EHBO en voorlichting in ‘Nothing there’ - Laprak, Gorkha

Door: Danja Raven / danjaraven.nl

Grote ogen, verbaasde gezichten en flink wat gegiechel waren veelal de eerste reacties op de EHBO- en voorlichtingslessen over vrouwenkwalen die we gaven aan kinderen van 8 tot 16 jaar en aan vrouwen in het afgelegen bergdorp Gupsi Pakha, Laprak. 

Gupsi Pakha (2700m) dat letterlijk ‘Nothing there’ betekent, ligt zo’n 500 meter boven Laprak (2200m). Gupsi is ontstaan als nooddorp omdat het lagergelegen Laprak onveilig werd verklaard na de aardbevingen in april en mei 2015. Desondanks wonen en werken veel mensen nog steeds in en rondom de ruïnes van hun voormalige huis in Laprak. En je kunt ze geen ongelijk geven; de leefomstandigheden in Laprak zijn ondanks de schade en de onveilige situatie een stuk minder erbarmelijk dan in Gupsi Pakha. 

* Onverwachte sneeuwval tijdens ons verblijf in Gupsi Pakha, Laprak.

Vanwege deze onveilig situatie in Laprak zijn de scholen en de Healthpost wel naar Gupsi verhuisd. Dat betekent dat veel van de (jonge) kinderen die naar school gaan en dus boven wonen, volledig op zichzelf zijn aangewezen.

De afwezigheid van een moeder die helpt bij een bloedende knie omdat je tijdens het spelen een stukje van de berg afrolde, die weet wat te doen bij de flinke brandblaar die je opliep tijdens het koken op open vuur en die niet in paniek raakt bij aanblik van de hoofdwond die je kreeg door een van de scherpe randen van je tijdelijke golfplaten onderkomen, benadrukt de noodzaak van het geven van EHBO-lessen aan kinderen in dit gebied. Door beperkte hygiënische omstandigheden en de doorgaans gebrekkige kennis rondom hygiëne ligt infectie op de loer met mogelijk dramatische gevolgen door de afwezigheid van een ziekenhuis.

* Schone sneeuw van het dak afscheppen om de watervoorraad aan te vullen.

Wondverzorging, botbreuken en verstikking

Terug naar die grote ogen, verbaasde gezichten en het gegiechel. Nepalese mensen zijn erg verlegen dus zowel op school als in de Healthpost zorgde mijn opmerkelijke uiterlijk en onze EHBO-les over brandwonden, snijwonden, bloedingen, botbreuken, verstuikingen en verstikking voor flink wat geroezemoes en het verbergen van gezichten achter mutsen en sjaals. Desalniettemin werd er meestal met grote ogen, soms met open mond en in ieder geval met klapperende oren naar ons geluisterd.

Het voordoen van de Heimlich-greep, waarbij je schuin achter iemand staat terwijl je met de handen druk uitoefent in het gebied van de navel om zo eten dat vastzit in de luchtpijp naar buiten te drukken, zorgde uiteraard voor hilarische taferelen. De flyer met afbeeldingen van geïnfecteerde wonden dempte het geroezemoes en benadrukte onze boodschap over het belang van goede wondverzorging. De juiste antwoorden die we kregen op onze samenvattende vragen achteraf, bevestigde dat de kinderen van Laprak nu weten dat je brandwonden minstens tien minuten met lauw water dient te koelen en dat het spoelen van open wonden met (schoon) water echt de voorkeur heeft boven het gebruik van urine.

* EHBO-les aan één van de klassen in de tijdelijke school in Gupsi Pakha, Laprak

Overlopende Healthpost

Voor verdere wondverzorging na het verlenen of krijgen van EHBO, kunnen inwoners terecht in de Healthpost. Dat wil zeggen: een golfplaten gebouw waar de overheid één healthmedewerker uit Kathmandu naartoe stuurde. Deze dame in kwestie - die overigens geweldig werk verricht en heel goed weet waar ze mee bezig is - heeft het echt veel te druk. Ze werkt zeven dagen per week en kampt ook nog met het verlies van haar man die tijdens de aardbevingen omkwam door lawines in de bergen. Ze heeft bovendien te weinig tijd om de Healthpost goed te organiseren; een groot deel van de medicijnen zit daarom in een doos waar af en toe in gegrabbeld wordt en het is onduidelijk welke medicatie er op voorraad zijn.

Tijd voor het geven van verdere voorlichting heeft ze überhaupt niet en ook op scholen wordt hier verder geen aandacht aan besteed. Dat terwijl ongelukken niet alleen in en om het huis gebeuren maar bijvoorbeeld ook op de akkers. De Healthpost is dan op uren loopafstand. Ook hevige sneeuwval maakt de Healthpost soms moeilijk of niet bereikbaar. Weten hoe je hevige bloedingen stopt of vermindert en hoe je de wond verzorgt (met beperkte middelen) is daarom essentiële informatie voor zowel kinderen als volwassenen en mogelijk levensreddend. Je begrijpt dat Micro-Care Nepal dan ook met open armen werden ontvangen om voorlichting te geven middels EHBO-lessen en om te helpen met wat hand- en spandiensten in en rondom de Healthpost. Daarnaast doneerden we EHBO-materiaal, zoals (druk)verbanden, pleisters, tape, antibioticakuren en betadine.

Seksuele voorlichting op je dertigste

Na een paar dagen lesgeven op de scholen was het tijd voor onze tweede missie, het voorlichten van vrouwen over typische vrouwenkwalen. Hoewel ik in mijn dagelijkse leven als gezondheidsredacteur nooit uitgepraat ben over zaken als vaginale klachten en vleesbomen, behoeft dit - voor de meeste mensen toch wat schaamtegevoelige onderwerp - een iets genuanceerdere introductie in het verlegen Nepal. Om te voorkomen dat we de vrouwen al op voorhand zouden afschrikken, hebben we deze vrouwenles achter de EHBO-les geplakt zonder dit vooraf te communiceren. Door de enkele aanwezige mannen de deur te wijzen na de uitleg over EHBO en vooral niet met de vrouwen mee te giechelen (alhoewel dit soms erg lastig was), lukte het mij en mijn collega Samjhana (de vriendin van oprichter van de stichting, Pim Horvers) om serieus met deze vrouwen in gesprek te gaan over onderwerpen, zoals menstruatie, zwangerschap, hevig bloedverlies, bekkenbodemverzakking en het vrouwenlichaam, met name de werking en functie van baarmoeder en eierstokken. Na onze eerste les werd hierover uiteraard flink geroddeld in het lagergelegen Laprak, maar dit weerhield een tweede groep vrouwen er niet van om de volgende dag in de vroege ochtend twee uur naar boven te wandelen om aanwezig te zijn bij een soortgelijke les.

‘Bad blood’

Op mijn vraag of de dames enig idee hadden waarom ze menstrueerden, kreeg ik een opmerkelijk antwoord: vrouwen menstrueren omdat ze slecht bloed ‘bad blood’ hebben. Ik vermoed dat deze gedachte ontstaan is door het afwijkende uiterlijk van menstruatiebloed in vergelijking met ‘normaal’ bloed. Voor de mannen onder ons: menstruatiebloed is donkerrood tot heel donkerbruin en soms klonterig. ’Bad blood’ is ook de reden dat veel Nepalese vrouwen tijdens hun menstruatie niet in bed of zelfs in het huis mogen slapen van hun man. Uiteraard was het onmogelijk om deze ‘volkswijsheid’ in een uurtje volledig de kop in te drukken. Toch lukte het door met plaatjes van de baarmoeder en eierstokken en uitleg over de menstruatiecyclus - dat het vrouwenlichaam zichzelf iedere maand klaarmaakt voor een zwangerschap bijvoorbeeld en zonder bevruchting dit weefsel ook weer afscheidt - wel om bij deze vrouwen meer bewondering en respect te creëren voor hun lichaam. 

