Blog | Change for Hope

April 2020 – From the Top of the World

In April the Corona Virus began to hit Nepal. Everything closed down the first week including

all transportation, traffic between cities and villages and it was prohibited for people even to visit village to village. We heard the cry from the villages we had worked in in March as many day laborers travel into Makwenpur ( 2 hrs ) for their daily wages and food purchases. With no transportation allowed in Nepal and all the food stores closed the people were in a desperate situation.

We quickly mobilized a team – as the government was starting to shut down anyone other than themselves in the distribution of food, which is highly limited in items. We supplied, 60 pounds of rice, ghee, two or three types of lentils , soy beans, tea, salt, and sugar Our first distribution was in the village of Kalitar that we worked in in March, and some of Prashansa attendees who are day laborers and very poor. We supplied several of these families in Kathmandu with gas for cooking as that is the only way to cook in the city.

ur next distribution was also put together by my project manager, Sandip. We knew some officials in Makwenpur and they allowed us to hire a driver to supply a months worth of food in the hills villages along the river to Kalitar who also were in need of supplies. We fed over 600 people in the surrounding hills and mountains. This distribution took place along the river as flooding prohibited us from reaching them in the villages. The men who distributed were able to park on sand bars and people scrambled from the hills to collect their food and then back up the hills carrying their precious items. There were a few distribution sand bars

Altogether we fed nearly 1000 people a months supply of food last month.

We are following up this month with another distribution as soon as we can connect with the “officials” in Makwenpur and the river subsides. There as been unusual rain this year and the river seems too high to even transport as we did the last time. We are checking on this weekly. This distribution will feed another 1000 people another months supply of food.

In the near future, when travel is allowed for everyone, the team including men from Prashansa Church, will be giving each home in the Kalitar village foam mats ( used normally under rugs) to sleep on ( most have dirt floors) and mosquito nets. The team will also build a cement area for washing and water distribution ( currently done in the dirt). This will allow more women ease to wash clothing and themselves without having to go down to the river.

May God bless everyone abundantly that reads these blogs and know your help is immeasurable and to know…so little helps so much.

Pam

Feb, March 2020 – From the Top of the World

Our first excursion in Nepal was returning to Shree Majhi Prmary School after working there last year. We delivered teaching tools for the children, books, playground equipment and a snack for the day. We also supplied the school with a much needed printer and paper and teaching CDs for the staff to use. Our biggest goal was to paint the outside of the school which was a drab white and brown. The schools bench/table combinations were falling apart as was the front gate and so we hired a welder to fix these things. We had also noticed last year that there was an indentation in the yard where water accumulated along with mosquitoes and so we also filled this in with dirt. We were so excited to know that there was an education strike the day we planned on painting…so we did not have to worry about children. Two men I have worked with for more than 12 years Sandip and Chandra a new member to our group, Jit and our driver painted for over 9 hrs. But we got it done. I cannot express to you the tears in the teachers eyes the next day when they came. Normally in Nepal the schools are a lime green color and white….and so we decided to do something so different. The teachers were really not expecting this and when the children came…squeals of joy could be heard as they played and looked at their new school, new books and the hope we would return next year for more work. These children live in tiny homes and are very poor and subsistence farmers children. We hope to encourage them to grow in their education.

Our second phase of work was in a village called Kalitar. In order to reach the village part of Kalitar ( all villages in that area are called this) we had to travel by minivan ( 8 of us and a driver) piled high with rugs,equipment to build with, books, computers and resource materials for the school, and an inverter and battery to store electricity and 15 squawking chickens!!! We began this journey at 6am in the morning…as the men piled all the things in, under and around the mini van and on top all the rugging to be put into a church building..and huge pots and pans to cook for the village. We left squeezed into the mini van…and for 6 hrs down winding roads in and out of peaks until we reached Makwenpur and emptied the contents of the minivan onto the side of a market area. We four women sat and sat and sat waiting for the men to find a bus that would take us down the river for another two hrs. The bus finally arrived packed with others and now our things added…across the bridge we went and then down into the river …bumping bumping…I was not sure any of my bones were still attached when we finally arrived at the “town” of Kalitar at around 7 at night. We then had a hike to do. We got the schools Science teacher to unlock the office so we could store the computer things in to present to the school the next day. Chickens were let out of the hull of the bus…and off we went as it was getting darker and darker. We had to go thru the river a few times and climb over rocks…as I was the oldest I had great men holding my hand to make sure I did not slip. By the time we arrived at the village part of Kalitar it was dark…a villager was making us a rice dinner and we women were exhausted as the men began to lay the rug in the church- where we would all sleep for the next few nights. We ladies laid down in the old church which was bamboo sticks with plastic around the bottom half of the shack..we fell asleep quickly. Around 11:30 we moved into the church building and promptly fell asleep again. Last year Changeforhope roofed this church and now it was ready to use.

