overall expenditure is the various treats for the children like their first KFC meal (v expensive, more than I thought it would cost us -£70 ),the lunch for everyone and the Children Day treat
All in all, the expenditure came to just over £1100.We have a saving of approximately £400 plus. This will help us to pay out straight away (next week) to enable Uma to start kitting out the children in terms of shoes , school bags, tuition class after school in English and Maths for the 5 new children in the school.
I will set out in greater details on the expenditure at the sponsors' tea on 3oth

The Lunch at Uma's

2010-10-10T00:02:00.001-07:00

Its amazing how different some of the children look in mufti with their mums.
Emergency lamps were given, as well as the posh party frocks with the arrival of the festivals in October.The mums were told that the tables are being made and that it will be delivered to them in due course.A happy and satisfied bunch when they left us

The New Children and Their families

2010-10-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

The photos of the children in the order of :-
Santimaya, the girl from Gorkha, met her only once, the day before my return to UK
Laxmi with mum
Kabita with younger brother and mum, the one with a canteen/bar?
Sunita with mum
Vikass with mum in the bedroom
Uma with 4 of the children in Principal's office
My sponsored child Lakmi with mum
Rasmita with grandma, the 4 year old who looks like a 2 year old
Rochana with younger brother Krisna and mum

Snap Shots of Uma's kids mk 2

2010-10-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

How they have grown up in a year ! Beautiful kids, are they not ?
Janette, Sarmila is with her sister in the photo. They came visiting while I was there.What a difference to have adequate food etc.She looks so grown up now

Snap Shots of Uma's kids

2010-10-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Snap shots of the children engaging in the different activities. Urmila and Suzan peeling the 10 kilos of potatoes;Suzan learning to ride on the big bike:Sarmila and Nitisha enjoying a giggle while doing their homework in the sun. Ramila and the boys ready to leave for school
Last but not least , the last 2 photos were of the children enjoying the goodies from UK.They were particularly engrossed in the books and zigsaw puzzles

For The Final Time

2010-09-20T00:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I am set and ready to go.

Jordan left early this morning. I shall miss him .What an exceptional young man. He took me to a Tibetan restaurant yesterday afternoon. I had the most delicious and spicy momos I have ever tasted. It was made from buff (buffalo meat I think ) with green chllies and lots of spices thrown in It was yum! Jordan and I shared 2 platefuls of different flavours. We did not quite lick the plates clean, but not far off though. Admittedly my mouth was on fire couple of times during the meal, but it was worth the suffering.

The last thing we need to do now is going back to the school tomorrow to see a child who has been away from the school last week. She comes from the region -Gorka, home to the Gurkhas. She is one of the new children we hope to sponsor.Hopefully I will meet her tomorrow.

The only thing left which is worth mentioning is the English teacher . I think she is responsible for the amazing progress the children have made in one year.. I sat in her class on saturday morning.She had every child to go to the front to talk about topics they chose. For example, every child has 5 minutes on ' my best friend; or my daily life; or my school' etc.Though none of them lasted the full 5 minutes, all of them had many sentences. I was so impressed by their effort that I was speechless. Even Nitisha, the youngest was speaking in fluent sentences in her cute Nepali accent.. I have hoped that they would improve, but I did not expect the great strides they have made in a year. Its really mind boggling how fast children can learn given the opportunity

So to you all sponsors and donors, thank you, and Uma, for providing the stability and support to enable them to flourish. I just think that between all of us, we have made a small difference to these kids at this moment in time.And we should be proud. What do you think ?

Mission Accomplished

2010-09-18T23:15:00.001-07:00

Well, we have had a very successful day yesterday.Uma and I planned the lunch soon after my arrival.The fact that my stay this year is only about 2 weeks long, meant that we have to do things almost at a gallop. With Uma almost back to her normal health, we have been able to purchase everything we needed for the new children as well as those required by Uma and the orphanage.

We invited all the new children and their parents to lunch yesterday.The invitation was given out after we have made contact with them in the homes and at the school in Kalimati. The aim of the lunch was to meet them socially, reinforce the sponsors' message of providing them with improved life chances through better education. In addition, we wanted to give them the Emergency lamps, new dresses and the tables for studying.This we did with the exception of the tables.The Carpenter was not able to complete the order of 7 tables in time. So Uma is looking at the alternatives.

Every child turned up with her/his mum on time.Interestingly again, no father turned up to accompany the families. Uma and I had a quick count. We planned for approximate 35 people. We had Chicken, potato salad and lentil, in Nepali style of course. It was delicious . Everyone had a good helping of everything on the menu . I believed that they enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Initially they all arrived looking tentative and somewhat anxious. By the time they left, they were all smiling and warmly appreciative of what we are trying to do for their children

There were times when the mums were talking to me -in Nepali of course. All I was able to do is to use the international language- sign, gesture and a lot of smiles and laughter. However , it is so gratifying to see that our children are speaking English so well that they were able to do much of the translation for me and the mums. Well done, kids!

The weather has been atrocious for the past week. It has been raining non- stop for several days. Nabina and I had prayed really hard for a dry day yesterday..... And yes, it was sunny and hot the whole day yesterday. We were so pleased and relieved. It meant that the children can play outside if they chose to. As it turned out, it was fine.I thanked whoever is up there for looking after our interests.

I have to confess that I did only a minimum to help .Although I did offer my help in preparing the meal, I did not survive the tasks.. I was asked to help to peel/scrap the potatoes - all 10 kilos of it. Unfortunately, I lasted only after 2 kilo . Instead, Nabina and Suzan and Urmila did the bulk of it. I felt quite ashamed. Such feeble effort on my part. It says something about my western living.... Alas, it has softened me up somewhat !

The children especially the older ones have been really competent in peeling and chopping onions, garlic as well as the potatoes. With Nabina, the helper there, they were working till late, cleaning and washing the floors etc. 7am the following morning saw the children finishing their morning routine earlier than normal. That is exercise and prayers, followed by their baths. The older girls helped to slice tomatoes etc. Uma was up @ 6am, cooking tomato pickle by 7am. My contribution was to accompany Uma to buy the chickens, and carried them back.. Though it was only a few kilos in weight,I felt quite virtuous having done something useful. I know its not a big deal, carrying a few kilos of chicken, but hey I did help after all

And then we all crashed out in the afternoon, following the departure of the mums and children. Socialising can be tiring as one knows. Uma and I are both quite elated at what we have managed to achieve. There are one or two loose ends to tie up. Apart from that, we both feel our mission have been accomplished

At a diffrent level, it is also time for me to say good bye to Nepal..Sig and Anja left this morning. Jordan will be leaving tomorrow morning.I will be the last one to go on wednesday.Before you know it, the house will return to its normal routine and calm until the next group of volunteers turn up. I do feel of certain sadness that this trip is coming to an end. However, the important thing is that we have done all the things we set out to do, till the next time...

Hopefully, I will blog for the last time tomorrow

My New Friends

2010-09-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at Uma's, I was put in the dark room downstairs , sharing with another girl . Then I was moved to the room upstairs the next day. I did not question the move. I thought it will be nice for a change to be in the management block, so to speak. It was a much brighter room, though it has extensive damp patches on the wall .The good thing is that I did not have to share. It felt like a promotion after 2 years of effort, haha

I started my physio soon after my arrival. It is fair to say that September is supposed to be the start of the dry season. However , with the unseasonal rain,it has made the downstairs room very damp and smelly. Imagine my surprise one afternoon when I was coming through the gate, that the 2 Greman girls confronted me( very nicely ) if I would mind them moving into my room, to escape the dampness and smell downstairs.I ( had to )agreed, but did think that my comfortable stay was so very short lived.

The room is a largish double room with 2 single beds on either side of the room. I did wonder how the third bed will be accommodated. But we managed.It is amazing that when one has to , one usually does.Sig is truly Germanic with blond hair and blue eyes. Anja is of Korean father and German mother. Its mind boggling that they speak so many languages between them . Needless to say , they speak perfect English. In fact Anja used to be a lecturer in English for uni students.They are back packing round the world.It took only a short while for us to realise that we share similar sense of humour.

Jordan is a young Texan .He was turfed out when I moved into the room.In fact, he was promoted to the attic room. Less pleasant I understand. A great young man who has done a lot of volunteering work in different parts of the world. A wise and mature head on a very young shoulder .

As a group, the 4 of us have had a few chats on topics ranged from family values, culture to what the rest of the world looks like. We shared our experiences and insights from our travels, either as a volunteer or as a tourist.Breakfast is our sleepy time, where no much was exchanged. Sig is not a morning person. She tends to be quiet and grunted if you ask her a question. Some evenings following our dinner, we would create our own entertainment, talking about funny things that has happened to us during the day. It then tended to include what it was like when we were young and growing up. In fact, we reminisced

Last night we touched on how we would celebrate Xmas and new year in our homeland. That included Swiss, German, British , Korean , Chinese and American ways . The whole topic came alive when we talked about how some children would be expected to behave and respond to traditions in the different settings. There were some very interesting as well as amusing anecdotes.. We learnt a lot from one another. Jordan is almost 40 years younger, and the girls about half my age.The amazing thing is how well we have gelled and got on in spite of our age and cultural differences. We thoroughly enjoy one another's company . Sig likened our room sharing to staying in a youth hostel. It sounds pretty cool to me.

However, all good things come to an end. By the following Monday , I will be the only one left, before leaving for UK shortly afterwards. Like I say to Jordan last night, I hope to live to a hundred. So I will be meeting a lot more people in the years to come. However, I am very mindful that I have been privileged to have met a group of exceptional young people here this time. They have made my stay here simply quite splendid. Therefore it is important for me to mark the occasion with this blog

Thank you all. And I won't forget you when I become famous through the book I will be writing!

The School in Kalimati

2010-09-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

Uma and I have visited all the children individually at home in the past week. We went to the school and met the very enlightened principal . Our original intention was to just sponsor the 5 children from the school, alongside the others and put them through private education. However, having seen the school and met the principal,we came away with a different point of view. We had a discussion at home following our morning visit. It is interesting that Uma and I shared the same feeling , that the children will be better served if they remain where they are, at the same time the school can benefit from our joint efforts.

So we returned to the school yesterday. We met all the mothers again,( interestingly no father is ever present ) in the principal's office. We or rather Uma shared with the mothers and the principal about our intentions to work with them to support the school to provide better facilities for all the children there. The only additional input for the 5 sponsored children will be in the form of daily English and maths tuition after school, paid by the sponsors. We talked about 21st century education for the youngsters.IT was the first topic that came up.The school is in the middle of a building program. There will be more rooms made available in the future. There is also an urgent need to have a science lab for the grade 6/7/8/9 and 10- equivalent of our secondary schools in UK. At present, the pupils only learn the theory of all the science subjects. They need the lab to do the practicals

Considering how slow things are done here, I was pleasantly surprised when the computer science teacher handed me 2 proposals, one for a computer lab and the other for a science lab.I thought it will take them a while to come up with something written when they mentioned that they will give me a proposal to consider . I have to say I was very impressed not only at the speed at which was given ,but the quality as well.. The proposal gave alot of details about the school. Information which will be useful when I need to make a case to all the potential donors in the future.

Oh I forgot to mention that I have been having coversations with some of the sponsors before the trip. It is the fact that it is looking increasingly necessary for me to register as a charity if I want to continue to attract donations and sponsorship in the future. I thought I will use this time away to consider the pros and cons of registering as a charity...However , faced with the pressing needs of the school, it will be an ideal project for the charity- helping the school to develop better facilities for the 650 plus pupils. Uma thinks the same too. W e have both become quite excited at the thought

So it is looking highly likely that I will start the process of registering on my return to UK. I hasten to add that I have not been seduced by the poverty here or making a hasty decision because I am in Nepal. Its something I have been thinking about on and off for a while. I have also been talking to some of the sponsors who are very encouraging and supportive if I decide to go all the way. I am mindful of the amount of work involved to set a charity up. However. having done 3 years of fund raising single handedly, I am now ready to take the next step. Uma and I are having discussions about the various processes that need to be put in place etc when we go formal.

So here I go again !

What Shall I do ?

2010-09-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

Having spent time travelling outside Kathmandu, Uma and I met up with Nabina's family yesterday. They live outside Patan,about an hour's drive away, in a rural village. Nabina is Nitisha's mum, the youngest child at the orphanage. And Nabina is the helper at the orphanage.

Nabina is in a family of 6 girls and a boy. One of her sisters is married , but now separated from her abusive husband through violence and drinks. A very common tale, I am afraid. It would seem that she rejected her 4 year old daughter following the split from her husband. The little girl now lives in the brother's house, cared for by the very lovely sister-in -law who treats her as one of her own. They have 2 boys themselves, but accept that they are doing ok, and will not be sponsored.The little girl is one of the new children we will be sponsoring.

On arrival, we were met with smiles all round . We were shown to the family lounge which doubles up as a bedroom . We met Nabina's mum and 3 of her sisters. The 4 year old , Laxmita is tiny for her age. She looks like a 2 year old, but mentally very sharp. She attends a nursey class in the local area. We are hoping that by paying for all her fees, the family may be in a position to bring in a teacher to teach her a little more, especially in basic English as well as contributing towards any other extra facilities which will help to prepare her for future studies.

During our visit, we saw a 17 year old boy . He is the brother of the lovely sister-in-law. He has been taken under her wing as well because his father died a few years ago. His mother has not been able to provide the most basic amenities to enable him to go to school. Therefore he is living with his sister in this big sprawling family . We witnessed a lot of love and affection amongst them. Such a lovely set up , albeit that they are quite stretched financially.

The long and short of this is that we are both drawn to wanting to help him to enable him to do the 6th form-grade 11 and 12 from April 2011. I have asked him to gather as much information as he can about the type of course, the length and cost of going to college/ uni etc for when we next meet. He will be coming to the lunch which Uma will host next Saturday

Later on in the afternoon, Omm, the chair of the orphanage contacted Uma about 2 different children whom he knows to be in dire need of help. I said to Uma that unless we can drop some of the children we have planned to sponsor, it is not possible for me to agree to the requests. I am very aware that there are overwhelming needs here. However, it is not possible for me , with the best intention in the world , to promise to help everyone. As it is , we will be sponsoring 7 children, possibly 8 with only 6 definite sponsors so far. Yes, it can be done short term, but long term planning is whats required in order that the sponsorship scheme achieves its goal of giving the children a better life chances, and secure a brighter future.

I am in a dilemma.I am not thinking straight at the moment. The needs are so overwhelming here that one can get swamped by it. And I think I am in that situation now.
Thoghts and ideas please, sponsors and donors

And Again

2010-09-11T03:01:00.000-07:00

Having spent over an hour blogging yesterday, the server decided to disappear into outer space! I lost the whole hour of effort. Its been pretty frustrating all round.

I have been busy for the past few days. Its been a case of almost 9 to 5 day for me. I would leave @9am for my daily must at the physio clinic. If time permits I would go to the local Internet cafe to either blog or check my emails. Then Uma and I will go and visit some of the new children we hope to sponsor.It is usually around 4/5 pm before we get back home.

We have been to visit two of the children so far. One of the families live in a pretty dire environment. The family of 4 ( parents and 2 kids age 8 and 6 years) cooks, lives and sleeps in one bed(if you can call a big piece of wood a bed !) in a room no bigger than 10x10. It is really shocking (to my limited exposure to life !). However, the children seems happy in themselves. They were so excited to be given a packet of dolly mixtures and stationary set each. I marvelled at how easily pleased the children are when they have so little themselves. Mum is the second wife. It is a fact that she was not aware of at the time of her marriage. This lucky man has two wives who toil for him, to enable him to drink and be an odd job man whenever he is sober, or feels like working. This seems to be a very common feature in the lower socio- economic group. As a matter of fact, many of the children we are hoping to sponsor has the similar stories running through their lives. Mother works, then she gets beaten by the husband who drinks, therefore unable to hold down a regular job.

I had a chance conversation with my physio, who confirmed my observation on this. She said it is a real problem for the Nepali women in the lower social strata. Yet, things could not be more different for the professional class! I have become quite friendly with the physio who comes from an upper middle class family.She is exploring her options to come to UK to do her Master, either in Physiotherapy or Public Health in the coming year.My hour and a half of intensive physio cost just over a fiver . And it is private medicine. Thats value for money in any language

Well, we have spent some money. We have bought 2 bicycles for the children. One with stabilisers for the younger ones and the other is a normal bike for the older children.The children are having many of their ' firsts' experience this week .Learning to pedal forward (rather than backwards) and realising that applying brakes simultaneously will give them control can be quite mind blowing On top of that, they have to steer the very stiff handle bar to go forward or round the corner. I t was quite hilarious to watch them trying to learn the different skills in order to ride . There were a lot of shouting and screaming. It was an exhausting 2 hours of initiation for the children and adults alike

We have also bought a hand operated sewing machine, 8 Emergency lights/lamps for the new children we hope to sponsor. I have also purchased a supply of gorgeous pashminas for fund raising purposes. I am hoping that I will be in good time to entice the sponsors and donors in late October/early Nov to think about xmas present ideas .

Somehow ,Uma is not keen to take the children out, so we had a KFC feast with pizzas last night. Again, it was their first taste of KFC. I am afraid we overdid it a bit.We were all stuffed. We each managed 3-4 pieces of chicken with the local hot spicy chilli sauce. It was yum! But burnt a bigger hole in my budget than I have originally planned. To date, I have probably spent just under 500 sterling or thereabouts. Apart from the sewing machine, I have receipts for most of them. Uma needs to keep the receipt for warranty (5 years) purposes.We are planning to have a lunch for all the families whose children we hope to sponsor on next Saturday

For the first time, I am seeing rats and mice being chased and killed by the children. I think the unseasonal rain flooded the vermin's' hide out. They were all flushed out of their normal habitat. I even saw a cockroach as big as a child's palm. Its pretty gruesome to say the least. I have to say this has made this trip less pleasant The rain seems to have eased. We are now getting more sunny days.There is evidence too of the authorities attempting to clear the stinking rubbish away. Unfortunately, as soon as the roadside is clear, fresh mounds of rubbish are added overnight. That is because many people cannot afford to pay to have their rubbish collected. It is a constant headache for the authorities.