* Voor het bijgebouw van de Healthpost na onze vrouwenles.

Even niet zwanger

Kennis over de menstruatiecyclus nodigt uiteraard ook uit om te praten over preventie. In Nederland zou ik overigens iedereen afraden om conform mijn uitleg een zwangerschap proberen te voorkomen, maar hier probeerde ik duidelijk te maken dat alleen seks hebben vlak na de menstruatie de kans op een zwangerschap echt een stuk verkleint. Onder luid gelach en een blik die mij duidelijk maakte dat ik iets heel raars gezegd had, verduidelijkte deze vrouwen mij dat hun man die zich soms dronken aan hen opdrong hier echt geen boodschap aan heeft. Aanvullend had ik dan ook graag een lezing gegeven over gelijke rechten voor mannen en vrouwen, baas in eigen buik en het goed gebruiken van lange nagels bij opdringerige kerels, maar deze preek gaf ik weinig kans van slagen dus liet ik hem maar achterwege.

Missie geslaagd

Uit de persoonlijke vragen achteraf, veelal over vervelende maar doorgaans relatief onschuldige kwalen, bleek dat het ons - ondanks mijn goedbedoelde maar niet succesvolle poging tot uitleg over preventie -  gelukt was om wel degelijk een gedeelte van de schaamte bij deze vrouwen weg te nemen. Bovendien konden we een flink aantal vrouwen die zich soms ernstig zorgen maakten over zaken als hevig bloedverlies en onprettige geurtjes met onze antwoorden geruststellen of adviseren stappen te ondernemen.

Na enige aanmoediging van onze kant om vooral met de buurvrouw, vriendinnen en dochters over deze onderwerpen te praten was er dan ook geen andere conclusie mogelijk…

Missie geslaagd!

NEPAL NA DE AARDBEVING | Presentatie, Expositie en Proeverij | 27 dec & 30 dec:

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Epicenter of Rashuwa district: visiting Gathlang and Tamang Heritage Trail.

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People of Gathlang with one poor toerist..

During the last part of my trip I went to Rashuwa district. I got company from Sanjana who in the past did some work for NGO's. In this area, thats also one of the epicenter of the earthquake, we also visited Gathlang village. Gathlang turned out to be also badly affected by the earthquake. We where told the Dalit where, also here, living separate from the other people of the village. Here we searched for the Dalit (low cast and poor people) people. We found them just before the village and where shocked by their housing conditions. Also their clothes were ripped so we were very happy to have brought some clothing with us. 

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Sanjana with the Dalit people of Gathlang. 

Below you can see the other images taken during the trip in Rashuwa district and at Tamang Heritage Trail. An amazing experience with finding again different parts in their culture like with for instance their beautiful traditional clothing. 

Back to Barpak, Epicenter in Monsoon.

Villager of Barpak walking around in the area where their village was and now is a warbled of ruins.

Mother who was pregnant during the eathquake who lost her 25 year old husband. Now she is left alone with her 3 months old boy..

One of the women present lost her husband in the earthquake. He was only 25 years old. She was pregnant at the time. Her husband had been working with 50 other people on the construction of a new house. Eight of them didn't survive. Now the baby is 3 months old. In Gurung culture it is not possible to remarry so she will be alone with her child for the rest of her life.

Traditional way of wavering that is still being used in all these villages to make blankets and clothing.

Below an interesting story by Shri Maya Gurung about how the village of Barpak was formed in Gorkha district.

Shri Maya Gurung who shared the story about Barpak.

One century ago there were only 2 people in Laprak, Pajlama Lama and Ckimpo Lama. Lama is a caste group within the Gurung people. The two Lamas decided to make an agreement after having had differences and fighting with each other. They wanted to have a judge so they invited King Ghale from Khorla to adjudicate. When the King arrived at the top of Barpak and saw the nice area was he decided to settle there. The King was followed by many people from Khorla. So that's why there are now two castes in Barpak: Gurung and Ghale. These two castes are still divided. "Gurung's" caste name is meaning "I am big" but the "Ghale" caste people are think they are even bigger and stronger people. 

Lady who lost her house and family looking over the valley thinking about past and future.

Bhakta Bahadur Gurung’s personal story:

about what happend to him and around him when the earthquake came in Barpak.

When the earthquake came he fell to the ground and was tossed about by the shaking. It looked like the trees were falling down over him. He was thinking only about his family and afterwards he went up to look for them. On the way he drank some water at the place some French people had been making a drinking water tap. He met 5 French people on his way up. At this time he felt like he wanted to cry. Together with the French people he ran. On his way he saw destroyed houses everywhere. Arriving in the village he heard crying.

Boy who just had a wash posing in evening light.

He saw people gathering in an open area of the village. Most were crying and screaming ‘where is my wife, husband or children?’ After 2 hours he found his family here. His house had been destroyed. He told his wife that they should go to where their house had stood but his wife told him she didn’t want to see the ruined house and was very afraid that more earthquakes would follow. 

At this time it started raining. Other people from Barpak provided people plastic to make a shelter. He didn't get any plastic but managed to build a shelter anyway. In evening all the people were very worried about finding food. Everything had been lost in their houses. He decided that they needed to have hot water but he didn't have a pot. Eventually he managed to find a pot and build a fire. They drank hot water but had nothing to eat. 

Traditional way of wavering that is still being used in all these villages to make blankets and clothing.

That night they shared a tent with people from 28 different houses. All night they were very afraid and didn’t sleep. In the morning they were all hungry and the children were crying because of their empty stomachs. The parents started searching for food in their destroyed houses. They found some rice and shared it as best they could. There was not enough for all but the children were most important to them. 

Girl having fun playing with the village water tap.

While searching in the destroyed buildings they found the bodies of 8 people who had been killed while working in a new house built from concrete. At that time there were about 100 people constructing houses. At first they didn’t know how many people had died in their houses. But when people didn't appear the survivors knew which people may have died. They tried to help rescue the people that were trapped under the stones. They searched and lifted stones away but often they didn't know exactly where to find the people. They found one boy under the stones. He was only 17 years old and only his head was visible between the stones. He was dead. The Indian Army arrived by helicopter to help to search for people. The local people joined the soldiers and became more encouraged to search for survivors. That day they searched for bodies and took out 8 dead bodies: 6 women and two little boys. 

Young girl washing her clothes at a local water tap. Girls are usually helping from very young age in all housekeeping, cleaning and cooking.

Little boy that couldn't open the door lock of their house. I was glad to help him out.

Little bit afraid but that dissapeared after helping him opening the door of their house.