The next morning we woke up to a beautiful sunrise and the chatter of children. Cooking began for over 120 people and we never saw those chickens again! That day was filled with singing and dancing and a huge meal for all the people. Children ate two and three plates of food…and all was well and the first service began in the new building with more singing and dancing. WE played with the children, distributed clothing and set up for the next day.

The next morning we distributed medical kits to each homeowner and explained what different salves were for. The women were thrilled to have this. We took the girls down to the river and gave them baths as we watched the bugs crawl in the hair…something to think about for next year! The men were shaving the heads of the boys and then they came down to bathe. We returned from the river bottom to inspect the goats and water buffalo that had been purchased for people there. The water buffalo was purchased for a women with six children who had been abandoned by her husband. The goats were also given to widows , both of these types of animals provide an income thru meat, labor and milk. Sandip and Vijay went to the school in Kalitar town as I was too tired to walk up and down again. The whole school lined up and they presented the Computers, books, CDS – computers were loaded with English, Science and other subjects to enhance the young men and women that go to this middle school. They were thrilled to say the least. The science teacher said we were an answer as they had just gotten electricity to the town ( none in Kalitar village) but it was only on at night…with the inverter and batter they would have hours on the computers during the day.

The next morning we packed up to return to Kathmandu and looked at the many homes in Kalitar. Where the woman that got the goat, which we named Brenda, lives with her children on a dirt floor. We provided her with some of the rug padding and another very large thick blanket. She had been sleeping on the ground near a small fire. The roof had had a tarp put over it a year back but the walls are not secure.

WE said our goodbyes and know there is much that can be done in Kalitar. More goats and water buffalo, securing homes, teaching the children to desire school and to teach about nutrition and sanitation. We distributed exercise toys, jump ropes and balls to the children and gave them all oranges and bananas..the children ran into the field to play and then we went on our way…down the rice paddies, thru the fields, across the river twice, hopping boulders and then up the long hill to find the local bus by 8am…

The final projects for Nepal this year were the purchase of 3 new sewing machines and a surger to help women start their own businesses. They are taught by a professional seamstress and are learning wonders from the three machines ChangeforHope purchased last year. We also purchased and installed a water filter system in the building where the sewing classes are held. In Chitwan we purchased windows for a local church. We distributed seeds to a local small childrens home. There were other goat purchases for widows also….

We also purchased musical equipment for Bina who runs Orchid Garden Nepal, little pianos that are air controlled, drums and pom poms for dancing and music classes.

Church in Kalitar, CFH roofed
Church windows in Chitwan
Children of Kalitar
Water filter system
Sewing machines and Surger
drums, pianos and pompoms
same
children of Kalitar
church from the back
children with the pom poms
Goats
seed for the small girls home

February 26, 2019 – From the Top of the World…#4

We woke up at 4:30 in order to avoid traffic at Kulunki Chowk, a madhouse of busses, cars, animals, taxis and people waiting to travel.

The travel time was only 5 hrs ( one hr saving in time) as Sandip wove in and out of traffic as on coming busses were narrowly avoided. This is Nepal and the way driving is done. Many times I just closed my eyes and prayed :O)

We arrived in Makwenpur to the busy streets around 11 am. Dusty roads met us but no rain…and we were glad as we have to navigate the river by a bus right out of a Mad Max movie. WE checked into our accommodations (it could be called a less than adequate place with the sink that had no water and barely hanging on the wall, a toilet that did not flush, beds….well bricks to sleep on) that we would have for one night. It served its purpose for us. We quickly found Bishwa and proceeded to our bus that hung in a line of battered giants. The stood in rows and one could see that long ago they were beast of beauty with bright colors adoring the sides, front and tops. Now retired to run the river taxi service. Five men began to load the blankets…100 of them was no easy feat. Ropes were strung around the great white bag, one man on top quickly became two men while three pushed it up. Grunts and HO HO were heard and others standing around helped to push and pull. Finally loaded on top of the bus we began our journey to the place were would feed and distribute to the poor.

About 5km down the river we can to a “wash” area strew with boulders and rocks. This area a few years ago was hit by a horrendous flash flood, I was told, that turned the river RED.

There sat over 100 men women and children from 5 small villages. As we walked up we could see the large grey pots being heated with wood to cook the food. Chicken, fruit, spices, water, rice and lentils were removed from the bus as men clamored on top and dumped the bag of blankets. Bleating was heard in the distance where goats of various colors were fastened to poles eating leaves that had been gathers for them. And so cooking began. Bags of rice were poured into pots that were boiling…green leaves and a carboard box as placed on top as the rice was cooking and filling the pot. It was a marvel to
watch the precision of this cooking. I thought for sure the rice would burn, but the man and woman cooking knew exactly how long to let the rice cook and reduced the wood under it. Lentils were cooking in the other pot…wonderful smells as everything was spiced up. Then came the plastic bags of cut up chicken ( bone and all) placed in the third silver pot with cut up onion, garlic and spices. The smells from the open fire mixed with the spices was wonderful. The stirring continued with large wooden paddles at least three feet long until all was cooked.