The new children

2010-09-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Uma is recovering well now. For a few days after my arrival, I was quite concerned that she has lost all interests in what we want to do with the new children .Well, she has rallied round . We are now rearing to go

We went through the list Uma has and decided that we will take a risk to sponsor 7 children even though there are only 6 secured sponsors at my end.The general plan is to visit them in the school, followed by a home visit to meet the parent/s.We will want to talk to them about what they need to help the child's education.. And to share with them about the sponsors' aspiration. That it is to give them a good education, and learn good English. It is with the hope that will help to improve their life chances and secure a good future.We would like them to consider transferring their children to the private school where Uma's children attend That hopefully will take place at the beginning of the next academic year in April 2011.Uma will provide them with the help and support they need to get the children ready. It is planned that once we have visited and purchased all the things required, Uma will host a lunch for the children and parents. They can then collect the stuff at the same time. The need for delivery can then be avoided

We have decided to purchased Emergency lamps and tables for every child we sponsor.With Nepali festivals drawing near, Uma thought it will be a good idea to have a set of new clothes made for each of the children. We will also give them stationary sets, which I have bought in UK.
As for Uma, she does not want another computer. She will have a sewing machine to help with future expenses of clothings.We also hope to purchase a bicycle for the bigger kids and one for the younger ones.These are the things we plan to buy for now. I am hoping that I will be able to take some of the donations back to UK.It is useful to have some spare funding for a rainy day. With regular sponsorship, I can see that the needs of Uma's children are well taken care of. Such happy and contented children........

I went to see a Nepali young lady yesterday.She is wheel chair bound because of childhood polio .Her right leg is not affected. She is studying for her 10th grade, hoping to go to college in April 2011. Though she manages to manouvre ( I don't know how) on the uphill uneven roads /pavements on her way to school, she has a problem getting on a bus with her wheel chair. She will need to stay in the Hall of residence when she goes to college. Her mother sells fruit in the market place with her sister. Her father drinks and does not hold down a regular job. She needs financial help to enable her to continue her study. John and I have agreed to sponsor her when Uma asked a few months ago. So I took the opportunity to visit her in her home. It was a real eye opener. And they are certainly not at the bottom of the pile!

The family consists of both parents and 4 grown up children , living in 2 rented rooms.The 2 brothers aged 20 and 18, shares the bedroom with the 2 sisters age24 and 22 years. 2 small double beds fill the room measures no bigger than12x12. The parents room is also used as the kitchen and dinning area.They share the house with another family renting the 2 opposite bedrooms. The bathroom is an open courtyard with blue sky on top. There is a big well which provide all their water they need for washing and cooking purposes.The bathroom is not overlooked, but it is understandably cold when one tries to shower in the open in winter.There is obviously no heating or hot water there.With everything stack against them, they remain incredibly cheerful and upbeat. The most amazing thing for me is their ability to keep everything so neat and tidy in such confined spaces! Amazing !

It looks likely that I will have a few busy days coming up. In fact I forward to it . I am slso mindful there's only 2 weeks to go before I come back to UK. Lots to do.......

At Long Last !

2010-09-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

I fell like a drowning person since my arrival here . Until this moment, I have no means of communicating with the outside world.My mobile is unable to access any network, Uma's pc is infected with a virus which she cannot get rid of.I have spent hours patiently trying to access my email to no avail. I felt like screaming on a few occasions On top of all that Uma is ill. At the same time,I was suffering from migraine through lack of proper sleep etc. I have to say I was feeling quite low till late last night But it has all changed since

I am currently sitting in a internet cafe following my physio treatment at Blue Birds clinic, accessing the net. Another first time for me. Wow, what a wonderful feeling to be able to communicate again after the lapse of almost 5 days My arrival here was greeted with heavy downpour The weather in September is usually sunny and dry I have not seen any rain in my 2 previous trips. So it has come as a real shock to see rhe usual dry heap of garbage on the road side becoming heaving pile of rotting matter . The aroma emanating from them is rather unpleasant as well. People starting to throw dead rats onto the road. SomethingI have not seen before.I am not sure whats going on here. This has made my 2 previous trips seemed like honey moons. My trip out each day to the physio is like an obstacle course.I have to take a longer route to circumnavigate away from the crushed and half eaten bodies of the rats. urghhhhhh. I tell you, its grim !!!!!!!!!! I need public health people down here fast

However. away from all that. Its wonderful to see the children. They are all much taller than last year. Not surprising, I suppose,given that they have such big appetites for some as young as themselves.They all look as though they have been stretched. Most of them are truly speaking longer sentences, and with confidence, They were all concentrating hard on reading the cards/letters/photos the sponsors sent. It was lovely to see. They love the jigsaw puzzles. Every evening when they have finished their home work , they will all come upstairs, wanting me or one of the volunteers to be involved in doing the jigsaw puzzles. By 9pm we chased them back downstairs to bed

Uma has a houseful at present- 4 volunteers plus me.They are all doing voluntary teaching at the private school where the children are attending One of the best news I was given 2 days ago was during the school's annual prize giving , 7 out of our 8 children (Sangmu excepted) were awarded prizes for exemplary conduct and achievements . There are 500 children in the school.Our children are at the top 10 % of the school population. I was so chafed.I was speechless when one of the volunteer teachers wes talking about it during lunch.Rajesh brought the school reports up for me to see later on that evening. They were the ones sponsors were sent as attachments for their email a few weeks ago. I have to say they look even better in real life. I told them all that the sponsors are very proud of what they have achieved, And that they must keep it up

The children are also taught Karate weekly as a form of exercise. .They have the nightly tuition for an hour from a neighbor. overseeing their homework etc, Then the English teacher comes on a Saturday morning for 2 hours to do the conversational English. The school has started computer classes for the children.They are accessing the 2 pcs but tends to be the older ones who are more interested

So much for now. I will blog regularly now that I have found a cafe thats efficient and fast, for a change. And its only 20 rupees an hour. Am unlikely to break the bank even if I do it often.Apologies for any spelling and grammatical mistakes which I may have missed.

Its Now or Never

2010-09-03T05:36:00.000-07:00

Well, the day has arrived!

In my usual efficient self, I have emptied and washed the waste bins; washed and hung up the towels etc; cleared and cleaned the fridge, sanitized the kitchen sink; bleached the toilet bowl; wiped over the bathroom tiles and floor, last but not least changed and washed the sheets. And this is only the inside of the house!

I must admit the house is always at its tidiest and probably cleanest just before I go away every time. Its a bad habit, which I am finding hard to maintain. I put myself under unnecessary pressure each time. Oh well, its a habit I need to unlearn I think

The luggage feels very weighty. Its probably over 24 Kilo. However, I have been told that Jet Air gives 28 Kilo for checked in luggage. Phew! And hopefully not too pedantic about the size of hand luggage, otherwise I will be in deep trouble! I regard myself as quite a seasoned traveller, and yet I have not learnt the art of travelling light. I think I must have the kitchen sink in my suitcase each time I travel . No matter how many times I tell myself that I can always purchase items at the resort, I tended to put things in for 'just in case'. Again, its a very bad habit

John keeps calling me mother Santa Claus around the house this morning.I think its only made possible by the generosity of everyone concerned. And the phrase sounds weird anyway. I am aware that I have a lot of work and goals to fulfill. It feels a bit scary . For the first time, I will not be working specifically in any set up, but with Uma's help and support, we hope to visit the homes of the new children we hope to sponsor. Then we have some tough decisions to make afterwards. I have secured 6, and not 7 as I originally thought.The 7th changed his mind , but never mind....

I feel somewhat nervous, excited, but also a little concerned that I have not managed to secure more sponsors before I set out. It has put a bit of pressure on the trip. However, I shall do my best while I am out there. Uma is sending a taxi to pick me up from the airport. I will be arriving @2pm Nepal time, but 8am uk time on saturday. Its 6 hours difference between UK and Nepal

Fingers crossed for a smooth flight to Delhi then onto Kathmandu.

The Kindness and Generosity of Folks

2010-08-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

As most of the sponsors and donors will know, that I have been in this country far too long- all 42 years of it! Imagine the untold shock waves I experienced when I became an OAP recently. However,I have never lost touch with some of the school friends ( from the early 60s ) whenever I went back to Malaysia to visit my family.

During my recent visit, I met up with 2 of them. We are all of a similar vintage. We started to talk about the various way we choose to spend our leisure time . Of course I shared with them my pet subject- Helping the children in Nepal to have better life chances. One of them asked about details of the fund raising activities I have done.I could tell she was suitably impressed, but thought no more about it .When I met her again on a different occasion, she said she was interested to help.Well, the rest is history .

She has sent me an amount which equates to sponsoring 4 plus children. However, she does not want to sponsor a specific child. She wants me to use my discretion to spend the money on the children for whatever needs they may have. It is very humbling to be entrusted with so much money(by one person). I have always put great faith in human nature, but this grand gesture surpassed even my wildest expectations. Sponsors, you can log on the Nat West account and see for yourself the donations that have come in. Or please wait for my year end account when I return from Kathmandu

I have sponsors who are also sending me donations towards purchasing things for the children. One of John's cousins saved £200 from her housekeeping since last autumn. Again I was gob smacked. My dentist, a young Australian girl, gave me £30 when I had my last appointment with her . In addition, all the new sponsors, (whom I have brow beaten into submission, ha ha only joking ) have come on board with very positive vibes. Thank you everyone. You have made me so humbled. I am indeed very privileged to be able to take the help and support to the children on your behalf.

John and I are thinking hard on how the children can benefit from this unexpectedly large donation with no strings attached. A second computer for Uma's children is a must.A table for studying for each of the new children will be essential.With daily power cuts lasting between 3 to 6 hours, a solar light/torch/lamp will be crucial for these children to continue to study in the evenings.Its no good buying battery operated ones, because there will not be the money to renew them. Furthermore, Kathmandu is very sunny and warm even in winter. It sits in a valley -maybe at 2,000metres above sea level . Its the evenings when the temperature tends to drop quite drastically. So, solar operated lamp/light/torch will be ideal. John and I will try the big camping shop in Croydon to see if they stock them.

Donors and sponsors, if you happen to read this and have ideas on what will benefit the children, please email me before or after my trip next friday. Obviously there are things which will be better purchased here and vice versa

Pressies for the children

2010-08-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

These are just some of the stuff I have purchased for the children.With more donations coming in, I have decided to buy more of the pencil sets (displayed at the front ) , for both boys and girls, thinking ahead about the new children whom we hope to sponsor in the coming weeks.

However, I do think that it is totally inappropriate to take photos of the various types of biscuits, chocolates , jelly babies and dolly mixtures etc which are safely tucked away in the suitcase. So one just has to imagine.... Yum yum........

On a serious note, I have received donations amount to £290 (cash) and £70 (cheques ) so far with promise of more to come. A very big ' Thank you' to you all, my warm and generous friends and relatives, from the bottom of my heart. I have spent £157 ( with full receipts ) to date. I am not going near any stationary shops any longer, for fear of buying more stuff. I keep telling myself ' Enough is enough '. The money will be better spent once Uma and I have met up with the children and their families in Kathmandu.

Uma and I have been thinking and talking about how we are going to support these new children. They range from 4 years to 12 years of age. The main difference between these new children and Uma's is that they are all living at home with either a father or mother, some with both who are not working.

Originally they come from different parts of Nepal, majority are from improvished and remote mountain villages.They are now all residing in Kathmandu, in order to have the opportunities of a formal education.They all attend state schools, unlike Uma's lot.Therefore I would guess that they do not speak any English . What we plan to do is to visit them individually in their homes, and make an assessment of the must haves. For example, we would like to see a table of sorts in the home so that they are able to study and do their home work with ease. This is set against the background of the Nepali people sitting and eating on the floor as part of their normal living.

The other thing Uma and I have discussed is the feasibility of starting a basic English class for these children.Uma will explore with the current English teacher whether she , or some one she knows can undertake to teach basic English to these kids . Uma can use her orphanage as the place for these new children to learn, say twice a week. Uma is very keen on the idea. What we need to do now is to include this as part of our discussion with the families when we meet them. I have every confidence that they will be in favour when they realise the potential of what it could mean for their children's future, and their career prospects.

So far, I have secured 7 sponsors. And I am literally scrapping the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. Believe it or not, I am running out of people to ask. I accept that I might not be able to achieve even 10 new sponsors. However, there may be ways we can help most of the children if we were to pool and share out the new sponsorship money. I just have to wait and see, fingers crossed. With Uma's help, we just might do it...........

Nepal Calling , again !

2010-08-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, its that time of the year again. I could almost hear ' Lai See didi, Lai See didi, can you do skipping rope? Lai See didi Lai See didi,thank you for the goodies' in my consciousness somewhere. It is so faint that I know its coming from a faraway land in the Himalayan mountains. I must admit I do find it hard to resist the call to visit the place. It tugs at the heart strings to want to see how tall the children have grown, and how far they have come in terms of their emotional and mental development.

Having had a pretty traumatic year at a personal level, it certainly is therapeutic to be able to cast one's focus elsewhere for a change, to be less self indulgent and inward looking! The moment the flight to Kathmandu was confirmed, I was out and about trying to source things from different places. Uma is always ready to have a long chat on Skype. We discussed at great lengths the unmet needs out there. However, we both accepted that we cannot help everyone. She would do some investigation from the local state schools to see if there are children we could help. Back came a list of children a few days later- all 13 of them. She has met them with their families, and have taken photographs of them all.I was emailed with the background information and the photos. We have started to shortlist them in the order of priority depending on how may sponsors I am able to secure at this end. I have 4 possibly 5 so far. Talk about thick skinned.........and not letting rejections put me off

In the meantime, I have been quite sucessful in receiving donations from friends and relatives who are interested to continue to support my effort for the coming trip. I have donations of over £300 so far. I have bought jigsaw puzzles, Disney cartoon CD like Polar Express and Anastasia as well as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The charity shops in Beckenham certainly do well for these things. I have also purchased quite a bit of stationary stuff for Uma's children , as well as stock for the new children I am going to meet when I am out there. Matalan proved to be another good place to find bat and ball sets and skipping ropes and the like .And then its the usual M&S 's talcum powder, and the tiny pots of moisturisers from Astral for Uma's lot. They went down so well last year that Uma asked if I could do the same again this year, at their request. To date, I have spent £132 so far, with the receipts in full

For one who views food as an important aspect of any social interaction, its only natural that a fair amount of packects of fun sized nibbles and chocolates for the kids were purchased in good time.Uma loves dark chocolate. I have also bought some goodies from Malaysia. I am very happy to say that they are all safely packed away in the suitcase now. I must admit I do feel like mother Xmas, not that they believe in Xmas. They are Hindus after all .

Well, it certainlly feels good to start blogging again after almost a year. How time flies! And how life's event sometimes changes one's perspective on things . I am just thankful that I am still here to do all that I want to do.

Till the next time, thank you for showing the interests and continued support

Images of Balmandir

2009-10-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Balmandir is also called Nepal Children Organisation. It is a very grand old building, palatial in size and appearance, but somewhat run down. It was home to Prime Ministers of the yester years, the golden age of Nepali monarchs and rulers. The building was bequeathed by the late queen to the orphanage. There are at least 3 inner courtyards , a large walled garden and a big front drive with room big enough for a football pitch.

There are beautiful ornate carved bannisters inside the main hall, all the way from ground level right up to the first floor . The office and waiting area for the chair on the first floor is the only part of the building in good repair.The rest of the building is being used as offices , living and sleeping quarters for the 300 orphans residing there. The building is in desperate need of a good coat of paint. Cost again !!!

The orphanage is a square building connected by very long corridors on 4 sides, each leading into smaller courtyards etc.Two of the courtyards have lovely wall murals done by volunteer artists over the years. Unfortunately, the ground for the nursery area is in such poor repair that the toddlers are not allowed to play outside. There are many evidence of buildings donated by generous sponsors , like the dinning room was built by a german couple way back in the early 90s.

Following my initial experience of being in the staff toilet, I noticed that a sanitory health project was started by a sponsor. The idea apparently was to help to promote the importance of hand washing and general hygiene issues.It was obvious that a sponsor had given some money to the management team, to assist them in raising awareness and hopefully the standard of hygiene at Balmandir !

Images of Children

2009-10-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

The pictures were taken outside the toddlers' room and in the sleeping room upstairs. 3 teenagers with ? learning difficulties/ ? cerebral palsy were cared for on their backs . John brought 2 bean bags at their reqest to try and sit them up.

Home safety is obviously not an issue here . I did not witness any accident , like falling downstairs etc all the time I was there. I was also reassured that the children do not have accidents !

When there is a staff shortage, children just have to look after themselves at feeding time, and stay in the cots most of the time.......

The Big Spend at Balmandir, Kathmandu

2009-10-16T04:09:00.000-07:00

We bought :

102 pairs of knickers and bras for older girls(large)

40 pairs of knickers for younger girls (medium)

50 pairs of boys pants and vests (medium)

10 pairs of boys pants and vests (large)

100 bed sheets (single )

1oo towels

In addition we gave US$ 200 to the orphanage towards their milk bill (receipted )

It also included the additional spent in the toddlers room: -

10 pillow cases, 3 mattress covers , 3 large winter blankets , 2 large towels and the toys etc

The total spent was US$ 900 which = £600 approx

I have receipts for most of them

The photos on the left showed my first meeting with the Chair and Uma to discuss their needs. The other is the handover of 10 bags of stuff to the Director, again in the presence of the Chair.