Seventy five people died that day in the Gorkha district. The death toll eventually rose to around 90 people. (The final totals were much much larger)There were terrible injuries: amputated limbs and even decapitations. The Indian Army helicopter had brought medics to the village but they could only provide basic medical care. After one day the Nepalese Army and police came. Fifteen days later the Nepalese government provided food to the people and a further 15 days later trucks arrived with more food. Local government officials allocated and distributed the food. Food and shelter materials arrived from Pokhara, arranged by the Sathi Khola organization, an NGO. While waiting for help to arrive the villagers searched their old houses for food, cooked and shared it amongst themselves. There was not enough so most were hungry all the time. They cooked big pots together and ate together. At this time all people were given the same amount of food and there was no caste discrimination. 

Children in Barak going to their fields to harvest the corn.

During our talk we heard large cracks, like fireworks. I asked what the sounds were and was told that this was a big landslide.

There was no cultural or religious ceremony for the people who were killed. In one day they brought 30 people out from the collapsed houses. There was no time or energy for a proper ceremony. The dead were simply buried. In this area people are normally buried and not cremated. Some animals died under the stones and are still there creating a terrible smell in the ruins
After 19 days there was another strong earthquake. People were more aware this time. Their village was already destroyed but they realized they should take care of each other. And after the second earthquake aid organizations were already there so they received more support. That waited long time for food. They didn't have the energy to take care of their cattle which were walking around freely and eating the crops in the fields. After a few weeks they started searching for the cattle and collecting them. 

Girl entering the village Barpak.

As for the future… Everyone people is thinking about building new homes. Some rich people are buying land now and beginning to construct new houses. But poor people don't have these possibilities.  Bhakta Bahadur Gurung says that if the government provides support the people can build solid, earthquake resistant houses. Until now however, they haven’t received any information from the government. They feel that they should still have faith in the Nepali government. They are all still waiting for their government to support them. 

I would like to thank Bhakta Bahadur Gurung for the interview.

Grandmother with her grandson walking on their way to the ruins of old Barpak.

Publication in Magazine 'Hoogtelijn' from the Dutch Mountaineering Association (NKBV)

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If you want to read it please click here and go to page 48 till 52.

Publication with credits to Micro-Care Nepal in the Magazine 'Hoogtelijn' from the Dutch Mountaineering Association (NKBV). About initiatives for support in Nepal. 

My initial writing for the publication was to my opinion more interesting:
In Kathmandu, the UNESCO World Heritage site of 'Durbar Square' in the centre of the city. The work has started to clean up the chaotic mess that the earthquakes left. As shown in the image, Nepal isn't ready for the real rebuilding.

Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal after the earthquake.

Everywhere in and around the city are many tent camps sheltering people who lost their homes or are too afraid of new earthquakes. Remember that there are still strong aftershocks every week. Luckily there is enough water and food now. 

People in shelter camps at Tara Goan Park, Kathmandu.

Blocked door in Durbar Square, Kathmandu.

This photo shows the enormous damage. The two workers underneath the half collapsed building don't know where to start cleaning up this mess. Most have collapsed but some parts of these beautiful and traditional buildings are still there. They are trying to stabilize the ruins while waiting until the end of the heavy rain season. The heavy rain and weekly aftershocks of 4 and above create a big risk that parts still standing will collapse. 

People in shelter camps at Tara Goan Park, Kathmandu.

Restoration on walls.

In some places of the city walls are being rebuilt and if possible parts are being repaired. At the ticket counter of the popular tourist area 'Durbar Square' where it's usually crowded with tourists now you can hardly find any visitors. Stones that are collected from the ruins are piled up to be reused later in the rebuilding. Wooden parts with engravings have to be recovered and will be used piece by piece for the restorations. The actual rebuilding will take years....

Demolishing concrete floors by hand that had collapsed during the earthquakes.

Special thanks go out to Peter Daalder from the NKBV for creating awareness of the problems and the support that is still needed in Nepal.

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Nederlandse vertaling:

Publicatie met vermelding naar Micro-Care Nepal in het blad 'Hoogtelijn' van de Nederlandse Klim en Bergsport Vereniging (NKBV). Over hulp initiatieven in Nepal.

Dank aan Peter Daalder van de NKBV voor de goede initiatieven voor hulp aan Nepal!

De inzending voor de publicatie was naar mijn mening een interessante aanvulling op de plaatsing:

"In Kathmandu het culturele UNESCO Wereld erfgoed Durbar Square in het centrum van de stad, wordt inmiddels gewerkt aan het opruimen van de chaos. Helaas in Nepal nog niet klaar voor daadwerkelijke wederopbouw. Overal in de stad zijn nog tentenkampen te vinden waar mensen die hun huis verloren zijn, hun huis op instorten staat of simpelweg uit angst voor nieuwe aardbevingen niet terug durven naar hun huizen. Water en voeding is er gelukkig voldoende in de stad. 

Bijgevoegde foto laten zien dat de schade groot is en specifiek laat de foto waar de twee werkers onderaan een half ingestort gebouw naar mijn mening goed zien dat men soms niet weet waar te beginnen. Delen van deze prachtige bouwwerken zijn ingestort en andere delen staan nog overeind. Door middel van het stutten van de gebouwen wordt het grootste deel van de herstelwerkzaamheden uitgesteld tot na het regenseizoen. De grote hoeveelheden regen in samenspel met de wekelijkse naschokken van 4 op de schaal van richter en hoger zorgen voor een groot gevaar dat veel gebouwen nog verder instorten. 
Op sommige plaatsen in de stad worden muren opnieuw opgebouwd en worden voegen hersteld. 
Aan de ticket counter bij het normaal zo toeristische Durbar Square is het nu maar zelden een toerist te zien. Stenen welke verzameld zijn uit de puinhoop liggen opgestapeld klaar om later opnieuw gebruikt ta gaan worden. De nog bruikbare delen zullen stuk voor stuk gebruikt worden voor de restauratie. Het herstel zal dus nog jaren gaan duren. "

In Laprak, at the epicenter of the Earthquake

Arriving in Laprak it was sad to see the people living in plastic shelters, far from their old houses down in the valley.

Arriving in Laprak I met a government health worker. He took me to a family house where I could stay and eat. Before the earthquake this family had a hotel in the original Laprak village further down the valley.

Gurung lady smoking a cigarette.

I joined the health worker to visit one of the local people who needed his help. A man had been hit on the head by a stone the day before. No one was sure if the stone was rolling down from the mountain or if it was thrown by some local boys. Sometimes local boys spend their days drinking raksi (a spirit made from rice). They can get very aggressive and violent at times. This is also one reason that people warned me about traveling on my own especially because I am not Nepali. In the past tourists have been attacked and robbed or even killed while trekking alone in remote areas.

My friend and health post worker guided me around in 'new' Laprak.

Setious head wound treated by the healthpost worker.

Replacing the bandage after cleaning the wounds.

The man had a wound on his head and behind his ear. The healthcare worker slowly started to remove the bandage. He used sterile saline to try to make it easier to remove the bandage without damaging the wound. After the bandage was removed the health worker cleaned the wounds. The man’s family was sitting with him and helping to keep his eyes clear of the saline, betadine and blood that were dripping down his face. There were a lot of stitches, especially behind his ear. The man’s ear had been almost completely severed by the falling stone. The healthcare worker said that both wounds were so deep he could see the bone. Because of the severity of his injuries the man was going to Kathmandu the following day to have a CT scan to make check for further injuries. 

Building his new house in the same way as before not realizing that a new earthquake will destroy it again.