We sang and prayed and gave thanks and ate a wonderful meal and had wonderful community. Six widows sat quietly as we began to decide how to distribute the goats, blankets and bitten rice (a snack rice that has been flattened). Name by name we called up the widows to present the goats to them. Each woman received two goats for breeding this year. We informed them of our desire to breed for selling income as most are living on less than $10 a month and are subsistence farmers with small gardens. Some have children who try to help but very hard for everyone. A woman, with a nose ring dressed in a ragged red wrap, a blue top and a red worn scarf on her head came to receive her goat. She was the same woman who prayed so wonderfully with passion in 2017 when I was in Makwenpur. Upon her feet were old flip flops that had been held together in various places with black thick thread. Her face was filled with joyous tears as she told us she had been praying for over a year to somehow get enough money together to purchase one goat that she could breed -She received two goats and one was pregnant as were several others we gave that day. Her future can be better.

As a note ( a goat of medium size can be sold for around $75- but many of these goats have three babies at a time and so produce good income). We only give female goats as males roam villages and take care of the females! This area is lush so the goats will do well with eating much that is available naturally. So one by one they came. Dressed in their best, flip flops on their feet which were worn down to almost nothing by months of traveling over the rugged rocks. Feet so worn and often covered in sores and dirt. Next we delivered to 100 family’s blankets and the bitten rice in an overcast day that kept the heat away.. I asked God to bless each one as they came up to receive their gift…. Mothers with small children, old men and women all received and your contributions helped with this.

We have evaluated the situation and will do a medical camp in 2020 (hopefully I can get people to do this) and bring sewing machines to the villages to begin businesses.

Feed a man a fish he eats for a day…teach him how to fish he eats for a lifetime.

Our bus did not return so we climbed a 100 foot hill to reach a narrow dirt road to catch a tempo that ran along a cliff top. 5 of us piled in with the driver as we navigated along the cliff…when a bus came along in the opposite direction… I closed my eyes and prayed.

In His Name
Pam

Feb 9, 2019 – From the Top of the World…

From the Top of the World. Rain and chill has filled the air for the last three days. Grey clouds are filtered with light only when strikes of lightning are seen. This is most unusual for this time of the year. Snowcapped mountains, mist hovering half way up, greets me this morning. The skies have cleared a bit ( Saturday here) and occasionally the sun will peek out behind it veil of mystery of what is coming.

We managed to slip out for a few hrs and purchased the two computers for Mercy Childrens Home in Pokhara which we will deliver Sunday. Rotary Club of New York has been gracious enough to supply these and with the extra funds from the donation we will purchase educational supplies and perhaps a ping pong table for the children to play on.

After we returned with the computers, Sandip ran out in the rain to purchase three heavy duty sewing machines so that women in a local womans group can sew and sell things for an elderly home that is being prayed for. The land has been purchased and now the funds are being raised for a building. Nepal like many other countries has lost some of it traditional values by abandoning their elderly. Unlike America where most have some income, the elderly in Nepal have little income if any at all. My host family informed me of this need and we found the funds to buy these machines. Less than $300 and all three were purchased and are now set up in the church building. Bargaining is part of the purchases here and we got a very good deal.
Tomorrow we leave for Pokhara. More to come after our trip there…..

Mountains met us at every turn with incredible sites, from about 20 km into our trip. Majestic and white as if painted in the skyline with terraced slopes filled with a Kaleidoscope of colored crops growing. The muddy river rushes over rocks and debris meandering past little city after little city…then up and up and around and around another curve. Busses pass as do cars and motorcycles without apparent concern for oncoming traffic. There are some rules I cannot comprehend and decide to only open my eyes periodically. Heheh… after 7 hrs we reach Pokhara. A breath of fresh air and the Annapurna mountain range is a clear as I have ever witnessed it to be.

The next day we went shopping for Mercy Childrens Home. Sandip and Kalpana worked with the shop owner for 3 hrs in order to get the educational supplies needed for the 14 children at the home. Bargaining is always part of the culture. God once again blessed this time and we were able to get an entire years required curriculum for the 14 children and also purchased other Educational books a new white board and a world map to enhance the children’s learning. Along with the two laptops we purchased in Kathmandu that were loaded with Math, English and Science, the children are set for a year. The day went by quickly and we drove into the country where the home is located.

We got to Mercy Childrens home around 3:30 in the afternoon and set up everything we had purchased in the Study Hall before the children arrived at 5. Sher announced to the children that there were some new things for them…and we opened up the study to reveal the items. Of course we also got play items including soccer balls, a basketball and volley balls ( a pump too), rackets to play bat mitten with, a ring toss game they play and other smaller items. After 30 mimutes the children were still looking at books and really loving it. Of course the boys immediately went to pump up the balls. We are currently looking into having a cement ping pong table built, which will be a project, hopefully before I go.