The children in the Toddlers Room, Balmandir

2009-10-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

The new cushion covers and mattress covers sre shown against the old blue ones in the photos on the left hand side.

The toddlers room is a large room, with ample space for the children to run and cycle around. The room has wall murals with Disney World cartoon characters which were done by various volunteers in the past.

A couple of photo showed them sitting round the table for elevenses- milk and fruit. Lunch is served sitting on the floor for the younger ones

Mendira is pretty good with the play dough. The children were fascinated by the fruit she was able to make - bananas, chillies apples etc

Aren't they beautiful kids ? And they are the lucky ones to be able to come to this room. Many more got left outside........

Uma's Orphanage and the expenditure incurred

2009-10-13T07:37:00.001-07:00

The photos displayed above showed some of the things bought with the donations from

The Friends of Nepal
Things purchased:-

Bunkbed (being built ) 10,000

Website-annual Fee 7000

Dining Table (being built ) 3500

Tracksuit x8 8000

Kitchen Eqpt 12850

(toaster, blender , sandwich toaster)

Water & Tiffin carrier 4000

Globe for Geography 550

Battery for Invertor 16,750

Grocery for 3 months 16,000

Outings x2 12000

Plumber 4000

Total 94,650 NR

Exchange rate @122 = £775.80

The remainder of the £800 ie £25 went on numerous taxis rides and withdrawal fees at my bank. I have receipts for the big items. The fee for the website, as well as the cost for building the bunk beds and dinning table were given to Uma to pay whoever.Unfortunately I have no receipts for them.

The reason for an additional bunkbed is that the latest government ruling states that every orphanage is required to have a minimum of 10 children from next February, in order to stay registered. Uma has already increased her number from 6 to 8 children this April. I have found personally that 8 is becoming quite a big group this time round. Uma does not have a choice. Hence the additional bunkbed and dinning table.

When I first arrived, the taps and toilet in the downstairs bathroom were not working. They had no water pressure to do anything- flushing toilet or washing or showering.I had to go upstairs to do all that. The washer in the tap has gone, so they were using stop cock to turn water on and off under the sink ! Frustrating to say the least. I asked Uma to get a plumber in to sort out it out, hence the plumber 's cost

The kitchen equipments were needed for catering for volunteers who stay there, a source of Uma's irregular income. We bought the invertor with battery last year because of the daily power cut. A spare battery was purchased in case the first one gives up for ghost

The grocery purchased includes 210 kilos of rice, 30kilos of lentils, mixed beans each ,10 litres of cooking oil,10 kilos of flour (for chapati ), sugar, soap etc. It should last 3 months. It never fails to amaze me how much rice the children consume at each meal time. Uma says that they use approximately 2 kilos a day. That is almost 4.5 lbs of uncooked rice ! Its mind boggling if you watch them eating during their meal times. Maybe its emotional hunger ? But they are growing up well. So......

Last but not least, the Primark t-shirt from UK and the tracksuite which was paid from the donation. It was amazing how they match up , by coincidence.

So thank you one and all from Uma , the children and me

My Last Day

2009-09-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

I went in this morning and found the orphanage closed to the general public. I overlooked the fact that it is the beginning of the festival season. It lasts for 4 days till the following Tuesday. I took in the 3 newly altered mattress covers for the day room. Davee was not in .It was a real pain to have to cart them back to Uma's on public transport! I will have to go back next week with John. John is bringing 2 large bean bags for the 3 teenage girls who are suffering from cerebral palsy in the sleeping room upstairs.

There is a team of Spanish volunteers here , working with the orphans who suffer from laerning disability. These kids are cared for lying flat on their backs from god knows when.The Spanish workers are trying to get a wheel chair as well as bean bags to enable staff to sit them up to have a change of scenery sometimes. Uma is trying to get a wheelchair through her brother who is a member of the Rotary club here. I happened to have a conversation with Pablo, one of the spanish volunteers. We decided that it will be easier to source them in UK. It is fortuitous that John is coming to Kathmandu next week He has got them ready for the journey. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Qatar Airline will be obliging enough to allow John to check in 2 large and unwieldy luggages in addition to one of his own.

I was given the impression, through sign language and broken English that the day room will be open today- Friday, before they break for the festival. I did think that it may not be open.But then I thought the orphanage is a residential place.They will probably do something special today before the staff leaves for the week end . As one can appreciate, I will be the first one to want to stay away if I have a choice. Then I thought I will be letting people down if they are expecting me to turn up.

Against my better judgement I went in, lugging this heavy bag of mattress and cushion covers.The front door was locked. I had to go in via the back door which is full of traps in my opinion. Its strewn with bits of discarded tyres, toys, clothes and heaven knows what else amongst the tall and overgrown grass. The day room was closed. Davee was not there. I popped my head into the sleeping room upstairs. I found the children all lined up sitting on the floor, waiting for lunch to be served. They looked so calm and angelic for a change that I thought I better escape while the going is good. So I scarpered like a scalded cat......

I have to negotiate quite a tricky patch of garden /back yard with squelchy and muddy grounds on my way out.There were many toddlers running around amongst the numerous nanny goats there .One of the 3 year old from the day room called out to me 'didi, didi'. He was running around, pulling at the goat nearest to him, totally in his element of being allowed outside. He seemed very happy. I stopped to sat hello. I rubbed his tousled hair, while looking to see if there are any adults around keeping an eye on him as well as some of these young ones. There was only one young man around. He was concentrating his effort on trying to load or rather haul all the nanny goats onto a ?three wheeler van like the one 'Del boy' drives. It was quite a comical sight. In fact it was the most light hearted moment I experienced since I started at Balmandir. And sun was shinning for a change......May be some one up there thought I deserved a break on my last day. It was hilarious. Imagine 'Del Boy ' hauling nanny goats into his 3 wheeler in an orphanage in Nepal !!! Hahaha And so I went out of the orphanage laughing to myself, totally forgetting about looking for a responsible adult to keep an eye on the youngsters.

That was my last formal day at Balmandir.

My feelings ? Well,I have learnt a lot more than I did last year. It truly opened my eyes to the sufferings of these unfortunate youngsters. And I feel so helpless at the same time.Through the generosity of all you sponsors, we were able to make a tiny difference for some of the children for a few months at best , no more than that

Whats the answer ? Well, there is no answer.I accept my limitations along with my frustration at how unfair the world is . It is all to do with accident of births.............

The Orphanage

2009-09-23T05:19:00.000-07:00

Due to the festival period, the day room where I have been working has been closed for over a week now .Reason being the 2 main workers are on leave. That means that the toddlers and the 3 and 4 year old have been stuck in their respective sleeping rooms upstairs without any toys or open spaces to run around during this period.

I went in last week to find that it is the common practice whenever the festival period is around. All the 'normal' toddlers are wondering around the room aimlessly, with no toys and people to interact with. They are all meandering in between the cots.It was terrible to see. The minute they see someone entering the room, who remotely resembling an interaction, they all came crowding round. Each time I went in , I would have numerous little arms out stretched to be picked up. With my bad shoulder, I can only pick one up at a time. The rest just fighting to get into the crooks of my legs. It was not an agreeable state of play in my book. However I chided myself that I am here, so I just have to get on with it. So I persevered till the end of last week.

Over the weekend, I mulled over repeatedly my feelings about working in the sleeping room upstairs for this coming week.The thought filled me with dread.I decided to play truant for 2 days. Its the first time ever , in my life that I failed to do something that's expected of me!.I did feel guilty, but came to the conclusion that if the orphanage don't care whether I go in or not, then why should I care ? I am totally demotivated, an alien experience for me.So I convinced Uma that we will take the children out for lunch yesterday.

We had a great time, stuffing ourselves with momos and pizzas. Its the second outing they have had. It transpired that two of the children have never been on an escalator before. So while we were out, we went to a shopping mall and took the 2 children up and down the escalator.It reminded me of the time when escalators were first introduced in Malaysia , about 20-30 years ago. My mother and aunt (her sister ) were really nervous about getting on this moving contraption.They would always prefer to walk up the stairs than trying to time their steps with this mechanical moving thing. We used to laugh our heads off at the two of them trying to negotiate the escalators they encountered. After the escalator experience, Uma took them all in a lift for them to feel the sensation of going up in a lift , albeit only to the fifth floor. We had a great day

Reluctantly I decided that I cannot skive the whole week, so I went in this morning . Though I knew that they would be desperate for play and interaction, it still hit me when went in. All the little arms are stretching out to be picked up. One of the Spanish volunteers was talking to me about getting a wheelchair for the 3 teenage girls with ?cerebral palsy ?learning disability. I was moaning about the lack of toys to keep the children occupied. He then gave me a dozen balloons for the children. As I was walking back to the room, I started to blow up some of the balloons on the way .Suddenly I had a crowd of older children 8-10 years old gathering around me , each crying for a balloon from me. I looked helplessly at Pablo, the Spanish volunteer to ascertain what I should do. He spoke to them in Nepali. I am not sure what he said to them. They were still whining and begging when I escaped into the room.

The balloon was a good therapy. It kept them occupied for a good hour. By then most of the balloons had been squeezed and burst. I then decided that I will swing each of these tots on my left /right leg for amusement. And that everyone will take his/her turn, forgetting that 18 month old do not understand about taking turns. Though I was generally keeping most of them happy, so I thought. Suddenly I felt a severe pain in my left ankle. One of the little blighters had bitten me out of sheer frustration of having to wait his turn. I am not proud to admit this. I reacted instinctively and pinched him to show him that it hurt.He glared at me and shook his head.There was a round teeth mark, but at least it didn't break the skin. So that was that.

All the while , the 2 workers in the room just sat and did nothing. They looked so dejected and uninterested in everything around them. ?A victim of the system ?

What shall I do tomorrow ? Do I go in and face the same ?

The Orphans in Kathmandu mark 2

2009-09-21T02:29:00.000-07:00

Pangum's mother turned up yesterday with her father and sister. I understand from Uma that she tore into mum , telling her off. I was out sight seeing with Emily yesterday -another story
Uma wanted to know how Pangum's mother sees as her responsibility as a mother. Uma was asking angrily why she had not tried to make contact and come to see Pangum for the past 3 years? Why give birth to a child when she has no interest of caring or loving the child ? Apparently, the poor woman just broke down following the barrage of angry words from Uma. She did not answer but just remained quiet with tears rolling down her face

Pangum does not remember her mother.Therefore she was reluctant , like she was with her father ,to go near her. After sometime, her mother bribed her with a bag of goodies to share with other children. She then went forward, and her mother grabbed her and they fell into each other's arms and broke the ice. Uma tried to have a more rational conversation with the parents after that. There are 2 more younger ones at home, a boy and a girl.They are considering putting at least one of them in another orphanage. They are unable to provide for the children. Uma feels quite frustrated by this. She repeated what she said earlier -' why give birth to a child if you are not going to care and love the child? ' I think these words just fell on deaf ears...May be there are things we don't understand........

They then asked if they could take Pangum out for the day. Again Uma refused their request. Pangum is now quite clear where she stands . Uma is the Kathmanu mommie, and mommie is the one from Lantang..She is quite emphatic that she wants to stay with the Kathmandu mommie. There was no tears when they left, just a big sigh . Uma did ask the parents how should they contribute towards Pangum's up keep ? They obviously unable to pay, but would send bananas and potatoes to her from their vegetable patch as and when

Hot on the heels came another phone call. This time is one from Rajeish's mum who came this morning. The last time Rajeish saw his mum was a year ago when he severed his second toe. I was here when it happened.He has 2 older sisters living at home with his mum. The eldest who is 16 years old , accompanied his mother to see him today.Lots of long and awkward silences in the room. The mum seems a nice woman . Rajeish interacted with his sister, but appeared to keep a distance away from his mum. He feels the rejection acutely. I think he is angry with her

Uma wanted to establish whether the mother is in a position to have Rajeish back . She said she lives in a rented room with her 2 teenage daughters and husband. It is a room where they cook , live and sleep in.She is not able to take care of Rejeish because she is the only wage earner in the family. Then she got a little upset. The visit was quite short. It may have lasted for half an hour. Then its till the next year for Rajeish !

Uma and I talked about this. Uma feels that these children are not true orphans. Now that she has given them a good few years' start, they should be in a position to go back home to continue their schooling. She will ensure sponsorship for their education till they finish high school.She feels strongly that she should give the opportunities to the truly genuine orphans who are without any parents..As things stand , she can take 3 additional youngsters only. I remind her that these children has had stability, care and love after their first few traumatic years. Returning them to their families who are unable to care in the way they are used to will cause more upset .It will undo all the good work she has done with them up till now.Is it not better that she focus her energy in developing the 10 youngsters into useful citizens, rather than taking a chance on them becoming a labourer looking for a job on a day to day basis (if the family is unable to provide the stability and care needed ) should they decide to leave school early?

Uma is mulling over what I said.She is a woman with integrity and good values. I feel sure she will come to a very sensible and wise decision. It appears that the scenarios seems to play out each year when the festival arrives in September. The urge to want to see one's child becomes unbearable, even though they have not visited for a whole year. This is what frustrate Uma the most. She does feel used. And I don't blame her one jot. I suppose is what we call human nature, in the context of extreme Nepali poverty and deprivation. And I blame the government !

The Orphans in Kathmandu

2009-09-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

I came home from the orphanage yesterday to find Pangum's father,( one of the children living with Uma) talking to Uma sitting on the stone steps outside of the house. An 'uncle' who speak fairly good English was trying to explain to Uma and I the reason they turn up without any prior notice.

Up until the beginning of 2008, Uma was working in an orphanage where there were 20 plus children. The proprietor ran the orphanage as a business. ie any donations are absorbed as income for the proprietor and his wife, leaving the minimum possible to feed and clothe the children. Uma was not impressed with the care given there. She then decided that she can do better . So she left that orphanage. She then asked for some of the children she has been looking after to join her at her newly set up orphanage. Pangum was one of the 6 children given. At the time there was no accompanying history for Pangum . Uma only knows that she has an older sister in the same orphanage.She has tried to get the sister to join her, but the proprietor refused because she already has a sponsor which mean income for the proprietor. He would lose the income if he were to give her to Uma. Uma offered to pay for her release.The proprietor then asked for a very large sum of money which Uma could not afford. It was basically blackmail. Uma decided that she has to drop the idea.It was upsetting at the time because Uma has been planning for her arrival together with another sister of one other child she has. We talked about it. It was not meant to be...

Since then, Uma has been badgering the authority and the orphanage trying to establish whether Panhum is truly an orphan. There is no birth details. Often the actual age of the orphan is based on guess work. We think Pangum is 7 years old.We have no birth date. No one has ever visited her at the orphanage, certainly not at Uma's since almost 2 years on. Then out of the blue, her father turned up with her sister and an uncle who did all the talking.Uma was most put out

It would seem that Pangum's family comes from high up the mountain in a very remote village. Boy,I can vouch that its remote alright. I stayed at one of those villages (if you can call it a village with only 4 houses) when I went trekking last year. There is no work available.One can only find trees and vegetation there. A school is 3/4 hours of working away. Many of the mountain villagers gave up their children to orphanage because they know they will have a better future with opportunities for education, better nutrition and living.So they come to Kathmandu and leave their children sometimes in an orphanage, other times just by a train or bus station.Alternatively through an 'uncle'. Pangum was around 3 plus when she first went to the orphanage. She does not remember her father. She refused to come out of her room even to say hello. She tentatively circled round her older sister. I saw her sister briefly last year one evening when Uma took me and the kids back to pay the old orphanage a visit. That visit reminded me of a Romanian orphange at the time. Pangum's sister was there with crew cut hair in an old dirty vest sitting in the dark with other kids during one of the power cuts , at 7pm. The contrasts couldn't be greater then

Pangum's sister has grown her hair long, She looks small compare to Pangum who is 3/4 years younger.Otherwise well.She was playing with the older children in their study room. When I came back out later, she was having her hair combed through with nits falling on the floor.It would appear that there is no stigma attached to having nits, just an inconvenience.I could not believe the amount that were coming off her hair. The floor was covered. I feel itchy just thinking about it now

It transpires that there is a mother also. She is coming to visit tomorrow! Pangum 's father asked to take Pagum out with her sister to a nearby Monkey temple to give thanks to god etc. Uma would not hear of it .She said to him that if he takes her out, he did not bother to bring Pangum back, ever. In any case, Pangum would not go with her father who is like a total stranger to her

In the absence of news in the past 2 years, Uma has grown particularly close to Pangum. She has admitted to me on many an occasion that Pangum is her favourite. Though she does not show it openly, I guess children are pretty cute . They pick this up themselves, saying that Pangum can get away with murder with mommie.

This turn of event has upset Uma greatly. She was having a real go at the father yesterday, asking why he has not bothered to visit Pangum at all in the last few years. To then just turn up and expect things to be normal is just too much for the kid...especially at the festival time! I did think its a bit harsh to refuse his reguest and issue an ultimatum.I guess I do not have the emotional investment which Uma has made over the years. She must feel used

It would seem that what Uma experienced is not uncommon. Apparently there are many so called' uncles' who take money from the parents promising them that they will find a good orphanage for their children . Parents being isolated up in the mountains and generally uninformed, are in a desperate state to give their children better lives. Frequently the mother is working in town away from the family.Father is then ended up with the child care . He often cannot cope. So they pay money to these manipulative 'uncles' who make a good living out of the miseries of these impoverished and desperate parents.

Uma has just found out that one of her recently acquired orphans has both parents livng and kicking. Her mum is actually working in Kathmandu. Uma is planning to return her to her family when the current school year finishes.

In her view, her orphannage is there for orphans or children suffering from genuine hardship. Anyone who came with less genuine reasons will be returned to their family.I agree with her totally . She now faces a real Dilenma.......

