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.