 In the monsoon Laprak is almost always covered in clouds. Some rain is falling most of the time so people going to their fields or carrying goods up cover themselves in plastic. Most of the people now live up on the mountain where it is not so steep and there is less risk with possible future earthquakes and landslides. Their original village is one hour walking down the valley. Here they had their traditional stone houses and the fields that fed them. The Nepali Government has announced that all people living the more dangerous lower areas will not receive any support if something happens in the future. But many people are still living down below in the valley. Most of the older people don't want to leave their houses to go to a place where they have nothing and some are too old to make the two hour walk up. 

The old entrance gate to the village of Laprak.

After taking care of the patient we walked down to the original village of Laprak. It is a steep walk sometimes crossing the road which had now been destroyed by the monsoon rain. It was a sad sight arriving at the half destroyed entrance gate of Laprak with the ruins of houses and a big school visible in the background.

Children playing in 'old' Laprak down in the valley.

A few houses were still standing but taking closer look I could see that all were cracked or partly destroyed and unsafe to live in.

While walking through the ruins I found lots of personal possessions such as pots, pans, stools, tables, and furniture and school books. 

Lady at the ruins of her house in 'old' Laprak.

Children on their way to school.

We could see smoke coming from a house and decided to take a look. Inside there was a very old lady. She was milling her corn using a traditional grinder consisting of two circular flat stones lying one on top of the other. The corn is placed between the stones and ground by rotating the stones against each other using a wooden handle attached to the upper stone. Behind her, in the corner of the kitchen, a fire was burning to keep her warm and to use later for preparing a meal from the crushed corn.

Proving that working together is necessary to achieve your goals.

Proof that non cooperation will end in failure: the book fell down.

We could see smoke coming from a house and decided to take a look. Inside there was a very old lady. She was milling her corn using a traditional grinder consisting of two circular flat stones lying one on top of the other. The corn is placed between the stones and ground by rotating the stones against each other using a wooden handle attached to the upper stone. Behind her, in the corner of the kitchen, a fire was burning to keep her warm and to use later for preparing a meal from the crushed corn.

Students explaining the importance of hygiene.

The walk up took two hours and was long and steep. On the way we met lots of villagers carrying goods up that they had collected from their destroyed houses and food that they had harvested from their fields below. It was good to see that even with the extra effort required most of the people had decided to live at the safer places higher up the mountain. 

Student of 11th class.

Student of 11th class.

Students of 11th class.

Student of 11th class.

It was dark when we arrived back in the higher village. During the evening the temperature dropped to under 10 degrees. Because this was the warm season I hadn’t brought any warm clothes with me from Kathmandu. I was happy to join my friend in a glass of raksi accompanied by the traditional snack of fried buffalo meat (which is made by frying strips of cured meat). I was even happier to sit close to the fire where food was being prepared. 

While sitting here I met two workers from Oxfam. They had just finished building 52 toilets in the Laprak area. They were also providing hygiene education at the local school. We agreed that it is very hard to change the behaviours of the older generation and it is better to focus on educating the younger generations by teaching at schools. The practical results of their classes were unfortunately  very hard to see! More time is needed before bathing and washing hands before eating becomes a habit. Now there is a health post in Laprak but before they had to travel one hard long day to Gorkha for medical support.

Because Laprak is at 2300 meter about sea level it can get cold in evening. They warm themselves at their fires.

Mother with her daughter looking over the valley.

There was also a woman providing maternal and child health care. She explained that until now the pregnant women had delivered their babies in their own homes and not at the health post where they could be cared for in a hygienic and comfortable environment. This because of the strong traditions within their culture. She was glad pregnant women were coming for antenatal care to check the health of both the mother and the baby. While sitting in the tent I listened to the sound of people playing their traditional flutes. They start playing early in the morning and keep going until late in the evening.

I decided to stay at least one more day in Laprak and search for a local who could take me over the mountains to Machhakhola from where I hoped to walk on further to Aarughat by myself. If this wouldn't be possible because of danger of landslides and aggressive local people then I would return the same way back through Barpak and Baluwa and finally to Gorkha. My interest to see more of the smaller remote villages and their situations after the earthquake kept me motivated to go there. I had seen Machhakhola, Lapubesi, Soti Khola and Arughat before the earthquake and wanted to see what had happened in these villages. 

Child close to her plastic house on the top of the hill where ''new' Laprak is situated.

Girl reading her schoolwork as part of the morning assembly to the other 200 students.

The next morning I joined the two social workers from Oxfam and went to the biggest local school. Here they would give hygiene education and I would join them to photograph the lesson. The Nepali school day always begins with a Assembly. All the children line up by class. At the left is First Class with the very little children from 3 and 4 years old and so it goes all the way to the oldest pupils in Class 10. First the teachers addressed the children and outlined the school day before introducing the two social workers from Oxfam. Then the morning exercise drill began. The teacher loudly instructed the pupils to put their hands in the air and the children responded. Then the teacher shouted that they had to stretch their arms straight out in front of them. Another teacher beating a drum set the pace. It was good to see that also after the earthquakes they continued these policies, set by the Ministry of Education in Kathmandu and is followed all over Nepal (and India too). It’s a very old fashioned thing from Britain. However it is good for the kids that they are back in their usual routine.

Morning assembly at the school ground.

In line for the morning assembly.

While at the school I realized how very different these children’s faces were compared with those I had saw in Solukhumbu a few weeks ago. In Solukhumbu the people were characterised by rounder faces while here in the Gorkha region people looked more Tibetan in appearance. The people in Gorkha are Gurungs and have their own language which is closer to Tibetan than to Nepali. But most of the people understand and speak some Nepali. You could see some were poor and had ripped clothing. Others had dirty faces, something that you see often in these high remote villages. While taking portraits some of the children realized this and started cleaning their faces which were half covered in snot. 

After the morning assembly all classes would leave separately to their classrooms.

3rd class.

The hygiene class started by explaining that cooperation is necessary to make any programme successful. Six pupils were selected to come forward and introduce themselves. After the first pupil had introduced herself she was given a rope. As the other 5 pupils introduced themselves they were connected to this rope until it resembled a spider’s web. On to this web the healthcare worker placed a book and then asked one of the pupils to let go of the rope and stop cooperating with the rest. The book then fell down demonstrating that without cooperation it was impossible to complete their task.

Boy writing his schoolwork.

I was starting to realize that this temporary tin building was far from ideal. If children in the next classroom started talking it became difficult to understand the teacher in their own classroom anymore. There was none of the proper sound proofing of their past stone buildings. After a while it started raining and I realized another the problem with this building. The sound of the rain falling on the rooftop was so loud that it was impossible to hear the teacher’s voice. While it was raining all the classes stopped. Luckily this time it only took about ten minutes before the rain stopped but in this season it could sometimes rain all day. If this happened the children would be sent home and there would be no more schooling for them that day.

Girl from 3rd class.

After two hygiene classes I interviewed one of the English teachers. He told me that 16 years ago Laprak had been destroyed by a major landslide. The people were given the choice then to move their village to a higher, safer area but they had all decided to rebuild the village on the original site. Most of the people I spoke to are not sure where they want rebuild their homes in the future. Their land is further down but higher on the mountain there is free land available. After the earthquake they created a committee divide and allocate this free land on a temporary basis. Perhaps they will use this as a starting point to divide the land for constructing new houses. Some people are now already rebuilding down in the village. I was told that they will use these buildings to store food harvested from the land situated in the ruins of the old village. 