The Donation

2009-09-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Uma managed to have her way.We were in the Chair's office (again )yesterday. The numerous bags (10 in total ) were formally presented to the Chair and the director at Balmandir (The Nepal Children Organisation), or rather the Orphanage. They were very appreciative of the generosity of 'The Friends of Nepal' from England and Malaysia. They would like me to convey their thanks and appreciation to you all sponsors. And also a big ' thank you' from me as well which make the effort possible

At one stage, the director asked if we would like to give out the clothes to the children ourselves. Uma ad I both felt that it is not a good idea. That the orphanage should do it in their own way and time. It would appear that a donor very generously purchased 80 jackets for the children without realising the exact number in the previous year. It ended with some youngster going without. That caused some upset in the orphanage. The chair commented that this time there will be 2 pairs of pants and bras for every teenage girl there. It is a much better situation. Thats only because we asked for a list from the director.Initially when we both looked at the list, we did not think we would able to buy everything on the list with the amount required. Miraculously with the 20% discount and good house keeping, we achieved it . We were both tired but elated at what we manage to buy at the end. Best of all its the festival time starting from tomorrow. An ideal time (like xmas ) to give out new clothes to all the kids

It was very pleasing to be back in the toddlers' room today. Mendira is still away. However with me being a regular and reliable volunteer, the powers to be must have decided that the worker and I will be safe to operate the day room. In the event, a second volunteer turned up to make it 3 .Its so much better to see them having the space to run around and play with the toys than just wondering aimlessly weaving through the cots upstairs.

I have always been careful to wear a ta bard when I started here in the first week .However it is very warm with 2 layers on. And I stood out with that garb on . So I decided that I will go without in the second week. So I blend in just like every body else. I do not usually have toddlers sitting on my knees with no nappy on. Today was very hectic. Somehow I lowered my standard , just momentarily. Well , what a big mistake !

It was toileting time. Therefore there were lots of bare bottoms running around. One of the tots was upset about something, running towards me, I naturally picked him up and sat him on my knees to comfort him. Then I thought I could smell something unpleasant. Its only when I put him down to put the nappy back on, that I realised the little blighter have not had his bottom cleaned after been for a poo ! I had to endure a good hour of the smell on my trousers before I called it a day @ 12.30. I normally finish @1.30 each day. It was funny and it was not. I was conscious that I might smell in the bus. Thank god all the windows were open .The warm breeze was so welcoming.....

A big event was happening this morning.Apparently there were some actresses and celebrities arriving to visit the children at the orphanage. They came into the toddlers' room soon after I arrived . They were accompanied by the Board members and the chair. It was good timing because there were 3 of us to the 12 children. That's not a bad staff ratio. There was an Italian woman in the group who is hoping to adopt 2 of the very adorable toddlers in the room. I thought the adoption by foreigners were banned and that the adoptive parents cannot choose a specific child, so I was told. I supposed like everywhere in the world, wealth can oil things very smoothly. No doubt a big donation is winging its way to the coffers of the orphanage. Reality beckons

So much for now. I must try not to be cynical. Its a very bad human trait

The Big Spent

2009-09-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 days, Uma and I have been travelling the breadth and width of Kathmandu to try to maximise the money I have collected from UK .A sum of of 900 USD was spent on the Orphanage. With Uma's contacts, we were fortunate to get 20% discount on most items, talk about arm twisting and blackmailing... Therefore we were able to purchase more than we originally planned. We both are shattered by the running around, but very pleased with the end result

They are the following:-
102 pairs of girls pants (large); 40 pairs of girls' pants (medium) ; 102 pairs of bras (32/33 )
110 pairs of boys' pants (small and medium ); 50 boys' vests(55 -65 cm ); 10 large vests and pants for boys;
100 bed sheets ;100 towels
And I purchased for the toddlers' room which I work in (because they are special ):
3 large winter blankets, 3 bed covers. 10 pillow cases, 2 large towels plus play dough and balls .

I was able to put aside 200USD from the pot towards the milk for the children . All the clothing and beddings are piling up in Uma's lounge at the moment. . They do look to be a fair amount of stuff.

Uma is insistent that they should not be taken in and just left with the staff. She feels strongly that they should be presented formally to the chair. After all, it is a very big donation by any standards. I have to go along with her because she lives here, and she knows how the land lies, etc.

Today is Children's day in Nepal. I was told early on in the week that there will be sweets and goodies distributed to all the children in the various rooms.I arrived to find the day room for the toddlers locked. Eventually I found the regular worker in the day room upstairs in the children's bedroom, or rather the sleeping room. It appears that Mendira, the worker in the day room has had a family bereavement. She will be away from work for the coming week. There is no replacement staff That's the reason the day room is closed. It would seem that they will all be couped up in this room until she returns. I suppose that goes for the 2 and 3 year olds in a different room as well. Furthermore, there was no evidence of any goodies being distributed to the kids while I was there

I went into the sleeping room to find over 15 or so young toddlers sitting, crawling, howling and/or sleeping on the floor.. They were all clamouring for human contact and affection. I realised then only half of the more forward ones are placed downstairs in the day room where I have been for the past 10 days.The less mature ones are left upstairs all the time in the sleeping room. If I picked one up, another will be crying wanting the same . In the end, I just sat on the floor, with 3 or more climbing into my lap and over my shoulder with arms round my neck, just for some human contact. It is heart breaking to see and experience that urge in these young toddlers through no faults of anyone, but the system.

For a long time , the orphans were adopted by many well meaning foreigners across the globe.Then questions were raised in the country about the whys and wherefores of orphans being brought up in a foreign culture. There is a ban at the moment for adoption by foreigners. I understand that the ban will end in ?3 years' time when the policy will be rescinded.

I have also begun to understand the fact that toddlers as young as a year old will call anyone 'Didi'. Its a replacement word for ' mummy' . Every adult they come into contact in their young lives are all ' Didis'.. There are no mummies here. Uma's lot are very fortunate.They all call her mummy because she treats them all as her own . She says she feels guilty sometimes when she has to say to people that she has 8 orphans when in fact they are her children........

I came home today more smelly and grubby than usual.......

The Chair and Miscellaneous

2009-09-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

What a lovely warm (normal) woman the Chair is ! She is the daughter of a very prominent politician in Nepal. She has no airs and graces, quite unusual in this part of the world , according to Uma, for someone in such a high profile position

We met her in her very grand office, in the presence of the director. We discussed the needs of the children , which are overwhelming. We agreed that two third will be spent on buying bed sheets, vests, towels, panties and ?children bra (we think its sports bra), with the remaining third to be spent on buying milk for the children . They appreciate that receipts are important to enable me to account for the money spent to the donors. It was agreed that Uma and I will buy the clothing and bedding. The director will authorise the purchase of the milk powder. At some stage, I will take photos of all the goods purchased.

During the past week. Uma and I have bought quality blankets, big towels, and placed an order for bedsheets and pillow cases for the toddlers room They will be ready for collection on Monday next. On reflection, it probably was quite an extravagant way of buying things. However, I do feel strongly that the toddlers' room where I volunteer should have the best because I am benefiting from the experience. I am so lucky to be placed in this particular room when I see the condition of other similar aged children running around in the corridor. They come from 2 other toddlers' rooms..May be its unfair to say this, it reflects the type and quality of care that these children receive on the day to day. Some of the younger ones even got caned and slapped the other day outside the corridor. I happened to be standing outside the toddlers' room taking a breather. It reminded me of Dickensian era of child care....Images of poorly clothed children with scars and scabs on their faces and bodies, running around with dripping noses.... and beaten .......
I do wonder how can there be such contrasts in child care in the same orphanage ?

I have also bought more bouncing balls for the kids because they were all fighting over them with just 4 balls amongst the 12 of them. The fact that the younger ones only know solitary play makes it impossible to have a group throw around. On the day I took the balls in, there were many prostrated little bodies lying on the floor! Each time a ball is snatched from a child, temper tantrum ensued with them throwing themselves on the floor. I almost caused a World War 3 in there. Today calmness and peace reigns with 8 balls for 12 children . Mendira told me she will be having 4 additional children after the holiday break( at the end of September onwards) with no extra resources available. Uma and I thought it will be a good idea to buy another blanket. This we will do over the weekend

Mendira was not at work yesterday due to a family problem. It meant that its only me and one other volunteer for staffing. It would seem that there is no communication between management and the front line staff. Would they still expect one volunteer to cope with 12 children in the event that only one worker turns up? How do they know if the one worker /volunteer is capable of doing the job with no support and help ? No one came to the room to find out. I found that quite worrying.... I was talking to Uma about things in general. I said that I have found working in the orphanage a little disappointing. She asked me not to compare it with the standards in the west. I have not. What I am doing is comparing the standard of her orphanage with the one at The Nepal Children centre where I am. If she can produce such good care, why can't the orphanage achieve part of her standard ? There is no minimum standards I suppose

With no Mendira, the children were all running around aimlessly. I decided that I had to take charge. So I arranged to have a play dough session. Every child climbed onto the chair , round the table , waiting for a piece of dough in his/her little hand. It goes to show how popular and creative children can be. No sooner than giving every child a piece, one or two younger ones (18 month-olds) started to sneakily put it in his /her mouth. Its because they are so vividly coloured that, it looked edible to the younger eyes .In between trying to make shapes with the older ones and rescuing bits of blue / red/ yellow play dough from a child's mouth, I was stressed for the first time since starting work in this room. The other volunteer helped a great deal. She was laughing her head off when I kept saying to the younger ones -' ni ni ni' with my fingers reaching into their mouths to take the dough out! The session lasted only 20 minutes. Its probably my longest 20 minutes since my arrival here. :( Phew ! )

I have discovered the reason for the lack of water from the taps in the toilets here. Its the fact that children have a tendency to play with water when they are unsupervised. With such a vast building -used to be a palace for Prime Minsters in the golden ages, that it is impossible to control the children's behaviour which can cost the management huge bills. They do have taps but only in designated places like kitchen and outside toilets in the teenagers' quarters . Admittedly there were clean water in the bucket in one of the toilets in the management corridor yesterday. I supposed a bucket of water will only last so long depending on the frequency of usage.I was unlucky today .

Faith Healing Nepali style ?

2009-09-10T05:43:00.000-07:00

I am currently suffering from a painful ? 'Frozen shoulder'. It is being treated by my GP with anti-inflammatory tablets.In the meantime, I have been going to an acupuncturist as well as having magnets put on my shoulder. It is improving, albeit very slowly. I am very impatient to wait for the total recovery. So I have asked Uma what alternative treatment can she suggest in terms of complimentary medicine here in Nepal. She suggested a faith healer whom she was told is very effective.

Here I am, having a Nepali Faith Healer to see if it works for me. I have been to her twice in 2 days. Before I went, I have this vision of some mystical human who will perform some unknown craft on me. Nothing is further from the truth . We arrived at a normal looking terrace house. A very kindly looking woman in saree greeted us at the door.It is to cost me 15 NR-about 10 pence for a 40 minute session . I paid the fee at the shrine of her worship- a little table with a picture of a Hindu god

She started by circling her hands round my head. She then pressed my forehead and crown with both her hands. She has very warm hands.I could feel the warmth radiating from her fingers even when she is not touching me physically. I noticed she has the most beautiful smooth hands with lovely pearlised manicures that I have ever seen. Interesting contrast ?

Her approach is holistic. I was asked to face the 4 directions-east ,west, north and south. Each time she would cast her hands over me like a scanner, going over my head then down each side of my body, finishing at my feet. She would concentrate and spend more time over the problem areas like my right shoulder and the upper arm. All the time I can feel the heat radiating from her hands. The only weird or rather interesting thing is that the whole of my right arm would start to tingle each time she passes her hands over it. It is as though the circulation has been rushed. At times it feels quite strong like pins and needles.

I had my first session yesterday morning I went for my second one this afternoon with no obvious side effects. I have decided that I will have about 5 sessions to see if it makes any difference . After all at 10 pence a go, I have nothing to lose really. The massage that accompanies her healing is also very soothing......

There is no issue like privacy during a session, just like in Malaysia,. There were 3 other women sitting in the open room while she is administering the healing. They were carrying on a long and involved conversation as one would. She answers her mobile phone when it rings. She also involves herself with the conversation around her. She obviously told Uma what she found out about my health. I didn't mind because it is done in the local context. Its how things are done here obviously. So fingers crossed........A new me may emerge from all this.

Incident / Observations at the Orphanage

2009-09-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the orphanage early yesterday morning @ 9.45.Though I was early, I thought there would be staff around. But all I could see was kids of all ages roaming around the long empty corridors. Every room was locked including the toilets . I did my usual hello in Nepali ' Nemaste' to everyone I met. And the children responded accordingly.

Out of the various groups of youngsters who were running around, there were 5 small boys who approached me . When I said small, I meant small for size. I thought they probably are @ 6-7 years old . They were poorly clothed. Some of them have scars on their faces, others with healing scabs on their necks and arms. They asked me for something in Nepali. Obviously I did not understand . Then I realised that they probably were after some goodies which all visitors tend to bring like sweets etc. I said' ni , ni '. They then started to shout some words at me.Just as well I did not understand, but I could make out the jest of it. I panicked a bit . I started to look around for an adult, any adult who would surely have the authority to ask them to leave me alone. There was no one, but all these kids swarming round like thugs .

The time was 9.50. All the rooms were locked. I was standing on top of the stairs, near a big window. Next thing I felt my shoulder bag was being pulled. I lost my cool and jerked them off me. I shouted at them to go away.I started to put my back against the window in case they try to physically pulled my bag away. I snarled at them. I was shocked. I have not anticipated to be harangued and threatened by kids no older than ?7 ?10 years old.They had the smug look of saying 'We have almost got you! 'There was an air or menace. By the way they behaved, I guess they must be at least 10 with loads of street cred and confidence. The kids then smiled and left me .To them it was all a big joke. I swore then that I will not be early for my work here from now on . I will always arrive after 10am to avoid the scenario again. Uma has now rearranged for the taxi to pick me up at 10am from today

I realised then that no one would arrive for their duty any earlier than they need to . On the dot of 10am , one of the volunteers came duly to unlock the day room. All the toddlers waiting outside were let in . It is amazing that the toddlers from 18 months onwards would come down from the floor above (where they sleep) unaccompanied. Some of them were coming down the stairs hanging on to the wrought iron railing, one step at a time. Others with the help of a 2/3 year old holding onto nothing but each other. Its really precarious to watch. Safety in the home obviously does not exist here. However they appear none the worse. I suppose they are all have to very self reliant and independent from a very early age. I tried to carry the younger ones down to the room, but I couldn't keep up with the numbers that were arriving in quick succession.I was never more relieved when I saw Davee, one of the volunteers turned up.

It would appear that the children would have 3 meals a day , 8am breakfast; midday lunch and 5 o'clock dinner. They are then in bed @6-7pm.They have a sleep-in lady who cares for about 25-30 children in this big room with cots line up alongside one another. There are 4 rows of 5-6 cots.To compound the caring responsibilities, there are 3 teenage boys with cerebral palsy residing in the same room. They just lie there day and night. I was thankful that I was not assigned to look after any one of them.I would not know where to start if I was asked, phew !

For some reason, there is no water anywhere to wash hands after one has been to the toilet at the orphanage. On my first day, I made a mistake of going to the workers' toilet.......I then vowed that I would not drink any water from 8am onwards to avoid having to go again at the orphanage till I get home in the afternoon. On reflection, I don't think it is practical to do that. Therefore I decided to look for one which is used by the management upstairs. My reasoning being it has got to be better if they are somewhat educated.Well, how wrong can one get!. All these assumption I made with various situations, well......I discussed this lack of water for flushing the toilets and washing hands with Uma, she too cannot understand the logic behind it.

Nowadays, I carry a big bottle of water in my shoulder bag at all times. It has 3 functions .One is for self protection (I can clout someone with it if need be ), anther to drink (there is no provision for any refreshment ), and thirdly to rinse and wash my hands on my way out when I finish each day.

I think I am adjusting to this okay, all things considered

My First Day at The Orphanage

2009-09-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well , at least I can say I have survived the first two days at the orphanage.

Uma came with me to the orphanage. Firstly to give me support , at the same time to request a meeting with the Chair of the Children's centre. We now have a meeting on Friday to formally discuss how the fund I have collected can help to meet some of the centre's needs. We are talking about 800 USD, more if necessary (I have always liked to keep a bit in reserve for just in case)

I am to be working in the toddlers' room for the next 3 weeks.. The children 's age range from 18 months to 3 years old ish. Interesting enough ,the 18 month- old are as big as some of the 3 year old. There are 12 children in the toddlers' day room. Apart from one paid worker, Mendira, there are 3 volunteers with me included. Mendira is a very warm Nepali woman with a relaxed and happy disposition. She is in her 40s with 2 children of her own.

One of my biggest anxieties before I started here is having to work in the orphanage for the 3 weeks without any proper communication with the workers and the children .It was a great relief to me that one speak perfect English, and the other two can understand well with little spoken English

For the first time in my life , I have to create and improvise games to play with toddlers at the various ages.The worst part is I can't tell how old they are in order to introduce age appropriate games.. This is a new concept to me. I was rather panicking . In the end I just had to go with the flow. Speaking to Uma about it in the afternoon, she was right when she said that 'don't worry about how to play with them. The children will come and play with you ' She is so right.

One of the things I learnt quickly yesterday was that all the information I acquired as a Health Visitor , then Manager about child health , supervision and training etc, they serve only as a reminder that I once was a health worker, nothing more. Any aspect of child care here bears no resemblance to what UK does. Just as well, because age is only a figure . A 4 year old looks like an 18 month old and vice versa. How then does one instigate age appropriate play? In any case, a lot of the toys are broken but still kept on display . An example is the colourful shape sorter.The main body is there with no shapes available to slot into the different holes.

