January 25 – Trip to the Bankariya people

Another 8 hours of rough roads up and down mountains, through flat lands, over metal and sometimes wooden bridges that creaked as the jeep went over and thru small rivers to bring rice and blankets to a people displaced from the mountains. The team was up at 5:30 am to get ready, blankets were assembles and we waited for the jeep. Sher and Kalpana, Sandip and Saru, I and Rajan got into the jeep and all the blankets were on top. We began our way on another very cold morning in Kathmandu. I don’t think my nose has strayed this cold for years.

We began our assent into the mountains the first of many up and downs. The forested areas were fill with smoke from people burning wood to keep themselves warm. It is very cold this year in Nepal. Light filtered through the trees sparkling the dew that was trying to evaporate in the coldness. We would come to a clearing of trees and one could see the green rice paddies terraced along the opposite mountain side. Plants lined the roads covered in dust perpetuated by the many people on the gravel roads. We stopped at one point and had breakfast which consisted of boiled eggs ( very safe) and freshly cooked sel Roti ( rice flour sweetened and cooked in oil). It was delicious and with tea just wonderful, filling and on our way we went again.

Check points by weaponed police and soldiers were more numerous than I had seen. We proceeded on our way thru tiny villages with not much damage that could be seen. After an hour into the trip we began to see the rock slides and some earthquake damage, but not much this time. The river meanders around the mountains giving life to the villages and the many shrines that could be seen. I sit and marvel at the Buddhists Temples that are scattered throughout the tops of these mountains and hill, glimmering with their golden tops and streams of colored flags. They are many years old and I wonder how they managed to do this without modern equipment.

Two hrs into the trip we came to a city and turned off the main road toward the river. We drive thru small homes scattered here and there as women dressed in various colors sit on the side selling fruit. Men stand in doorways and I am still not sure what they do!

We drive for about 1/4 mile and come to a wooden bridge that crosses the river and the driver wondered if we would make it as the river sloshed by. Sandip got out as did Rajan and said lets go. I figured if the jeep went in the river the fall was not great and I can swim. So off we went…clap clap clap went the tires but we made it. We began to follow road tracks thru and alluvial plain area. Tall variegated grasses were everywhere and paths could be seen thru them. We followed to tracks back about 3 miles and came to the village of 27 homes of the Bankariya people group. These people suffered in the mountains when the earthquakes took place and were displaced into this flat land. They have been highly marginalized by the Nepali government and other people groups.

I was happy with the condition of this village. People had worked on homes and had many on stilts, with animals under the homes and rough ladders to the upper levels to sleep in. I was impressed with their ability to have organized and had a woman leader who was in contact with us and others. She utilized the press here and made know the conditions and will receive more help now.
Two small brown and charcoal colored pigs about 25 pounds each snorted at me as I walked down a tiny path between houses. They were cute but I understood what they were for, however I petted them anyway in their stick walled enclosure. They were happy to get the tops of their head scratch. I marveled at a tiny house off to the side that Sandip had found. I could hear water running under it and something inside was moving. To my great joy they had built a mill. Corn was put into a funnel and a dropped corn onto a stone which ground the corn into very fine flour. Amazing resilient people.

We returned to the truck and unloaded our blankets and the tractor pulling the rice . We prayed with the people and explained why were were there. An old man sat with his two blankets and rice, withered thin and without a smile on his face. Another older man sat with one eye missing thin with a puzzled look on his face. Women came up and amazingly lifted up these bags of rice and blankets. You could see they had had very rough lives.We met the people and began to distribute to each family 60kg of rice and two warm blankets. Many of the houses had no sides and many were partially open on the upper levels. To harvest wood you need a permit and these are not considered Nepali and have no citizenship. It is difficult for them and the government is “allowing” them to live on this land. Everything was disbursed and we say our goodbyes and began our long journey home.

There is so much joy in giving knowing people who will eat, stay warm and hear the Good news. We were satisfied as we left that another small hamlet of people could be better off this day.

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound…”
Galatians 2:10 “Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”