Boy playing his traditional Gurung flute just before sunrise.

At sunset I walked around Laprak and searched for the flute playing boys. They would stand on little viewpoints so the sound would spread out over the houses below.

Girl from 2nd class: a little bit shy.

At sunset I sat down in a family and drank some raksi with the government health post worker and the two workers from Oxfam. The wife was preparing dal bhat on the fire. She talked with my friends about the smoke from the fire and how much of a problem it is for her breathing. Even after the cooking was finished the smoke stayed in the little tent, including in the inner sleeping area, for a long time. Strangely there was a chimney but it didn't function well. The smoke escaped around the sides of the cooking pot while the chimney was connected to the rear of the fireplace, too far back to draw the smoke into it. In most of the Nepali houses in the mountains the cooking is done on an open fire without a chimney. Only in places with road connections is it possible to buy bottled CNG to use with a gas stove. Even if they have gas stoves, higher in the mountains people will continue to use open fires because they keep them warm in the cold mornings and evenings. Nepali women have very high rates of respiratory disease and lung cancer despite most not smoking.

Just before sunset this lady came back from the forest to light her fire for cooking and warmth during the evening.

One of the women present lost her husband in the earthquake. He was only 25 years old. She was pregnant at the time. Her husband had been working with 50 other people on the construction of a new house. Eight of them didn't survive. Now the baby is 3 months old. In Gurung culture it is not possible to remarry so she will be alone with her child for the rest of her life.

Baby standing in her basket starting to cry after seeing a strange white face.

FROM BALUWA TO THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTRE IN BARPAK

This lady had fallen over and injured her face just a few days earlier. As there is no proper healthcare her injuries are not recovering well.

Lady who showed me the way from Baluwa to Barpak.

Waterfall on the way.

On my way to Barpak I stopped in Mandre (close to Tilidana and Tunsighang). Here every house had been destroyed. While having tea there a man from the village described to me what happened when the earthquake struck. They were close to the house when the ground started shaking. Fortunately most of the people were not inside. The stone walls of their houses starting to dance when the earthquake started. After some time all the walls and then the roofs collapsed. All the houses were destroyed.

The village of Mandre has been completely destroyed.

Earthquake proof temporary shelters in Mandre.

He explained that he found some people completely buried under piles of stone. Others were screaming because they had been injured by falling stones and wood. There is no hospital or medical support in these villages. People died during the following days as result of their untreated crush injuries. Most of the roads and the trails were destroyed so it was very dangerous to try and go to other villages in search of support. The lost not only their houses but also their food stores and in many cases their water supplies too.

Group of porters carrying cement up to slowly start reconstructing their houses.

Lady taking corn leaves from the field to feed their cattle.

This porter was my companion on the way up to Barpak.

 In the days following the earthquake the villagers shared food, water and shelter amongst themselves. After a few days they went down to other villages to find food and materials to create safer shelters to protect themselves from the strong sun and heavy monsoon rains. They carried materials up by hand. Still no support had come from outside.

Handing over clothing to a surprised group of Dalit (Untouchable) people in Barpak.

Together with the Dalit (Untouchable) and low caste people of Barpak. They have to live separately from the rest of the village and high caste people should not touch them or come close to them..

Dalit lady.

One week after the earthquake NGO's began arriving to bring food, help with water supplies and wood and iron sheeting to make stronger, safer shelters. The man said that all this time there was no sign of the Nepali government. Nepalis in the past have never had much trust in the government but now in the aftermath of the earthquake they trust it even less. Most of the people I spoke to think that they will get no government support in the future and hope that NGOs will help them to rebuild their houses.

Remains of Barpak.

The gate is the only part left of this house.

Most people in this area now realize that stone buildings with stone roofs in not the safest building style for the future. Unfortunately this means that their beautiful traditional houses will be hard to find in this area, changing the scenery forever. In the past there was a lot of tourism in this area because of the strong cultural traditions and the picturesque stone houses high up in the mountains. Tourists may not be so eager to trek through this harsh and unforgiving environment if they are to be greeted with stronger and safer yet less aesthetically pleasing modern buildings. It will be a sad thing if the tourism does not recover: bringing these people doubly bad luck.

Barpak and all the plastic shelters.

EXPERIENCING a Earthquake in Gorkha

AUGUST 10, 2015

During the night I was woken by my bed moving. I was still sleepy and wasn't sure what was happening. The shaking movement was followed by a lot of screaming and crying. It took me a few minutes to realize what was happening. An earthquake was striking and it was a strong one because when I tried to out of bed I had difficulty getting up. The room was dark, very dark and I couldn't find my light or telephone. I had forgotten forgot where I put them before I went to bed not thinking that in Nepal these earthquakes can happen suddenly, including at night. I was in a strange hotel room. Where was the light switch? I searched in the dark while the movements continued with people screaming and crying louder and louder. I heard some people screaming to me: " go outside, this is earthquake, please go fast ".

I thought about the situation. I was in a concrete building with multiple floors. Would this be strong enough...or perhaps not. I had seen lots of these concrete buildings destroyed by the earlier 6.7 and 6.4 earthquake. Would this one be so strong that the building could collapse? I went to the doorway and wanted to run out but the door was locked from inside. Damn where was this lock,in the top or bottom? I found it and wanted to run outside but I realized something was missing from my feet and grabbed my flip flops. Then I decided quickly to grab my computer, telephone and wallet. I walked to the stairs and went down. I realized that the shaking had stopped. Would it be over now? Or would it return again and perhaps even stronger? Should I quickly take more of my positions like my camera, which I call "my baby" to many people? But what if I went back and the earthquake came back even stronger. I had again a long way to go to get outside of this building. I decided to keep moving to the outside of the building. On my way there were more people moving out. From some faces you could read that they were terrified, especially the women. Most of the men were asking me if I realized that this was an earthquake, making jokes to me and laughing. Probably they were as afraid as the women and children but they were too macho to show this to others.

When I got outside there were about 200 people who had come out all of all the houses and little apartments. Most of them were talking about what happened. Most wanted to go back to sleep but others said that it was not safe to return to the building. After 30 minutes the situation calmed down and people started going back inside. They told me to go sleep again but my mind was quite confused and I could still feel a lot of adrenaline in my body. Lying back in bed I was thinking that if there was a next time I should find a safe place more quickly. Still there was a lot of sound around me in the building and the street. I rehearsed what to do if they earthquake came back. Slowly the sound faded and this also calmed me down and I fell asleep again, luckily not to wake up from another earthquake.

Visiting the Shree Himal Higher Secondary School in Simjung.

All the students amongst the ruins of their school.

Climb from Baluwa to Simjung

I had met Pranjali Gurung the previous day and she introduced me to her brother who was the Village Secretary of Baluwa and had been hired as a social worker by Oxfam. Hewas going up to Simjung the next morning to handover some health promotion posters. I decided to join him because I wanted to see for myself the damage caused by the earthquake and how the people were coping with the aftermath.

Students in their temporary tent classrooms donated by the Indian Army.

Social worker for Oxam who wanted to guide me to Simjung.

I was told most NGOs hadn’t visited Simjung as they all were going to the bigger and more easily accessible village of Barpak. 

The day before I had met a few teachers from the Shree Himalaya Higher Secondary School in Simjung. They told me that they only had temporary school buildings and that there was no funding available to pay permanent buildings for school. I was invited to visit their school and hear their story.