We were each given a small piece of blue play dough to make shapes. It was such a small piece that it is not possible to do anything . Then the children sitting round the table started to snatch from one another. They began to cry . I discovered that the dough was so old that it was sticking to the table and it had to be literally scrapped off. There was only one pot anyway. I understand it was given by a foreign volunteer some while back. It has really past its sell by date.

So, while I need to do the official thing about making the fund available for the orphanage per say, the fact that I am working in the toddlers' room means that I would like to benefit the children in the room as well .I had a discussion with Mendira and the volunteers. They said that a supply of play dough, beads(to thread ), soft ball of various sizes, fragrant sprays for the room will be a good start. They asked whether I could stipulate that fruit and milk could be delivered to the toddlers' room regardless whether they are in short supply or not. I said I will try when I meet the chair on Friday. It would appear that whenever they are short of funds, the milk and fruit are cut from their diet from say 3 times a day to maybe once only.They all said that the best thing I can do for the children in the room is to guarantee them fruit and milk !

Uma and I went out this afternoon looking for the verious items.The only thing we could not find is the beads, So we 'll try another day. They will be happy with what we managed to get I am sure

A very satisfying day today. This is because I have managed to find my way home on a bus, costing me only 20 NR, as opposed to 180-200NR if I were to go home by a taxi. I accept thatI will have to pay 150NR (Uma threatens the driver ) to take me to the Orphanage in the morning. It will give me a stress free start to the day However it will be rather extravagant of me and immoral to pay @350NR (=3-4 pounds ) each day just to go to work and back. An avarage monthly Nepali pay is only @ 14000NR. I walked all the way home yesterday because I could'nt figure out how to take a bus from the orphanage. It took me over 2 hours to get home. It was a long walk! Mendira explained to me the bus route etc today. So I thought 'hmm.... another challenge '. When I walked in through the door an hour an a half earlier than yesterday, even Uma was impressed

Walking @ Kathmandu

2009-09-05T03:19:00.000-07:00

Emily (Korean American volunteer ) and I decided that we will take a walk to see the Royal Palace, at the sametime, take in the Durbur Square, a popular local Hindu holy place on the way.
We set out@ 9 am and got back @ 3pm.We must have walked a round trip10-12 kms today . With the sun beating down on our way back, we were wilting fast .Emily was plying me with ice lolly to keep me going

We spent 80 percent of the time walking. At 1pm, we decided enough is enough that we needed rescuing from ourselves. We were in the ' West End' of town, therefore we were able to find a rather posh tourist cafe cum snack bar. We had a very delicious meal of chicken noodles, cheese and chicken puff plus drinks. It was quite an expensive meal by all accounts. The bill came to 290NR , a princely sum of approximately two pounds fifty to you and I. And it is air conditioned as well.

While we were out, we walked to the Nepal Children Organisation, the orphanage where I'll be working from tomorrow onwards. The idea is to see how walkable it is after I finish there each day.It is about 5/6 kms away from Uma's house. Uma agrees with me that I will need to get a taxi there each morning @9.30.The walk itself will take up to hour and a half. Depending on how I feel after I finish my shift, I can either walk all the way back or walk half way before getting a taxi home.It feels like a long way when we were walking this morning. However it seems quite a short journey on the way back . So I shall reserve judgement and see what happens tomorrow. Uma thought it is a good idea not to kill myself while working at the orphanage.Therefore I will only work 5 days a week, and finish each day @2-3pm depending on the needs of the children. I totally agree with her on that

Uma and I will be there for 10 am tomorrow to meet with the director. We will probably touch on things which they need for the orphanage and agree on ways of purchasing them .I have asked Uma to explain to the orphanage how we have done it in the previous tear. And that I am not going to just hand over the donation to them to do whatever. I feel slightly apprehensive. Its because I will be dealing with a big organisation (hopefully not too bureaucratic ) and not a personal one like Uma's where I have built up a good working relationship. I am entering uncharted water with this organisation . I am less clear about the values of this big institute. Anyhow, I shall find out during the course of next 3 weeks or so

During our walkabout, we met a very friendly police superintendent.It started when he said his daughter would like to know whether we are Japanese? or Chinese? We told him that we are Chinese and Korean. The daughter then smiled and said ' Nihao' -its hello in Chinese Once she said it, typically of children, she rode away quickly because she felt bashful. She was so sweet The Nepali are such warm and friendly people.It was lovely to experience that

The police superintendent was off duty in his mufti. He was escorting his young daughter (?8-9 years old) learning to cycle on the main road. She looked really precarious trying to ride and balance herself on the road when all the big lorries and cars were whizzing her by. The father is walking on the outside of her , trying to protect her from the traffic . Consequently, he was almost nearing the middle of the road ! Whether he thinks he is immuned to being run over because he is the police superintendent there, I have no idea. But the whole thing seems fool hardy to me.

In between his dodging the traffic and encouraging his daughter to ride, he was telling us that he was in Bath in Uk for a conference recently.The family was on holiday in China not long ago. That's why the daughter knows the common greetings etc All the while, Emily and I were sticking to walking on the broken pavement strewn with sleeping dogs and piles of rotting rubbish and vegetation. It felt like an obstacle course but with no risk of run over by cars.

Alas,I missed the opportunity of claiming to know some VIPs in Nepal when I forgot to ask for his name and contact address. I would think that its very handy to have useful contacts like a police superintendent in this part of the world should one need help ..... . Oh well I missed my chance there. All the same, he was very kind to walk us to the orphanage to make sure we didn't lose our way

All in all , a very good but tiring day. But my poor feet or rather toes..........

Returning to Kathmandu

2009-09-02T23:29:00.000-07:00

After a rather long winded but pleasant journey I have arrived at Uma's.

Qatar Airline is a better flyer than Gulf Air in every aspect. Food and seating were good. I had the best lamb biriyani for lunch yesterday while in the air. To top it all I was upgraded to the bussiness class on the second leg- Doha to Kathmandu. Its the fourth airline I have had the good fortune to experience how the other half live or rather fly. Do you know the reclining chair is actually a massage cum sleeping chair ? I think I was the last to leave the plane on arrival at Kathmandu! The Doha airport is everything I imagine a wealthy Arab state would be--new, spacious, shinny and modern of international standard. It is so different from Abu Dhabi last year.

The children have grown taller and prettier since I was here last. The 2 new ones appeared to have settled in well with their new siblings. They were doing the skipping rope routine this afternoon. It was hilarious to watch some of them trying to hop on one leg. Sitting on the steps with the sun going down behind the trees, Uma and I talked about the children's needs and how she sees their future developing. I have a real sense that this is where the children belong. The thing which struck me is that they seem to have an almost normal childhood as most children. All things being equal,I don't think we could ask for much more.

I am back to the same room, but a lot more furnished and somewhat cleaner. There are 2 young volunteers placed with Uma One is from Canada doing her gap year before uni, and the other a Korean American doing a similar thing having finished uni. They go to school with the children, then help with their reading and homework in the afternoon.

It may not have been a good idea, but I walked to the hospital this morning to see the 3 nurses in the HIV/Aids clinic. They are on national strike. They have 12 demands, some of which are pretty basic like the specialist nurses should be remunerated accordingly; and that their uniform allowance (they have to buy their own uniforms ) should be increased by ? 2000NR
I found them sitting with their senior nursing colleagues in front of the Emergency department.
The paramedics are in charge of the emergency department while the strike is going on . They are doing 2 days' sit- out(or sit-in ) until the government gives in to their demands. I did ask what will happen if the government refuses their demand. They muttered under their breath that they hope it won't.

I feel shattered totally. I suppose the body clock has not quite adjusted yet, first day following the long journey. It was a bit silly to to the 3/4 mile round trip to the hospital. Oh well,,,,,,,

My shopping Spree

2009-08-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well I think I probably have bought enough things as special treats for the children for the time being.

My first visit to Primark was successful. I found a lovely blue t-shirt with red parrot, as in Peter Pan.It costs £2 each. It was a very reasonable purchase x8. The quality is surprisingly good, on par with Bhs and the like. The only anxiety I have is the sizing. The Nepali children are quite petite for their age except one . Its the new girl who is aged 11. I have a horrible feeling that the largest child size might still be a bit too small for her......

I have managed to find miniature talcum powder X8 in M&S. I have bought cocoa butter and talcum powder for Uma as well. My sister is also sending 6 sarongs from M'sia, hopefully in time before my departure on 2/9.

When I was in Vancouver Library, I came upon some big paper clips They are obviously used as bookmarks as well. They have such beautiful animal faces attach to them. Guess what, I now have in my possession giant animal paper clips x8. They are really lovely , of walt disney proportion. I nearly bought one for myself, then promptly chided myself that I am almost a pensioner, too old to have childish things like that. However, I have always maintained that I have had a very deprived childhood in terms of all these ingenious toys and gadgets the present young generation is fortunate enough to experience. All the same, I feel sure the children would love them .

When I first arrived in Kathmandu last year, it was quite intriguing to see the older Nepali women sitting in the doorway, clad in the familiar looking sarong, just like Malaysians do. Ditto yours truly but only in the summer.I then saw Uma wearing one occasionally while lounging at home. We compared notes about it. So I thought it would be a good present for Uma , as well as the women I'll be working with in the orphanage later on.

I am trying hard not to go near any confectionery store now. I just cannot seem to stop buying sweets and choccies when I come across them.I have bought Jelly babies x4 large packs, some maple syrup sweets and honey comb crunch from Canada. Nearer to my departure ,I probably will buy, at Gill's suggestion, a couple of bags of miniature choccies/sweets .They will be better than biscuits, not easily breakable. And no, I won't be taking any digestive biscuits with me for a change. That's only because I have found a shop which sells the stuff. And its the real thing, McVities no less. The grocery shop is just round the corner from where Uma lives.So the umbilical cord to home in Beckenham continues, thank god!

I was up in town the other day in Oxford street.I went into a souvenir shop (as one does). I came upon some souvenirs in the form of very ingenious pencil sharpeners.They come in the form of a red mail box, a red telephone booth , a black cab and the old fashion double decker bus. 8 pencil sharpeners later,I said to myself that enough is enough, no more purchases . At this rate, the luggage allowance will be breached with no room for my personal stuff

Interesting enough, I have not bought anything new to take with me this time.Having experienced Kathmandu the last time,I am going to be very disciplined (famous last words ) in what I will be taking away with me.The only other thing I have yet to buy is a couple of 'tabards?', something one wears over one's clothes while working with children.I need to find a suuplier locally. The one I know in Croydon is no longer open for bussiness unfortunately

I guess this is the sum total of my purchases for the moment, and hopefully thats it !

The kindness of folks

2009-08-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

I was up in Kings Lyn for John's family get-together the other weekend. The Crowe family is well spread out in Norfolk. We have first cousines and once removed, uncles and aunties(now in diminishing numbers), adopted uncles and cousines and so it goes on .The whole thing started with cousines and uncle and auntie from the immediate family numbering a dozen or so . A few years down the road, the twice yearly get-together has now swelled to 22-24 each time with some travelling as far afield as Norhamptonshire and Warickshire and of course London. They were the first lot of sponsors I approached for the Nepal trip last year.

On saturday while we were all busy air kissing one another, one of the aunties came up to me and put an envelop in my hand.She told me that she has been emptying her purse of loose change , pennies and all , regularly into a tea caddy since before xmas. She has now collected £60. She wanted me to have it to put towards the fund for the Nepalee children.She is a pensioner with no other means of income. I was gobsmacked!I have been conscious not to mention the forth coming trip unless someone asks. Its the fact that the wages earned in this part of the world are a lot less than in London. My NHS pension is probably more than some one working fulltime there. Money needs to go much further here in order to make ends meet. So imagine my reaction 'my god, are you sure? are you sure? This is a lot of money. I can't possibly take it .' 'Yes yes yes' she replied 'and I don't even miss it. So you take it and do some good, and buy something for the children when you get there.' It is a rare phenomenon for me to be speechless , and I was....

I just had an email from a Malaysian friend. She supported my effort at the 'Open House'. Her husband and herself have decided to send me another cheque for the children in Nepal because they feel strongly that they want to help a very good cause. I was touched.

I have a dinner date with one of my ex-colleaques tomorrow evening. She said she would like to give me a cheque when she sees me tomorrow.Furthermore, John has promised me a big cheque before I go, just to make the number up you understand

The fund stands at £1138 at present. I have no doubt that the tentative target (£1300 )I have set will be met and possibly more- ever an optimist thats me

So thank you ,one and all for all your generosity and continued support

Hello Nepal. Its me again !

2009-08-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

I find it quite hard to think that it is almost a year ago since I made my first trip to Nepal. And yes, its that time of the year , and I 'll be making my second trip there again soon.

I have been busy doing a bit of travelling here and there, fitting in some fund raising activities at various times for the forthcoming trip. I have been very fortunate in that everyone I have spoken to has been very encouraging of my efforts. This has reflected in the very generous donations I have received to date. A total of £1036 have been collected so far. And I am optimistic that it will reach £1200-£1300 by the time I leave on 2nd September. Considering there is credit crunch going on, I thank everyone for the generosity you have shown

I keep thinking 'what would I do differently the second time round ?' Less clothes and more goodies (they will be regarded as special treats ) for Uma's 8 at the Orphanage where I'll be staying. Uma took in 2 new children recently.We had the additional double bunk beds built last year with some of the sponsors' money. I will post the children's photographs which Uma sent to me recently on the blog.

When I asked Uma what would she like me to take for the children from here, she said 8 t-shirts, varying in size for age 6 to12. I naturally said- oh that will be 6 pinks and 2 blues then. Her email came straight back with ' no, 8 blues' Its very interesting that Uma has always maintained the stance that the children in the orphanage must always wear the same colour,same type / style of outfits, be it tracksuits, jumpers , woollen hats etc regardless. Her reason is that there can then be no comparison, no envy, no competition, no squabbling and showing no favouritism for all the children concerned. I argued with her on one occasion that the individuality of each child (my western value ) is then suppressed. It will become increasingly difficult when they reach teenage. However, I can see the logic in her thinking especially when I look at the children playing well together, in a safe and stable environment. It is all about being relevant in the context of where we are I guess

I am aware of the children having very little in the way of nice smelly toiletries . I have decided to buy them individually among other things, small size talcum powder, and cream for face and hands in winter.In fact I found 8x small pots of Astral cream in Super drugs yesterday at 97 pence each. That was a real bargain.I now need to hunt for the 8 t-shirts. Someone suggested that Primark may be a reasonable place to look.

Well, so much rambling for now. I will attempt to keep blogging from now to keep all the sponsors posted

Here I Go Again

2009-05-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

It feels like years since I last blogged. I have been lying low, trying to catch up with myself and acquiring new skills.......finding it very hard......

Anyway, I will be off to China on Monday with a group of youth worker students. They were total strangers to me till a few weeks ago.Briefing meetings have been taking place to enable people to familiarise with places and procedures, phew....However I opted for a single room rather than sharing with the unknown. Reason being that they may snore ( that will kill me if I don't have a good night sleep ), or they may pass flatus incessantly in the privacy of the room (that I might suffocate in the ensuing pollution ); having late nights (that would show me up as a boring old whatsit ); and the worst of it is that they may see sights that may shock and upset them for the rest of their lives. So I paid a supplement for the pleasure of my space and saving the others the trauma as well. Its a real act of charity I thought

Information has come through from the high command that we will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Beijing and Shanghai. Looking up on the internet has revealed that there are 4-5 such hotels in each of the 2 cities we will be travelling to . I am still none the wiser as to which hotel we will be staying at. Suffice to say ,it will be 3* or 4* rated.That is a great relief to know.

I have a really vivid imagination about this particular trip .The fact that we will be travelling to rural areas conjures up in my mind long domitories( which could be fun I suppose ) and shared bathing and wc facilities (I think I am a little long in the tooth for that ). The worst case scenario is the possibility of having to use a rural open toilet, aargh........I experienced that when I was in China in 2001. It is an experience that Iwould not wish on any one unless it is the last resort.

I am almost packed and ready for monday.Just discovered this morning that I need a temp resident Visa to enter Canada, let alone Alaska in The States.Suddenly I am overrun with forms in my office. Talk about panic attacks, it is certainly not a good way to start a holiday.Oh well, I have only myself to blame, with all the time in the world.........I now have to travel to Belfast in June to get my US Visa - London has run out of available appointment slots for my July trip. Well such is life.

Lets see what the China trip brings

Teku Hospital

2009-01-18T15:22:00.000-08:00

The spartan hospital wards, and the consulting room in the HIV/Aids clinic. Pretty grim place

Presentation of 'The Certificate of Appreciation' by the director; with the nurses and doctors in the HIV/Aids clinic

The Mountain Views

2009-01-18T15:11:00.001-08:00

The anguish and pain I experienced were all forgotten when I was in the midst of these breath takingly beautiful views

My Trekking Memories

2009-01-18T14:49:00.001-08:00

The start of the trek, notice the steep climb with my personal guide, Dilu's back to the photo.

Chisopani, the first night stop, one street town with 6 houses in the middle of nowhere. Its the smaller guest house on the right. What a view.

My ultimate sacrfice-- the children with my digestive biscuits , half way down the mountain on my second day. Dilu was quenching his thirst sitting behind the children

Play Time

2009-01-17T01:16:00.000-08:00

Cheeky children, who play well together as a family group.They are of 4 girls and 2 boys

Rajeish is the big brother at 10 years old.He is caring and always look out for the younger ones

'Namaste' is the last photo of the girls who say hello with the traditional Nepali greeting

More Photos

2009-01-17T00:39:00.001-08:00

Getting ready for school. They are smart looking children.They wear their uniform with pride. Uma checks them over before they leave for school each morning.

Happy punch of kids.The top left photo showing them performing their favourite dance one leisurely evening to a very appreciative audience - yours truly and Uma.

Wonderful memories

Photos of the children

2009-01-16T07:23:00.000-08:00

My Last Day As A Volunteer

2008-11-21T02:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I have survived my time here in Nepal.,and in flying colours,I think!
The day started with me feeling shattered .I slept fitfully last night because the loud noises in the distance were continuing till deep in the night.I was fantasysing the crowds breaking down the wrought iron gate and coming in to attack us in the orphanage. Silly ideas with an overactive mind....

In the absence of any news on telly, we decided that things must be back to normal. So I set out a little earlier just before 9 o'clock. Everything appeared to be back to normal with the usual chaotic rush hour traffic . I was happy that I could finish my last day in the way that I have started. Ten minutes into my walk, suddenly I saw a few vans turned sharply and stopped in the middle of the road, blocking the traffic coming from both directions. I noticed the shopkeepers started to pull their shutters down hurriedly. Then a lot of young men started to run towards the junction where I was. I was halfway between home and the Teku hospital. Instinctively, I started to run in the opposite direction to the crowd, towards the hospital. I thought if I get injured, at least I will have some medical care. Joking only , haha .

That was the first time that I felt fear in Nepal. I saw loads of people being deposited by coaches and vans , obviously to join the demonstration further up the road. My half an hour walk to the hospital took me only 15 minutes. I ran like clappers. It was a record time. Admittedy, many of the young men joining the protest were quite well dressed. They appeared to be the local youths, and some students . Apparently, the Nepali people are trying to get the Maoist government to have a round table meeting . They are trying to thrash through the major conflicting issues with regards to the Maoist culture(communist) integrating with the somewhat feudal culture of the majority of the Nepali people. The demonstration is a show of strength, and not threat by the Nepali people asking the government to listen to them.

Thankfully,I reached the hospital without any incident. It was a great relief .I silently thanked the Hindu and Buddhist Superior Beings for looking after my welfare. Phew !! And I am not an atheist after all

I did not do much work today.I only helped with the monthly Stats Return. It is amazing the amount of manual counts the poor nurses have to do each day/ week /month. And then they all have to tally with the stock take to the last tablet. I have tentatively made suggestions to the Medical Director that they should computerise the data and information collected to reduce the amount of duplication which is being repeated in 6 different books at any one time.

At 12.30, I was invited to the hospital conference room , for a formal presentation by the Hospital Director. All the 'hoi polloy (? spelling ) were there .The Director and the senior hospital staff wanted to show their appreciation of the donations I brought with me. It has made the purchase of the resuscitation equipments a reality.The only thing which is yet to be delivered is the trolley, upon which all the resuscitaion equipments will sit. I have to say I did not expect this formal bit. And it is not my style to stand in front ot staff to spout. I did it reluctantly because all you donors out there deserve a big hand. I was presented with a large framed 'Certificate of Appreciation' (they forgot that I have to fly) which you will see when you come to tea in the new year

I was thanked and blessed with a ' Tika ', a red dot on my forehead by the director. I was then given a garland of very fragant orange ( ?marigold ) and purple flowers. Then the variuos senior staff came forward and blessed me again with additional Tika. This was repeated 6/7 times, until my forehead was caked thickly in Tika. I was very proud of my Tika. I walked home in full sight of the locals. I did notice a few second looks on my forehead as I ambled home. Nice...

In the last few days, I have to turn down several invitations to lunch /tea /dinner by various medical staff. I recognised that I have to manage their expectations. I have told everyone I met that I will do my best to help , but I am not in a position to promise anything

My speech of thanks went like this
'Namaste !
It is a privilege for me to be here.Thank you for invitimg me to the presentation.I just want to say that its the generosity of my friends and colleagues in UK and Malaysia which has made this possible. I am only the messenger. I am pleased that the equipment purchased will help to save lives in the future.
I would like to pay tribute to all the staff especially the nurses and doctors who have helped to make my time at the hospital a very welcomed and pleasant one. A special thank you to Nani. Mohan and Gyani, the 3 nurses in the 'ART' clinic.They have made my 2 weeks with them very special and worthwhile. I have learnt a lot from you .So, thank you'

I have mixed feelings about finishing my time here.I will be happy to continue to work at the HIV/ Aids clinic, but I will not be sorry to leave the chaotic traffic in Kathmandu. I will be tying up the loose ends at the orphanage as well tomorrow. and John will join me here on sunday. I shall have a spot of 5* luxury for a week. Aaah, bisto.........

So what happens now ? I can hear you asking the question. Well, I will take stock of what I have learnt here. There are alot of work to do still. However, I will post further blogs once things are clear for me .If anyone of you is interested in supporting me in whatever way, I would love to hear from you with your ideas.

Till then, my heartfelt thanks for the very generous support you have given me. And the very encouraging comments I have received while I have been blogging.It is the first time I have learnt to blog..It has been an interesting journey for me too. I discovered that I can be creative (I know Gill has told me this before )

Bye for now and thank you

Lai See from Kathmandu 22/11/2008

A Free Day

2008-11-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

I am staying at home today. A free day because there is a mass demonstration planned for this morning. It started yesterday when some local youths set fire to some tyres.Cars were diverted (not sure where to ) and police was on site to control the disorder.

I did catch glimpses of the scene on telly in the clinic yesterday morning.With the sound turn down , the nurses and I did wonder where the disorder was taking place.We then thought no more about it. We were then out to lunch at one of the girls' house later that afternoon.As I was walking home @ 4 pm,I did notice quite a few shops were closed with the shutters down. I did think that its odd on a wednesday afternoon, maybe they also have the ancient custom of early closing on a wednesday ( like when I first came to UK in the late 60s.). A relic of colonialism of years goneby, maybe ? . It was only when I got home I realised I have put poor Uma through an agonising afternoon , worrying whether I managed to miss the trouble spot on my way home. She knew I was going out to lunch, but didn't have the contact number of the nurse concerned. She was very relieved to see me back safe and well.

Apparently the Maoist soldiers killed 2 local youths recently.Nothing was done about it . They denied that they were involved. Feelings are running high for a while now. It sparked off the burning of the tyres yesterday by the local youths protesting against the injustice and frustration of it all.The police advised the shopkeepers to close their shops today as well. I have been living in such a cocoon that I have not been aware of anything amiss. As the children were getting ready for school, the message came through to say that all schools are closed for the day.The children are very happy to have an unexpected holiday today . And the sun is shinning..
After my usual breakfast of 2 egg omelette and toasts (Uma insists everyday ), washed down by nice milky coffee, I started to put my gear on for work. It did cross my mind that whether I ought to walk to work like I usually do. Then I thought it is too easy to just give in. Afterall, I only have 2 more days left to do. However , beforeI set out, I did check with Uma whether it will be safe for me to walk this morning. She told me to keep my eyes peel on anything untoward, to turn back if anytime I do not feel happy about continuing my journey

As I walked down the lane, admittedly there were less people about and much less cars on the road. However, there were enough people about who appeared to be making their ways to work. Many of the shops in the lane were closed. There were little crowds gathered here and there, talking .There was an air of excitement ? /festival ? I was reassured.

I continued my walk towards the main trunk road.I did not see any car on the road..Again there were alot of people walking towards the centre of town.There was no sense of fear , disorder or panic. I looked around me and decided that I would continue to walk to the hospital. After 10 minutes or so, I realised that the road has been closed, which explained for the absence of cars on the road. There were alot of youths dressed in black coming from all directions, some used hankies as masks.I began to feel uneasy . I kept looking around me. People were walking past me purposefully on the pavement. I think they are the ones who are intending on going to work regardless. I was less sure about the youths who were dressed in black , walking in the middle of the road .
I hesitated twice on the pavement, and was almost knocked over by someone going past me in a hurry. I kept looking , and in the distance possibly quarter of a mile ahead, I saw a very large crowd forming very quickly. It seemed a small crowd of 60-70 to begin with, then it snowballed into hundreds in minutes,. I could see the crowd ahead is now blocking the road. There was no hesitation on my part. I turned and walked back to Uma's house

I walked quickly, aware that trouble can spread like wild fire when there are large crowds around .It is especially so when they are mainly hot-headed youths. I noticed that the few brave shopkeepers who opened their shops this morning were collecting their ware inside, and closing the shops for the day. An ambulance was being despatched to somewhere. .I began to see a few policeman walking around . The only evidence I saw was a young man aiming his flying kick at another youth who was cycling past.He missed.

As I came round the corner towards Uma's house, I saw groups of "vigilantes' in the lane.There were 2 opposing groups eyeing each other , daring each other to start something . I had to walk past them to get to Uma's house. People were looking out of their houses expecting maybe trouble. I kept walking, looking straight ahead and impassive. I was so very relieved that I got back in one piece , again

My god has been looking after me again !

Another Challenge

2008-11-18T02:30:00.000-08:00

We had an accident with one of the children here yesterday morning. A large concrete slab came away from the garden wall while the children were playing . It caught the left foot of Rajeish, the oldest child at the orphanage.The edge of the concrete slab caught Rajeish 's left toes .I was almost ready to leave for the hospital whenI heard a loud wail follwed by cries of pain.

Uma has left for work early (first time ), the helper Nabina was there ,getting the children ready for school. I was called to help. Rajeish was writhing in so much pain that he was inconsolable.I felt quite inadequate and helpless.I know I had to find something firm to support his toes, but I couldn't make Nabina understand what I wanted.

We were both running around like headless chicken, trying to contact Uma, as well as finding something firm while doing our best to console Rajeish.I have a first aid box , as advised by the agency. But what a fat lot of use is the malaria tablets, or diarrhoea tablets are in such a situation. I have no splint nor bamdage. EventuallyI found a packet box firm enough to be used to support the dangling toes All I could acertain was that 2 toes were broken. I could see the white bones sticking out .They were hanging by their skin at a very peculiar angle..Thank god the foot is not too vascular, therefore the blood loss was manageable.

In between trying to make each other understood, and comforting Rajeish who is in considerable pain, I decided that I'll give Rajeish one of my paracetamol, at half an adult dosage. I thought it is either kill or cure. thankfully, it did neither Helpful neighbours came, and we ended up carrying him first to a local clinic (a chemist, I think ). He took one look at Rajeish and shook his head, muttering ' nursing home '. I thought it was strange to go to a nursing home (as we understand by nursing home to be one for elderly people, and not emergency treatment following an accident' .

Nabina then decided to call a taxi. She gestured that I should go with Rajeish, seeing that Uma is still uncontactable. It later transpired that the number I gave Nabina to ring is the home number anyway. It is no wonder that she said its constantly engaged. How stupid can one get , I ask you ? As I got into the taxi, I panicked. I cannot speak Nepali. How on earth am I going to make the taxi driver know where we need to go or myself understood at the hospital ? I didn't know where I was supposed to go or do anyway. At the last minute, Nabina muttered something to a very nice young man, and he came with us . I have to tell you I was very grateful .In the event , we were sent from one hospital to another. A total of 3 hospitals later, Rajeish was seen and treated. He sustained 2 fractured toes , one totally severed, and heavy bruising on the others. Its a question of wait and see if the severed toe will knit back together. Otherwise it will be removed.

I was so relieved to see Uma at the second hospital that I was almost emotional like Rajeish. He just hugged her and cried his eyes out, calling ' mummy mummy' I was very pleased when Uma sent me off to work at the hospital, albeit a little later than normal

The clinic was so very busy that I had to start dispensing immediately.I didn't have a chance to think about the morning's traumatic start. All thoughts and concentration were on dispensing the Anti-Retroviral therapy (ART ). I was counting tablets for the different drugs that the whole morning just flew by. It goes to show that if one adopts a pragmatic approach to some situations, life will just carry on.I was shattered though at the end of my shift

An unexpected call came at midday when I was summoned to meet the new director (= Chief Exec in UK ) of the hospital. I asked sister what could possibly be the reason for wanting to meet a lowly volunteer ? It transpired that it is to do with the equipments which we were able to purchase with the funding from the sponsors in UK. She wanted to do a formal presentation to show the hospital's gratitude.... And this is going to happen on my last working day on friday. Help !

I am not into these grand gestures, and I did not do this to get recognition.I was merely combining my lust for travelling with putting something back with the generosity of all the friends and colleagues in UK. I did try to talk to a Registrar on the quiet, ascertaining whether we could dispense with this formality. I was told categorically that it is going to happen . I have better prepared a speech!

Well, here I am , on wednesday evening with not a word written . I think its important that I find out what her name is before anything else, and preferrably before friday.

With all these excitement , if you can call it that, it is no wonder that I am in bed by 9.30 /10 pm on most evenings. John will tell you that it is unheard of in our book. Oh well, ZZZZzzzzzz

The Needs of Teku Hospital

2008-11-17T02:25:00.000-08:00

Working in the HIV/AIDs clinic for the second week has helped me to see the pluses and deficiencies of the hospital as a whole. The hospital is the poor relation of the main general hospital sited elsewhere in Kathmandu. The nature of the speciality means that it deals with the very very poor section of the community.It is the hospital for tropical diseases, focusing on treating patients who suffer from D&V, Malaria, Tetanus, dog bites (Rabies ), snake bites , TB, Dengue fever and countless others which I have never heard of.

It is difficult to understand the politics of management here. The director of the hospital (equiv to Chief Execs in UK ) changes every 3 to 6 months. What that means is that there is constant upheaval and changes of direction in the way the hospital is run, or rather not run. It is not my place to judge. Suffice to say , the front line staff are working as hard as they can , with no support from the senior management. And we think NHS is bad. Well, you aint see nothing yet

To cut a long story short, there is an Emergency department in the hospital. However, there is no basic resuscitation equipment here. If a patient is brought in following a snake bite. and collapsed as a result.There is no airway, mask or anything at the hospital to revive and keep the patient alive. S/he will be packed off in an ambulance to the main hospital. Often s/he does not survive the journey. life is cheap here

It is only natural that I have alot of questions like' How can a hospital function for how long ? without the most basic equipments ?' , 'You call this a hospital? ', 'What is the government doing about it ? ', ' What is the director doing ?' ,'I can't believe you can have an Emergency department , and not have the most basic stuff to sustain life ', and so on.

Having met with the senior doctor( =Medical Director ) Dr Pandey, we agreed that we would spend the funding raised from the sponsors to purchase the equipments for the resuscitation trolley, plus a printer for him .He has just acquired a computer, but the money didn't quite stretch enough to include a printer.So there you go

The way things are done here suit my approach totally.I have sights of the purchase, and checking through the list to make sure that nothing is amiss. We purchased a suction machine with tubes x4 for both adults and children, Ambu bag, cloth masks x2, laryngoscope , auriscope with connectors for children and adults , nebuliser with relevant tubes, sphymometer with cuffs for adults and children and some other items I cannot remember. Last but not least, a trolley to put all these euipment on .In addition, 2 heaters for the nurses working in the clinic.

This lot has come to approximate 550 pounds give or take the plunging forex.It was 123 Rupes to a pound when I first arrived on 28/10. Last week it went down to 112. I will need to do an average of the 2 in order to get a fair rate.

It is a rather emotional experience when I have been going round the hospital with Dr Pandey .There are patients who were brought in and not being visited by a soul. No treatment can commence because they are unable to verbalise or they were unconscious. They just lie there day after day, incontinent of both systems. Its pretty horrendous for the poor nurses as well. I am pretty sure I have been in contact with TB patients. So I need to check out with my GP on my return to UK

The poor nurses are working in the most extreme conditions here. In the clinic where I have been based, there is a window missing. One of the nurses is seated there everyday, dispensing the drugs for Retroviral therapy . The winter mornings are very cold now. There is no such thing as central heating in Nepal. Period. The weather has been getting colder in the past week. She is getting a stiff neck and shoulder through the exposure. .There is nothing the hospital will or can do about it. Without realising it, I was sitting there helping her dispensing this morning. Though I was only there for 3 hours, I was frozen stiff. They don't complain because they have given up trying to get things done, because nothing ever gets done. So I told her to go and buy a large clear plastic sheet. Tomorrow we will double it and pin it to the window frame. And I'll find the money for it. She was very happy.

The nurses here work very very hard , under the most difficult conditions . Yet they gave me time, explained things to me repeatedly and very patiently.. I must admit at times I wonder where my grey matters have disappeared to. The second week have seen me in a better position to help more intelligently. We are now working as a team , according to them ! Fast work if you can call it that.There are so much unmet needs here, at every level. I have to accept that they can never be totally met.

My time to leave is fast approaching. I have 3 more days at the clinic.I have had a good run for my money.I have learnt a great deal, gained better underatanding of how and why things happened in Nepal.For that I am grateful

Interesting Observations

2008-11-15T01:39:00.000-08:00

I am now more than half way through my time in Nepal. I only have one more week in the hospital before I finish on next friday, then to be followed by a week of pure indulgence in a 5 star hotel when John joins me on 23/11 .

We all (kids as well ) went out celebrating last evening.We went to a modern shopping mall where it has a food court with a children's play area.We had momo (like chinese dumplings), pizza, black lentil omelette (yum ), chicken byriani and so on. We all came away stuffed.

We went there by a local cab . In order to save money, we managed to squeeze 3 adults (2 big ones ) and 6 kids (aged 4 to 10 ) into what I would call a smallish car by UK standard but big by Nepali standard. The suspension of the poor car must have taken a hammering last night. Not an easy way to make a living. It was a round trip where he waited for us to finish our meals before bringing us home during the rush hour . And I think it was all for no more than a fiver.

It is the first time that the children went out socially as a group. Some of the younger ones were fascinated by brightly lit bakery and cafes during the journey. Their needs are simple . Their lives are as well .They follow a routine whereby they go to school in the morning, and get fetched back home at around 3pm.They then have ' Tiffin'. This, I believe is a relic of the old british colonialsm, meaning tea time.