Girl on her way to school, cooling herself with her scarf. She was the daughter of the family with whom I stayed in Baluwa.

Teacher leading the morning school Assembly.

It was a long and extremely hot 600 metre climb up to the village of Simjung. I wasn't thinking about myself but these children that were joining us in the walk up. They had to walk one and a half hours up to school and later one hour all the way back down to their homes, six days a week. As schools in Nepal start at ten o'clock, they had to start walking at half past eight. Sunrise at this time of the year is around five o'clock and by nine o’clock the temperature has already reached thirty five degrees. All the children were using umbrellas to try to shield themselves from the burning sun. We stopped 3 time in the shade to recover. They had were laughing and giggling but unfortunately it was hard for me to understand.

Children exercising at their morning assembly.

Arriving at school in the morning I observed their morning assembly. The English teacher explained what was happening and after the assembly guided me around the ruins of the old school.  

Lined up from youngest to oldest. The school day begins like this every morning, in every school across Nepal.

The principal of the Shree Himalaya Higher Secondary School standing amongst all that remains of their once beautiful school building.

INTERVIEW AT THE HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL IN SIMJUNG. 

Students showing me the remains of their school benches. They are hoping for funding so they can buy material to repair them.

All the school’s buildings were destroyed. In total 19 classrooms were lost. The Nepali government has given 3 lakh (300 000) rupees (about € 2750).This money was only enough to build 10 temporary classrooms out of tin. The rest of the classes are still given in 10 tents donated by the Indian Army. A German man named Gunther gave school teaching materials including whiteboards, a globe and pencils.

Photo taken from the outside of the school window of the 8th class. School windows in Nepal are always covered by bars.

The tin buildings get extremely hot in the strong summer sun. Temperatures rise to above 35 degrees in the classrooms and there is no ventilation besides a few windows. The English teacher explained to me that after a few months the cold winter season will start. Temperatures here in this mountain area will drop to between 5 and 10 degrees. The thin buildings will not give sufficient shelter against the strong cold winds. Because of this the teacher asked for support for the village school. The Nepali government will not provide more help at this time and it is very uncertain whether it will provide any further help in the future.

Third class with their teacher.

Extra lessons given to three 11th Class students.

The babies of the school - 2nd Class.

I was told the villagers were lucky because the earthquake came on Saturday which is a holiday.  All the teachers lost their homes and some had family members injured. After the earthquake their first priorities had been to take care of their families, find and arrange food and build temporary shelters.

Boys from 6th class.

Namaste: The traditional gesture of greeting with hands held together and raised in respect.

Girls reading from their books.

Three days after the earthquake all teachers gathered together and went to see what the earthquake had done to their school. They found a disaster. The buildings had collapsed. Gone were the desks, chairs, computers, whiteboards, books, and posters. The solar panels which provided enough power for small lights in classrooms had been smashed.

Seventh class.

Secondary level English teacher with the girls from his class. Boys and girls are taught separately in all governmentschools.

Teaching 5th Class in one of the tents donated by the Indian Army.

The remains of the school’s computers. Now they have to try and teach without them.

In the staff tent the teachers were eating biscuits that were provided by the wfp.org NGO.

The teachers wrote a letter for me to ask for help. I will try to publish it in the Netherlands. It became clear to me that Simjing has missed out on assistance with most of the aid going to Barpak and Laprak because they are accessible by road.

Principal, teacher and his class in their tent donated by the Indian Army.

During lunch break I asked the students to gather on the ruins of their old school building for a group photo. The first photo is just two classes together in their old classrooms. Following to this all 400 students gathered at the remains of their school (see first photo of this post).

Children from three classes in the ruins of their classrooms.

Children in the remains of their classrooms.

Girl standing in front of her temporary tin classroom.

Girl posing in front of her classroom. The school benches in the background, twisted by the destructive force of the earthquake, are in need of some maintenance.

Most of the children at the school are and happy that they can go to school again as their education was interrupted for two months after the earthquake.

All that remains of the school’s precious stock of text books

After visiting the school with them we walked further through the village of Simjung. Buddhist prayer flags were flapping in the breeze. But where before a little Buddhist temple stood there was now only a pile of stones and the broken top of the temple. I looked around the place and found many ruined textbooks and student’s exercise books.

Students arriving home in their village.

Child passing all that remains of her house every morning going to school and every afternoon returning home. The look on her face shows her feelings…

To Gorkha and a visit to Baluwa, close to the epicentre of the earthquake

The road from Gorkha to Baluwa was in a terrible condition because of the strong monsoonal rain.

Kathmandu to Gorkha

I left Kathmandu for Gorkha in the morning. I had been told the bus would go straight to Gorkha but as is often the case in Nepal, the information was incorrect and I had to change buses in a little town to get to Gorkha. It only took me 5 minutes to find my next bus so there was no time to see what town I was in. The bus was jam packed – it would have been physically impossible to squeeze another passenger in. The ticket seller quickly offered me a seat as he saw I was about to change my mind and take another bus. I did have a seat but not much space! Two people were leaning on me and I had two pigeons in a homemade cage on my lap. Later a lady with a baby got on the bus and was standing very close to me. When the baby saw me it started crying loudly. This often happens when a baby sees a strange looking white face. 

The idea of moving these big boulders by hand soon faded after we took a closer look. We had to wait for an excavator.

Posing on the landslide that blocked the road.

From Gorkha to Baluwa

Unfortunately my day started with a bit of bad luck. I had been told that the bus would leave at 7:00 but arriving at the station I found the bus had left 20 minutes earlier so I took the next one at 9:30. Traveling in Nepal requires a lot of patience and flexibility because there are no real timetables and things can change suddenly, with little warning. In the afternoon, just after a tea stop, the bus came to a halt. Looking through the front window I immediately saw why…

We could not continue because there was a big landslide in front of us. I took my camera and got out to take a closer look. There were huge boulders, some measuring 2 square metre covering the road and part of the road was missing - one third of it had broken off and slid all the way down the hillside into the river. That’s why the word ‘landslide’ is so apt:  A part of the hillside just breaks away and slides down taking everything in its path with it. During the monsoon landslides happen all the time. The dirt roads and walking trails are very unpredictable at this time of the year. The earthquakes in April damaged many of the hillsides so this year the situation is doubly dangerous.  It can take up to 20 men to remove the debris after a landslide and rebuild the road or walking trails.

Boys exploring the landslide while other passengers get off the bus. They were realizing that they would have to walk all the way to Baluwa - 3 hours away by foot!

It was heartbreaking to see the remains of the old traditional houses when I arrived in Baluwa. The temporary dwellings built of shining tin and orange and blue plastic sheeting made an ugly sight…But what else could they do? These materials are easy to transport into the mountains by bus and tractor. 

After walking for two hours in 30 degree heat the bus found its way accross the landslide.

When I arrived in Baluwa I searched for a place to sleep amongst all these tin and plastic shelters. It wasn’t easy. I asked around but either I got starred at or the people told me a long story in Nepali which I couldn't understand. I have learned to speak the most common words and understand the most commonly asked questions but this was not enough to communicate with these people, who spoke with a different dialect. Eventually I found some girls who were dressed less traditionally and was lucky that one of them spoke a few words of English. She took me to a house where I could stay. Enjoying a delicious milk tea I started writing this story.

Only the wooden frame of this house is left. This explains why most people now are trying to construct temporary houses made from wood.