Each child has a tiffin carrier (tupperware box to be precise ) where they keep their snacks for during their school breaks. I took a variety of coconut sweets and cookies (from Malaysia) as well as chocolate gold coins from M&S for them . When they were given to eat them one evening , all 6 of them unanimously voted to keep them for next day's school tiffin . It was so touching to see them jumping up and down, really excited that they are taking the goodies to show off to their friends the next day. I gulped down my emotions...

The traffic in kathmandu is somewhat like those in Vietnam. No one respects or probably not understanding the significance of pedestrian crossings . I have to cross the road everyday, because Teku hospital is on the other side of town .It is about a mile and a half away from where I am staying.

After trial and error, I have worked out the safest (if there is such a thing ) way of crossing the road. Whenever there is oncoming traffic, I will make sure that there are other people (preferably 3 or 4 thick ) in front of me as we cross.The reason being if we all get hit by the cars, the initial impact will be on those in front on me.The likelihood of me being seriously injured is thus reduced. Smart eh ?

The other thing that I do, like everyone else (not that I have noticed that many ) is to cross the road in steps. That means I 'll find a gap in the traffic, stand very very still (making my intentions very clear -I am here and I am not moving ), allow the cars to come at me and weave around me until a gap is available again for me to take the next step. Sometimes I am able to cross the road in 2 steps, another time 4 steps. I tend to get quite jittery if I am still in the middle of the road after the third step. But the cars and motor cyclists will just come at you relentlessly no matter what. This is one aspect of Nepal that I shall not miss when I leave here

I have come to the conclusion that Nepal is the only country in the world whereby the ATM (hole in the wall in UK ) is housed in a seperate cubicle with a guard posted outside. The first time I saw it in Thamel (tourist part of town ), I was gobsmacked! Imagine, a guard with a gun (of course, its not a gurkhas soldier) standing outside the spacious cubicle while you take your time to draw out your cash, counted them and put them away safely before you emerged from it. I have to say I like that very much.I shall miss it when I leave

One of the things I have missed is to have a chair, a proper chair to sit in.I tended to sit on my ankles now with knees bent. While it is quite comfortable, I get pins and needles in my calves after 30 minutes or so. Thats the only time I think I really feel my age -21 and rising !

Another interesting observation I have made is that my bedroom is now a really cosy place to be .Nothing has changed in terms of decor or anything . I think it is to do with my internal state. Having gone through the horrendous trekking experience, everything else does look more rosier now . I reflected on the 2 days' mental and physical challenge when I thought 'this is it ', then to be able to come back to civilisation in one piece, wow!

I think I have done enough rambling for an afternoon. I have found it quite therapeutic to be able to share my time here through the generosity of all of you. In fact, its been a privilege.

I hope to purchase some basic resuscitation equipment in the next day or so for the Teku hospital.They have an Emergency department, but no basic resuscitation equipment. One of the doctors is taking me in an ambulance (don't panic, its for transporting purposes only) on monday to purchase what our money can buy= approx 500 pounds worth (no pound sign on this pc, american ,ah! ) I will certainly keep you posted

Bits and Pieces

2008-11-13T04:05:00.000-08:00

I have now graduated to dispensing tablets for HIV/AIDs patients. I did feel a little uneasy to begin with. However, I was really into it by the end of yesterday afternoon.I suppose its a case of having to do it, when 2 of the 3 nurse specialists were away. Its called good planning. And I was the next best thing. I guess beggars can't be choosers. I satisfied myself each time I dispensed by going over with the nurse.I think I became a bit of pain in the neck to her. Well , its the cost of professional practice. This would never be allowed in UK. But then we are in Nepal......

At my request, Uma took me to the largest orphanage in Nepal . There are 295 children aged from 2/12 to 14 years living there. Ithas been established since 1964. The Nepal Children Centre (it is called) is housed in an old palace, residence of a prime minister of a goneby age. Walking around with a member of staff reminded me of a simplified version of Hampton court. We were shown some of the rooms where the younger children were sleeping and playing. It was around 1pm, a resting time for all.

In one room, there were 15 children (approx) aged @2 years napping on the carpeted floor .They were sleeping closely together, (for warmth I guess) ,with heads at both ends and feet touching in the middle.They have a lot of blankets cover them on top. I have to admit that they looked very snug and cosy. We have to tiptoe quietly so as not to wake them

In another room, there were 8 babies aged from 2 months to 8 months together with 10 toddlers around 18 months - 2 years of age. Most of the babies were asleep, but majority of the toddlers were awake.The minute they saw us ,they were reaching out with their arms, wanting to be picked up.One of them wound his little arms round Uma like an octopus tentacles, and would not let go. I suppose its crying out for some human contact and warmth. The 4 helpers in the room looked so overwhelmed.They provide good care, but the logistics of forming relationship and bonding fly out of the window when one tries to feed, clean and cloth these babies in record time .I asked 'what happens if all babies cry simultaneously and needing attention?'. I received a look from the member of staff, as if to say 'don't ask question which we have no answer for, stupid '

25% of the children are under school age. therefore there is a nursery and kindergarten in the centre itself. The older children go to the local lower (primary ) and higher (secondary ) schools.
Children are discharged, or rather leave at 18 after they have acquired an academic or vocatonal qualification. They then live in a supported enviroment with their peers

The main reasons for the childrem to be there are several. Children are orphaned, or abandoned through conflict. Children are abandond everywhere, at the bus stops, in the streets , train stations and so on. Sometimes its to do with the fact that the parents can't afford to feed them, others is step family problem, or parents have addiction issues. In some cases, the parents were imprisoned with no one to care for the children. During the long years of conflict between the Maoist guerillas and the previous government,many children were abandoned by their parents. The parents risked being killed because they were accused by both sides of being spies to the other. Now that peace is here, efforts are being made to reunite them with their families

The building was bequeathed to the centre through the passion of the late queen. The government made no contribution to the running of the centre.. There is a volunteer program at the centre.You have to pay for the privilege of working in that environment.I saw a wish list on the wall in one of the rooms we went in. It is asking for sponsors to provide basic things like milk powder, warm blankets and so on. Its pretty heart rendering stuff I tell you

Comparing the set up with Uma's, I think Uma's children stand a pretty good chance of developing into balanced adults because they are able tobond with one constant figure. They are able to have normal emotional attachment, thus developing trust in a relatioship. The poor children , especially the babies living in such a big institution are on a losing battle here with a staff ratio of 1 to 5/6/7. The problem is compounded by the presence of at least 2 youngsters with learning difficulties in each room . It is the modern ethos of intergrating children of all abilities.The poor helpers....

I feel pretty overwhelmed by this visit. I was asked to be a sponsor om the spot. I promised that I will seriously consider it on my return to UK. What they are asking for is"how long is a piece of string' I find myself wishing I have won the lottery. But then again it still would not solve the problem here. In Nepal, the problem is bigger and a lot more complex than just money

The HIV/Aids Outpatient clinic

2008-11-11T03:44:00.000-08:00

I started at the clinic today, full of trepidation, unsure how I will cope in this new area of work. Well, I did, 40 patients later, and with a great sense of achievement at the end.

There are 3 clinical nurse specialists working there. They provide the primary and secondary care to the newly diagnosed and the returnees. They provide counselling and information as and when required.There appeared to be a lot of duplicating information being collected in various formats .One for HIV testing , another for CD4 blood count, and another for dispensing the tablets . So it goes on ...

The nurses work 6 hours shift x 6 days, sunday to friday. Saturday is their weekly holiday.They work similar hours to UK nurses except that we do ours in 5 days, with an hour less. Their shifts are 8/9am to2/3pm.I am less clear now about the shift pattern in UK

The background to the huge rise in HIV patients are mainly through sexual transmision .And the drug addiction to a lesser extent.Nepali men needs to go abroad to seek better paid jobs in order to support their families. Majority of men tended to go to India across the border to find their fortune. Nepal is surrounded by India on 3 sides and China ,on the other. Many Nepali young girls (10 years onwards ) have been kidnapped and sold into prostitution along the border to service the men .By the time the girls/young women showed signs and symptoms of the conditon, they were discarded back to Nepal . Their families are ashamed of them and shunned them .In the same token, the Nepali men became infected through their many years away from their wives. Majority of the patients are males from19 -40 years of age They in turn infected their wives on their glorious return from India

I booked 7 chidren in for CD4 blood test today. They ranged from 4 years to 10 years, from an orphanage. They all seemed happy enough in the corridor. I was thrown in the deep end .I had to find out their names and address in English because all notes were written in Nepali language.
The Nepalis have their own calendar for the year , month and day.It is like the chinese with our own lunar calendar. According to the Nepali calendar, today is 2065/7/26 and not 2008/11/11. To confuse the matter further, the Nepali 1 2 3 4 and so on do not resemble anything like the Roman 1 2 3 4 as we know it. I have to do a crash course to recognise the 1 2 3 4 in Nepali. it was fun and games.

I thought I was doing ok , all things considered when the nurses asked if I could dispense the tablets to the patients as well. Bearing in mind the notes were written in nepali, this was one occasion when I started to sweat. Talked about being put under the pressure. I said smilingly to the nurse that I am in no position to help her out there, because I can't read the notes. Admittedly UKCC Codes of Professioal Conduct did flash through my mind, much good that did me.In the event, the patient dispensed the tablets for himself and one other patient while I look on , bemused. Talk about accountability! However,I did managed to get their signatures in the dispensing book. That I thought was pretty good , under the circumstances.

Dr Pandey came along sometime in the morning. Apparently he stood and watched what I was doing for a considerable time. I was so snowed under, surrounded by 4/5 patients at any one time that I didn't look up until he came close to the booking desk. He then told me thatI am to stay in this clinic for the rest of the week. I have to say I am very happy to do that

All in all, a very satisfying day .This is the first time since arriving in Nepal that I feel I have done something useful. I feel really good walking home through the dust and chaos when I finish my shift. I look forward to going again tomorrow

The Hospital

2008-11-10T03:59:00.000-08:00

At long last, I started at the hospital this morning. The very focus of my journey here.

Uma and I met up with the hospital consultant in charge, Dr Pandey. We talked about the things we would like to purchase, with approximate 400 plus pounds.

So far 650 pounds have been spent at the orphanage. A new double bunk bed has been ordered with all the associated furnishing (mattresses and beddings ) in preparation for 2 more children in the new year. They are 2 sisters to 2 of the children who are currently at the orphanage. I am also trying to get a couple of outings for the children organised before I go. There will indeed be some money left, but I would like to keep that flexibility available for the time being.

The hospital is in a big sprawling area consisting of many out buildings for the different departments. It reminds me of a very old victorian hospital in old England.It is specialised in tropical diseases and HIV/Aids management. It is a government hospital where treatment is free, hence catering to the very poor section of the population

Dr Pandey took me round and introduced me to the heads of different departments.I met the various sisters- in charge. I met my equivalence- Matron cum Head of Nursing for the hospital. Initially she eyed me rather warily, wondering what I was doing there, and only for 2 weeks anyway. However, once we warmed up, she was quite welcoming. In any case,I was pleased to escape her meeting with the departmental sisters, rather stilted and formal like in my nursing days on the wards

As luck or lack of luck would have it, the very first patient I saw on the special unit appeared dead to me . She was an emaciated woman . She was admitted the day before with advanced case of tetanus. Dr Pandey apologised as though he could have stopped her from dying because I happened to be there.Tetanus seems to be quite a common condition for hospitalisation here
The fever wards (diarrhea and vomiting and all infectious diseases) is housed on 2 floors with 100 bed capacity. The hospital can take up to a maximum 100 -200 patients during the monsoon season (june - August ). That meant many patients have to be nursed on the floor when the wards run out of bed. However, there were only 15 beds occupied at present because it is the dry season.He said the nurses are having abit of respite now till next year.

The wards are divided into large subsections . Each section can take up to 8-10 beds depending on the number of patients at the time. .There are no curtains round the bed. Privacy is not a primary concern , to be fair in this society. There are large metal bowls filled with ? lime water for disinfecting used masks, ?equipments etc. They are placed near the nurses station on every ward. They look disgustingly victorian.The mattresses on the bed have seen better days. They are the type we used in the 50s and 60s. They are covered in that horrible black thick plastic -that is, those of us who are old enough to remember. Majority of those mattresses are torn with the sponges or straws, I don't know which, spilling out everywhere. It was quite a sorry sight

I then spent sometime in the admission or rather emergency department with Dr Pandey and his team of Registrars/ Housemen.It reminded me of the vietnamese clinic at Lind. Even though there is a system in place, the people just crowded round the doctors when they tried to give individual consultation to the patients concerned. There was no privacy anywhere, and they didn't expect any. It was quite exasperating to just sit and watch

Every nurse I met today appeared to want to come to England to nurse. I think is to do with the buying power of sterling, comparing that to Nepalee Rupees (1 -123 ). With so much poverty here, and poor pay for the nurses , it is not surprising. So I had to manage their expectations in terms of NMC's strict criterias for practising in the UK

I have been left in the HIV/AidS outpatient clinic for the time being. It does not appear that I will be nursing patients on the wards.I just have to wait and see .I still have 2 weeks here. Otherwise I will need to dispose of the gloves I have brought out with me, thinking that I'll be working on the wards. As a precaution, I put 3 pairs inside my waist pouch this morning, just in case.

All in all , a rather gentle day than I was expecting. And I am grateful ...after the trekking.
Lets see what tomorrow brings

A Townie Goes Trekking

2008-11-09T01:01:00.000-08:00

Before I arrived here,I was told that I must make a point to go out of Kathmandu to see the real Nepal. So, having been here for a week, I decided to book a short trek just outside the city.For various reasons, Uma has the impression that I am a seasoned trekker (a novice actually), and 2 days' trekking was booked at my request.

My preparation included that morning walk round the village, as well as making decisions on what to take and leave behind. For someone who usually take the kitchen sink whenever I packed for my holidays abroad, it was a real challenge to try and squeeze everything in (for just in case ) in the small backpack. I did pack a few samples of cream and stuff for just such an occasion. I even cut a piece of soap and wrapped in plastic bag to help to lighten the load. Then came the essentials like toilet tissue, torchlight, my journal etc.I was proud of myself that I was able to get everything in, including the sleeping bag into that back pack.

I did think its a little heavy when Uma and I set out on friday morning to meet my personal guide.The minute we started walking, I realised that I have 17 km to, not walk , but climb in supposedly 4 hours on the first day and 32 km on the second day. Dilu (my guide ) was shocked that this was to be my first trek. He said a very significant thing to me ' be brave and you'll be alright' . As we travelled in the local van towards our starting point, I had no choice but to believe him.

The high points were several.One was when we stopped at a forest (or jungle, who cares) clearing, I decided to pull out a few things to leave behind to lighten my load. Dilu said he would carry my bag for me , as well as his sleeping bag. In return, I only had to carry his very light satchell.This he did for the 3 days. I did show him my gratitude(obviously not in the way one might think) and he was happy I think. Yesterday we came across 3 school children when we were descending fast into the brow of the mountain. Being typically children they were looking for sweets from passing visitors.In the absence of any sweets, I shared my very precious digetsive biscuits with them. They were very happy.I feel I have done a good deed yesterday

Another high point was the sunrises I saw at both Chisopani and Nagarkot. Of course the camera battery had to die on me at the crucial moment at the second destination. But alas, such is life. I have the memory in my head, thats the most important thing.

The only feeling that I have after I successfully reached both destination was one of relief and nothing else.That I survived the gruelling 2 day trekking without hurting myself . It was much later that I said to myself, well Lai see, all things being equal, you have achieved what you set out to do, even though it was a foolish thing to have embarked on. I must give credit to John for being my number one fan when I feel desperately hopeless and helpless on those 2 days. Moral support , even in the form of texts was very much appreciated. Now we have to wait for the cost of the moral support!

The low points were essentially about the depression I developed when I realised I took on a challenge way out of my league! I have never experienced such extreme exhaustion in my life. It was the constant fear of me losing my foot hold while so exhausted that I will end up having an accident. Looking back, it was very naive of me to think that walking round Beckenham (a circuit of 3.5 miles ) a few times a week would qualify me to do some serious trekking in Nepal, haha I have neither the fitness, youth, nor reserve to attempt to trek. However, trekking I did go .

All in all, the 17km trek on my first day was completed in 7 hours, instead of the normal 4. In the end, it was a case of putting one foot in front of the other through gritted teeth. I wailed at Dilu and told him I just cannot do it. But what is the alternative ? We were deep in the forest, with ocassional local flying by(they make you sick ) in both directions with such ease .I could throw a temper tantrum, but Dilu is smaller than me. And I feel sure he would not carry me anyway. Why should he ? even though he is paid to be stucked with me for the next 2 days

It was the ultimate challenge I have faced in my life. It tested my physical and mental endurance to its limit. There were times I cursed myself for getting into this situation, then I said to myself "well, you want a challenge, now enjoy it". I was seesawing with extreme motions during the second half of the trek. In addition, the sun was hot, the air was getting thin. I was breathless each time I had to haul myself up to the next level.

The ground is arrid, consists of dry river gorges where melting snow flows in the spring and during the monsoon season.They were strewn with rocks of various sizes, angled hickledy pickledy.Do I need to say more ?

The second day saw us setting out at 6.30. It was due to the fact that the 32 km trek would normally take up to 7 hours to complete. Based on my performance the day before, it would probably take us 10 hours.Thankfully the terrain was more gentle with gradual climb, unlike the day before.I massaged my legs and feet furiously several times the evening before, and it paid dividends. I did feel quite well when I woke up the next morning, all things considered.

The seconday was a test of sheer stamina. This I managed rather well till we got to the 25/26th km mark. My right knee decided that I have abused it long enough. It started to give me trouble. I was hopling on my left leg in increasing pain. Dilu was very patient. We rested intermitently to give the right knee some reprieve. In the end, when we reached the bottom of the hill before climbing up to Nagarkot, I called it a day.Dilu was keen that we climbed to the top. I recognised that unless I listened to my body, I will be left with a damaged knee for a long time to come. In any case,we have trekked 28 km up to that point.So I made a decision- common sense over pride. The last 4 was completed in a local car. It cost me a fiver. It was money very well spent

Now I am back at Uma's, I feel incredibly well. Apart from a slight twinge in my right knee when I climb stairs, I do not appear to be any worse for wear.Tomorrow I will be starting at the hospital. No doubt there will be more tales to tell

My FIrst Exercise

2008-11-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

I took my first walk yesterday since arriving in Nepal. Its been over a week now since I did anything energetic .It could explain why I have not been sleeping very well.

Uma explained the route through the village/ or town. (I like to know when is a village not a town ?). In view of the fact that I will be trekking on friday, I had better get acclimatised to my new walking boots. The investment was worth it. Though it was a 2 mile walk , it was very comfortable. In fact, they were ideally made for the road surface here.

I must have seem a strange sight to the locals, but there was no sense of malice or prejudice. Admittedly there were a few local men raising their eyebrows, as to what a chinese woman doing walking amongst them at eight o'clock in the morning ? The path winds round the village or town (its a big place ) teeming with smart uniformed school children,housewives/husbands doing their daily marketing,villagers selling their ware on the pavement and the rush hour traffic. The rush hour traffic consist of the endless pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists and drivers of cars jostling for position in the narrow road designed originally for the traditional bullock carts.

I noticed that a lot of people tended to stand outside the shops/houses especially in he mornings.Then I realised that it is because of the hot winter sun that everyone is positioning himself in the full sunlight. I was very surprised that the winter here is not one would expect..Since I have been here, we have beautiful warm sunshine everyday till @5pm.It is getting darker obviously with each preceding day. The clothes washed in the morning is dry by midday.Its averaging 24-26 degrees everyday. The door to the lounge is open till ten at night.What a beautiful winter. Admittedly, the Nepali people do not have my peculiar habit of washing everything which has only been on my back fleetingly. And I am learning that the Nepali way is better and environmentally sound. I will probably adopt this on my return to UK

I have noticed that even the dogs here like the sun . When I first arrived here, I thought there were a lot of dead dogs lying around in the road. I did not want to show my alarm, but just kept myself out of the way .However, I did notice that there were no rotten smell anywhere

The reason the dogs look dead is because of the way they sleep, all stretched out and totally relaxed.They are very lethargic. They do not stir even if someone is walking close by, unlike the English dogs. In addition, they all tend to sleep in ditches, or right beside the road, looking really dead .Even when cars honk, they do not move. Cars have to drive around to avoid them. Interesting phenomena

I have been impressed by the pride the youngsters wear their uniforms. They look so smart in red (their national and royal colour) and white. The boys are quite happy to show off their smart outfits. However, I had to persuade ever so gently for the girls to agree( reluctantly) to have their photos taken.

The walk which I took is not one by UK definition. For one thing, I have to dodge between cars, cyclists, animals and people. I was given a vague idea around the village.I had no idea whether I will find my way back or retracing my steps to get back home.

After what appeared to be a long time , I saw the landmark which reassured me that I was on the right road.There were women with sewing machines doing instant repair jobs on the pavement , no doubt charging only a pittance . I was quite proud of myself when I managed to purchase a kilo of oranges from a Nepali woman. She pulled out 40 NR to show me the cost of the oranges. We smiled and nodded our heads and the transaction was made. This is called international sign language which transcends national boundaries and territories. Wonderful !

I saw an unusual sight at a meat shop (butcher's). I thought I saw cows' heads for sale, alongside the chicken heads. Being a Hindu state where cows are sacred, , how could that be ? I thought. Uma laughed her head off when I asked her. Apparently they are buffalo heads, which are quite different. And in my ignorance, I thought they both belong to the same family. Oh well..
The pollution is pretty bad here. It reminded me of the time when I first arrived in UK in the late 60s. My nose and my finger nails were always black after returning from Oxford street. At least its only black nose here

Need to sign off now .Will be away trekking for couple of days. Another new experience to look forward to

My Impressions

2008-11-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

Having only being away from my usual habitat for a week (today), I am finding hard to remember how to spell correctly.Goodbye, Alzheimer's, please go away from me.There is no spellcheck facilities on the pc here unfortunately

At present, I am receiving daily intensive input in Nepali language and culture averaging 4-5 hours a day. The language is very hard. I keep questioning the validity of why I have to learn grammar in 5 days (transitive and intransitive verbs, fancy that ! ), when I only have less than 3 weeks here. My grey matters are being stretched, so much so that my head really hurts...However I do enjoy learning about the culture of the Nepali people. After 3 days of relentless questioning on my part, the teacher agreed that he won't teach me anymore grammar, but useful phrases in everyday conversation. Phew!

In addition, I learnt a lot about the socio-economic history of the country. I came to have a better understanding of why Nepal is so poor. In fact, from the many people I have met and spoken to, the reason why Nepal is going backwards over the years.

One of the things I am learning to do is to sit cross legged on a cushion on the floor. The lounge is a big square room with lots of light. It has a big square table(its too big to be called a coffee table ) where eating , socialising , reading, relaxing and writing are done. Its low like a Japanese table, except that there is no space or hole underneath to put your legs. One has to learn to sit cross legged or on one's ankle with bended knees in order to do anything . I am quite clumsy, so I balance myself by leaning on my left elbow with my legs crossed whenever I sit down, which is very often. To my surprise, I developed a big blister underneath my left elbow. I didn't know about it until the skin broke yesterday. Ouch.....I need to use the alternative way to sit I think, on my bended knees

I have been behaving rather selfishly. I have not let anyone know that I have some yummy digestive biscuits in my back pack, under lock and key.The reason being its my umbilical cord to 58 Durban road. Its only a small pack of less than 10 biscuits. With 6 children ,Uma and the helper, there won't be any left to sustain me for the next 3 weeks if I were to share them. Yes, I have seen them in the local shops, but unsure whether they will taste the same. So, its status quo for me- no sharing!

This week is a rather leisurely one for me. Therefore I am able to blog more often. One tends not to go out in the evening. That suits me fine . Walking in the dark on narrow uneven stony dirt roads is not my idea of fun, especially when cars coming in the opposite direction are not being polite to each other. And this is only walking to get a taxi (if you can find one, that is ) to go out somewhere. Having said all that, it is amazing how the locals seem stoic and happy when they are out.
It was an experience for me when we went out to the local night market to purchase the children's winter clothes. We went to the places which I would not dream of going normally. I was hanging on to Uma so tightly that I hope she didn't have any funny ideas about me. Abject poverty with its associated squalor were dotted with sparkling jewellery shops here and there. Its quite amazing to see very well dressed people going into the shops happily mingled with what I think were the down and outs. Sorry I am judging from a western perspective. I have promised myself not to do that

Till the next time, happy reading

Shoppimg Spree

2008-11-04T03:47:00.000-08:00

Uma and I have been doing a spot of bargain huntimg at the local night market last evening. We managed to purchase warm winter tracksuits x6; woollen tights/leggins to wear under troussers and skirts x6 ;light weight woollen trousers x6 ; thick woollen socks x6 ,6 vests and pencil boxes as a treat. The whole packet came to approximately 70 pounds, based on the fluctuating forex.

I took some photos of the children when they were given it. It was like xmas came early, even though they don't celebrate it.The interesting difference with them and us is they folded everything given to them, and put them all in the same bag very tidily . They did not tear into the wrappings like we do because of the excitement

The biggest expense is installing the small generator in the orphanage. With the rapid growth in Kathmandu, the demand for power outstrip the supply. There is no gas here, only electricity. In order to reduce the demand, every district is on rotation for a power cut each day.It usually lasts for 2.5 to 3 hours. So far, its been in the evenings. One evening I was caught in the middle of a shower. It was not funny to say the least.Poor Uma kept apologising.We had a discussion and decided that money will be well spent if we could get one installed. It cost 30,000 Nepali Rupees. It has been done today and paid for. We are all very happy here. Uma wants me to say thank you on her behalf to all you sponsors.

What it means for the children is that they will be able to do their homework in the evenings .At present, the power cut tends to be either from 6-8.30 or 9pm , or 7 -9 or 10pm. Uma is not happy to give the children candles to help them with their homework. And I agreed with her totally. The other factor is that the power cut will be increased to twice a day for 4 hours each time in the very near future.That means 8 hours a day without electricity. An orphanage will not be able to function when that happens

There are 2 more things we hope to purchase before we call it a day. One is a double bunk bed , and the other is a proper desk and chair for Uma to work well. At present, I am sitting on a cushion on the floor doing the blog. My back suffers and my eyes go funny. It is important that the orphanage has good basic equipment in order to function well. There is a website for the orphanage which I will pass on .Part of Uma 's plan is to receive 2 more children early next year. They are sisters of 2 children who are with her at present. Hence the bunk bed
By the time we purchase all these things, there won't be much of 650 pounds left, maybe a little more will be required.

I'll sign off now in case the power cut happens, then I'll start again on another one. The other night I lost the whole blog because of the cut. I had to redo the whole thing 2 hours later

The Orphanage

2008-11-02T17:37:00.001-08:00

On arrival, I was greeted with smiling and happy children. I have a large but Spartan room. Still trying to get used to the cold dark room at night. My comfort blanket is Reading the October edition of Woman and Home via torchlight.One night is about the recipes on coffee n walnut cake, another night is how to do a perfect roast duck.

I have had bouts of doubts of 'what am I doing here? who am I trying to kid ? ' I have had my cultural shocks, but I won't go into details here. Suffice to say, I am surviving, and each day I feel a little more optimistic that I am playing a minute part in making a little difference to the children here, thanks to the generosity of all the sponsors. and John's text certainly helps to keep me going

I have 3 vegetarian meals a day.I have been trying to convince Uma (my host) that I don't eat b/fast (a lie) and that I only need some light snack for lunch, just one meal a day will be enough.So far, I have managed to do without b/fast.I have a secret store of digestive biscuit and dark chocolate which I purchased at Abu Dhabi airport.They help to keep me from being homesick

I went out shopping for grocery with Uma today.We spent about 70 pounds on :amongst other things, 90 kilo of rice 11 litres of cooking oil, cooking gas, over 30 kilos of beans and lentils and the essentials like salt , sugar etc. There are no frills here

We plan to spend the money on other essential things like a small generator for the orphanage.The daily power cut each evening is being increased to 4 hours twice a day. the children needs light to study. It is unsafe to have candles where there are children.

The Orphanage

2008-11-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

My arrival was greeted by 6 smiling and happy nepali children. I am sleeping on the ground floor next to the children .

I have a very large but sparten room to myself. Its a case of living out of the sausage bag on the floor with no wardrobe /storage space. I am still trying to get used to the cold and dark room at night. Just as well I brought a torch light with me to keep me company. My comfort blanket is reading the October edition of Women and Home magazine via the torch light. One night is about the recipes on coffee n walnut cake, another night is how to do a perfect roast duck. I really fantasized about what I'll be cooking and eating if I were to be in UK

The definition of an orphan here is somewhat different from the west (so I am told ). It not only means children without parents, but it includes also the very very poor families (who live in the remote mountainous part of Nepal) who just cannot afford to feed their children, as well as those with abusive /drunken /mentally ill parents, as well as those who have been imprisoned for whatever reason

I am having intensive lessons in Nepalise language and culture. Talk about grey cells being stretched. It is a very painful process . I have had couple bouts of cultural shocks, which I won't go into detail here . Suffice to say , I am surviving, at times almost enjoying it.I am having 3 vegetarian meals a day, trying to convince Uma (my host ) that I don't take breakfat normally (a lie) and that lunch for me in UK is usually consist of a couple slices of bread only. There is no need to go to all that trouble really. However, I do have a secret store of digestive biscuits and dark chocolate which I bought at the Abu Dhabi airport. They should last me for a bit

We went shopping this evening and spent eighty pounds on two months grocery for the orphanage. They include ninety kilos of rice. We are putting plans to have a small scale generator put in because of the daily powercut(usually 3-4 hours a time) Its going to increase to four hours twice a day soon. We are also going to buy a double bunkbeds because Uma is hoping to have two new children early next year They are the older sisters to two of the children here.We are going to buy winter clothing for the chlden tomorrow.They all look pretty tatty from what I can see The above will probably account for a large chunk of five hundred pounds. Hopefully the overall expense won't cost more than that

I Am Here

2008-10-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

After a long drawn out journey, I have arrived in Nepal.

I thought all the airports in the Gulf States would be plush and wonderful. Regret to say, Abu Dhabi aierport is like a cattle market. It was utter chaos heppening on 2 levels .Maybe Bahrain and Dubai are the modern , state of the art airports I so often read about ,with the world's first 6 and 7 star rated hotels. I nearly missed the connecting flight because I was directed to the wrong gate!

I have been staying in Boudanath area, a Tibetan Buddhist stronghold, in order to experience some pure spiritual enlightenment .It would appear that I arrived on a very auspicious day by accident, the Nepali New Year.The place is teeming with visitors, worshippers and Buddhist monks of variuos grades, walking in clockwise direction around the stupa (Buddhist monument )endlessly. It is more so in the evening, a kind of evening walk, I suppose. It is said( not sure how true this is ) that all devout Buddhists have @131,000 rounds to do in a lifetime to achieve their goal, a bit like the Muslims who have one life time ambition to go to Mecca to pay their pilgrimage as good Muslims. I have done one round so far

Weather has been good so far.Its been sunny and warm.I have been able to walk around with just a tshirt.
The hotel is basic but clean with flushing toilet. The only fault is the towels. Just as well I brought mine as advised! The food is very salty, taking a bit of getting used to. My tummy has tried to rebel couple of times, but so far so good

A lot of visitors came to this part to undertake some Tibetan cultural studies including Dalai Lama's teaching. Some Americans staying in my hotel were talking about wanting to save the world last night. They were exploring the different ways of how they can achieve that, via singing around the stupa,or linking hands, or ask for special permission to go into the temple and chant, so it went on. In the end , they went for a lemon soda ! How sweet.

Being picked by Uma (my host whom I'll be staying with for the next 3 weeks ) at 11 today, thus ending my freedom here for a bit till John comes out on 23/11

Almost There

2008-10-26T00:37:00.000-07:00

Well, its only 2 more days before I fly out.I am beginning to get slight butterflys- in - the - tummy feeling. John has commented that I have had a couple of nighttime wobbles in the last few nights.They are sounds I made in my sleep when I am anxious about things / events....just like my mother. And I blame her for the genes....

What with everyone wanting to meet up before I go, its like xmas has come early . I have been having meals out almost everyday for the past 3 weeks. On some days I have been to lunch and then dinner on the same day ! I am reaching saturation point for eating out I think

The journey is going to be long & drawn out .Its 7 hours to Abu Dhabi with 4 hours transit there, followed by a further 4 hours flight before arriving at Kathmandu in the evening on the following day. I need to find out the difference in time between UK and Nepal. Otherwise John won't be too happy if I were to text him @2 o'clock in the morning, full of excitement about my discoveries in Nepal.

Well, the packing is almost done. Arrangements made for the pickup, and accomodation organised. To date, £1260 has been collected from family, friends, neighbours and colleaques I used to work with.. Everybody has been most supportive and generous.Travellers' cheques are ready for collection, mainly in USD, so I was advised. It pains me to see the dramatic slide of sterling against the USD after I have placed the order last week !!

Nursing Skills Refreshed

2008-10-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

It is such a relief to be shown how to take a pulse effectively when it's too feeble to be felt at the wrist.. phew !! I know its probably funny, but it was reassuring to know that I was not out of my head when I say I can't feel my pulse! ' Walking dead ' did flash through my mind though

I have been on the Terence Higgins website to try and glean the relevant bits of information to update my knowledge base etc. It is important, but was reminded appropriately by close friends that good nursing care is what its about, and less of the technical stuff. So Lai See, you have been told!

I have been given some rubber gloves for nursing the HIV&Aids patients . I have to work out the logistics of how to make them last till the end of my placement .It could be tricky, I may not be able to do a one to one. I may have to double up.Whatever happens, I suppose its better than nothing. I just need to be flexible, under the circumstances

There are questions , for example-do volunteers wear aprons, overalls or just in their muftis ? Do the volunteers have chaperones who are bilingual ? How do I do health promotion about spread of disease if I cannot communicate with the patients ? Ah,I just remember I'll be expected to do a crash course in basic Nepali language (in 3 days ) ! Ha, thats funny.

I am sure I will have all the answers soon, fingers crossed (again).

Am I Ready ?

2008-10-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

I only have about two and a half weeks left before I leave for Nepal, there is a long list of things I need to do, what do I do first ? Help....... panic station !!

Take a deep breath, and count to ten. Thats what I would tell others, but its not so easy when its yours truly.Ok, lets prioritise as a manager would- seems such a long time ago when I was vaguely one of them. Make a list, I always feel I have achieved something when I have made a list.So here it goes :

-collect sponsorship money.£940 so far with half a dozen outstanding and a few more reminders to do

-Explore setting up a blog for interested sponsors to keep up to date with the trip

-Do a complete list of all sponsors to be posted on my blog- has started

-create a medical kit to include antibiotics, Malarone for Malaria, antihistamine, Immodium, sterilizing tablets plus all the usual suspects.I am half way there on this

-take little pressies from M'sia for the children in the orphanage. Found lots of useful knicknacks in the most unlikely places in the cupboards.I didn't realise that I am such a hoarder.......come in useful sometimes I suppose

-Need to read up all about HIV &Aids and practise my injection technique. Its been years.........Help !

-I can't find my pulse ? Help, someone !

I am just about reaching saturation point about lists.I guess I need to start packing sometime