As I was staying in the main street I could watch the children returning home after school. They were all dressed nicely in uniforms, some looking away shyly and others looking at me and finally giving a big smile.

Abandoned ruins on the way to Baluwa.

Baluwa

Father trying to repair the small bicycle that obviously wasn't strong enough to handle the rough, stony roads.

While exploring the village I found the UNICEF Health Post. An English speaking woman explained the UNICEF and Oxfam programmes to me. UNICEF has been helping in general with medical support while Oxfam has provided food, water supplies and the material to build temporary shelters. She offered me to show me around the village.

Old bazaar (market) in Baluwa. Before the earthquake this was the heart of the village, full of market stalls and shops.

The wooden ladder is the only thing left of this side of the house.

We walked through the old bazaar. Here no house had been spared and all of them had been left uninhabitable. Some houses had just a few walls, a doorway or a stairway left. 

Child taking water from a tap in what was the main street of the village.

She guided me further and showed me where her family’s house had stood. Nothing was left apart from 3 steps at the front of the house. Amongst the rubble I could see the remains of their furniture and possessions.

She explained when the earthquake struck there was no time to take anything from the house. They had escaped as the walls were moving and starting to fall. Afterwards they realized that they had not only lost their homes but also all their belongings and more importantly their food, which had been stored inside. 

Pranjali Gurung in front of the steps to her family’s house. Now weeds have started to grow amongst the ruins.

Posing in front of the ruins of her family’s house.

Gas cooking stove destroyed by the earthquake. Now they are back to cooking on their unhealthy smoky fires.

Above the sound of stones and wood collapsing they heard the sound of people crying. Sadly 4 people in Baluwa were killed in the earthquake.

We climbed up the 3 remaining steps and looked around. Carrying her two year old daughter on her hip she looked out sadly over the devastation that covered the village she had called her home.

Ladies searching for any remaining possessions and getting water from the destroyed bazaar (market) in Baluwa.

Water tap in the destroyed bazaar (market).

Oxfam provided support to earthquake victims from this tent. When I visited there was no staff anymore but the post remains in case of future earthquakes.

Last clothing to families in Necha

Two families: Micro-Care Nepal was able to give clothing to almost all these children.

2015/08/16 
The first thing I did was to go with Rohit’s uncle to give the last of the clothing to some disadvantaged families living further downhill. You could see these families were really poor. Their reaction to receiving the clothes was really nice to see. Unfortunately there were more boys than girls in these 3 families so we couldn't provide all the children with new clothes. I should be satisfied and I was for the most part but wished I could have given something to every child. After breakfast I collected my things, packed my bag and went up to the market. I visited the butchers’ quarters and they were pleased to have their photos taken. 

Two little sisters.

Happy with her Jip and Janneke t-shirt.

Mother and her daughter with a new shirt.

At the market there was a display from a big foundation from the United States. They had posters about hygiene, family planning, contraception and nutrition. There was also a speaker who explained the programme and encouraged people to come, see and listen. I talked to one of the people from the foundation who was managing the event. He told me that this programme was being run in 41 of Nepal’s 75 districts. I was enthusiastic about their project but could see that a lot of people were just passing by without taking much notice.
There was no interaction with the people other than presenting the information and hoping that they would adopt and apply it. I realized that Micro-Care Nepal Foundation should create an active and interactive way of raising these issues. 

Father showing his son’s damaged clothing. I think these families are the really worthy recipients of Micro-Care Nepal’s clothing.

Mother and her 4 year old child who has just received a new t-shirt.

These 3 children all received new clothes from Micro-Care Nepal.

Handing over bandages, syringes and needles given by Dutch donors to the Necha Community Hospital.

After visiting the market the walk started from Necha to Okhaldunga.

Village blacksmith.

Family going to shop for fruit and vegetables.

Girl selling onions, ginger and tobacco leaves.

Butchers proud to pose with their meat.

This husband and wife work every Thursday, butchering animals that are sold in the market.

Weighing meat for a customer.

Researching further steps to take and exploring collaborations

Rohit planting rice in his uncle's fields.

Baby rice plants ready to be transplanted into the rice fields.

Walking through a small creek used during the monsoon to irrigate the rice fields.

2015/08/13
We visited the new Necha Community Hospital building and met with Nilam Bastola, chairman of the Asian Heritage Foundation Nepal. He is managing the building of the new in hospital in Necha which has been supported with funding from a number of foundations. The building work had been slowed because of all the people in Necha were busy planting rice in their fields. 

We talked to Nilam about working together with the hospital doctor to teach first aid to school teachers from the 16 schools in Necha. We had already discussed this with Rohit’s uncle who is the headmaster of one of the schools in Necha and influential in Necha’s education community. We decided to meet with the doctor and develop an education programme based on the most common first aid presentations in Necha.

Collecting grass for the goats.

Together with Nilam we walked to a few remote houses and poor families living on the eastern hills surrounding Necha. Here the people were living in temporary shelters provided by the government or other aid organizations. 

Discussing social topics with Vishnu from Asian Heritage Foundation Nepal.

Many people are living in temporary shelters following the earthquake.

Getting organized and discussing our first-aid project

Girl, early morning, on her way to work in the fields.

2015/08/12
After meeting with the school teachers late into the night we decided to stay at our friend’s house to avoid a half hour walk in the dark. In the morning I woke up with a terrible pain in my back and could hardly walk. I thought it would go away after moving around but unfortunately it stayed for another 3 days.  

Collecting her baskets after a day’s work in the fields.

After a big plate of dal bhat we went to Rohit’s uncle’s house to prepare the second computer to donate to another school. I added the educational videos that I had collected in the Netherlands and a few natural history documentaries. Because there is no proper internet in this village and only an intermittent telephone signal it was hard to install everything needed. 

Children are excused from school to help their parents in this busy rice planting season.

During the day we helped to harvest corn. In the evening we met with Vishnu who works for The Asian Heritage Foundation Nepal (AHFN). We discussed the health projects we would like to collaborate on with Necha Community Hospital (which is supported by AHFN). He was very positive about our first aid project and we agreed that we would discuss the proposed joint project further with AHFN chairman Nilam Bastola the next day. 

PRESENTING A LAPTOP TO A SCHOOL IN NECHA.

2015/08/11
After breakfast we left Rohit’s wife’s family house. At 7 we were expected to meet at a nearby school which has pupils from the poorest families in Necha. I made a donation to this school when I visited in 2014 and now I was returning to handover a 17 inch laptop that was donated by the family of a good friend in the Netherlands. We downloaded educational videos about nutrition, first aid, hygiene and natural history and the environment on the laptop. We also added an English to Nepali and Nepali to English dictionary. 

The school committee and staff organised a ceremony to explain the laptop and demonstrate its use to the community. Rohit and I were given many red tika (red paint marks) on our foreheads and faces and white and yellow scarves, the traditional Nepali way to say thank you. Rohit’s help has been invaluable and without his imagination, enthusiasm and hard work Micro-Care Nepal Foundation would not have been able to achieve all it has.

We got a official letter to say thanks for our support.

After the ceremony our faces were completely covered with red powder; a symbol of gratitude in Nepali culture.

After the ceremony we gave out clothing to those who needed it and took photos of them and group photos with all teachers. We then looked at the old school building which was completely destroyed by the earthquake. It was a sad thing to see but luckily the Himalayan Foundation of Sir Edmund Hillary (who with Tensing Norgay first climbed Mount Everest) had provided two new temporary wooden buildings. 

For almost all we had some clothing.

And they all liked it.

What will the future hold for these poor boys? I was glad to help but more needs to be done for them.

Finally we discussed supporting the school by donating rubbish bins and teaching the children not to litter their environment. We made an agreement that the school would buy wooden rubbish containers and that Micro-Care Nepal Foundation would refund the costs after the next field trip, when there is evidence that they are being used.

You can from their expressions how surprised they are.

Rohit after the school ceremony with a child to whom we gave a nice jacket.

Delighted with his new red t-shirt.

Recipients of new clothing. Sadly we didn’t have any clothes to fit the poor boy standing in the middle but we were pleased about the helping the rest of them. More can be done later.

Posing together in front of the old school building. Only the facade is still standing. The next picture shows the view from the other side. Rohit and I are standing in the middle of the back row.

Seeing the collapsed school made me sad. Later the Government of Nepal will provide funding to rebuild this school…At least that's what the community has applied and is hoping for. In the meantime the "Helping Hand Foundation" has built 2 temporary cottages for teaching and one solid building for the school so for the time being the children can continue to receive an education. Micro-Care Nepal Foundation will support the 16 schools in Necha with educational materials and assistance to expand the curriculum to include programmes covering nutrition, hygiene and first-aid. 

This is what their school looks like from above after the earthquakes...

Same lady and towel as in the previous photo but both a year older.

Before she posed with her sister.

Rohit handing over a telephone to local man who couldn't afford to buy one. Now he can keep contact with his family and friends in the city or in other remote parts of Nepal.

We gave another phone to an old lady in the same area of Necha.

In the evening we gathered with a few teachers and locals and talked about education and the challenges schools are facing.

In these photos you can see....

How proud people are to pose with their animals.

First day: visiting the local market in Necha

Caring mother proudly posing with her child. She was one of Rohit’s neighbours when he was living in this remote mountain village.

2015/07/09
Today it was market day and we took a selection of the photos I made in Necha last year to present to the people who are in the pictures.  We were stopped many times on the way and invited to eat some fruit or potatoes or to drink some curd. The market was full of people.  Some recognized me and greeted me. Others stared at me strangely or started laughing really loudly. After traveling for a few years in Asia I have become used to these reactions to me and handle them much more easily now than I did to begin with. 

At the market day I gave a lot of prints of the photos I took one year ago to the people.

The headmaster of the poor Lower Primary School in Necha and his family posing with a photo taken at their school one year before. This school was almost completely destroyed in the earthquake.

We got in contact with few of the teachers in Necha. We briefly discussed the creation of Micro-Care Nepal Foundation and explained our projects to them. As expected they were very positive and invited us to visit their school later. In the middle of the picture above you can see one of the teachers from the poorest school in Necha. We made a visit to his family on the first day after visiting the market. 

In the fields the women were working hard harvesting corn and planting rice…But as always they found time for a picture.

Woman cleaning grain by using a nanglo to toss it, separating grit and soil from the grain.

Children posing close to the fields where they were working with their parents.

A boy proudly posing with his family’s ox. This animal is considered very valuable because it can do an incredible amount of work in the fields. At the end of its working life, it will provide the family with a lot of meat too.

Our way to projects in necha in solukhumbu region

The first glance of the Solukhumbu District. This is the view waking up in Okhaldhunga.

2015/07/08
Our visit to the village of Necha had two goals. The first was to work for Micro-Care Nepal Foundation establishing our projects in education, health, agriculture and giving clothing to poor families. 
The second goal was to research a small trek that we are developing. The idea of the trek is to bring clients to visit and support the places where Micro-Care Nepal Foundation is establishing projects. Our walk to Necha took us through villages and areas we want to include in this trek. We checked out places where we could stay and searched for special highlights to make it an unforgettable cultural experience with an emphasis on organic produce.  

After a 2 hour walk, the magnificent view from the little village of Deorali. Our porter on his way down, carrying clothing to give to poor families and 2 laptops for local schools.

We had to take a porter to carry our consignment of clothing because we already had heavy bags to carry. I always carry a bag of about 17 to 20 kilos with my MacBook pro, external backup disk drive, 2 cameras, 24 mm wide-angle lens, 50mm all-round lens, 85 mm portrait lens, batteries and charger and flash with trigger. This time I was also carrying a little pocket printer to print wallet size photos to give directly to people. 

Rohit with our porter on their way to Deorali.

Our original plan had been to put our luggage with Rohit’s uncle's luggage on a tractor and bring it by road to Necha. Unfortunately, often in the rainy season the roads in this area are destroyed by landslides caused by all the water moving down from the mountains. At this time the road was destroyed so we asked around for a porter. Prices were very high but we were lucky to find a man who had come to Okhaldhunga with a load the previous day and was now on his way back to Necha anyway. In the morning he was waiting for us. He didn’t speak any English and seemed quite old. During the day however I was to discover that he was very strong, carrying our 3 big 10 by 15 metre plastic sheets plus 15 kilos of clothing - probably 35 kilos in total. At some point you could see it was very heavy and he would rest with his load on the stone seats that have been created on the sides of all Nepali trails especially for weary travellers. 

Woman with traditional clothing and earrings posing in her doorway.

We arrived in Deorali. I have been there 6 times before. This time it was a shock to arrive. Almost all of the houses were collapsed or too damaged to restore. We visited some families and Rohit translated as they explained what they were experiencing following the earthquake and how they and their children were trying to survive. 

Women living in her plastic shelter that is too small to store all the family clothing and blankets.

Thinking about the damage that destroyed the village of Deorali and this school.

Seeing the collapsed school building where I had watched children playing and studying one year ago was hard. I sat down to think about all this and came up with the idea that when I  organise a trek to bring clients to visit Micro-Care Foundation projects our group members could give a financial donation if they wished to help local people and institutions like this school. 

The side of this house has completely collapsed. They will slowly demolish it and then try to rebuild this house.

Side of the house has completely collapsed. They will slowly demolish it and then try to rebuild this house.

We asked what this school could use besides a new building. They let us know materials for sport education would be welcomed. The Nepali government will support the rebuilding but this will take a long time. Even prior to the earthquake, government schools in Nepal were poorly resourced and often offered a limited number of courses and sports facilities.

Girl collecting grass from the corn fields to feed the goats.

The landscapes were stunningly beautiful. My focus usually goes out to the people and the way they are living. The portraits demonstrate why Nepal, with its simple lifestyle is so interesting for western people to visit. It opens your eyes to  the truly important things in life. 

More about this in following posts when I will explain the work we are doing in Necha.

Baby in his basket beside his mother who is working in the field.

Our old but strong porter posing with work almost finished.

Woman posing with a photo of her son. I took this picture of a traditional celebration last year.

Carrying corn home that is just taken from the field. It will be dried and eaten all year round.

Started our Dutch NGO work from Kathmandu, Nepal.

Where to start with such a disaster?

The shock arriving in Nepal wasn't too big. My friend and Board of Advice member for the foundation, Rohit Phuyal, was waiting to pick me up. On the road from the airport to Kapan area were several collapsed buildings. It was more of a shock to see people living in little plastic tents and shelters in very basic and dirty circumstances. This reminded me of the way that many people in poor areas in India live. 

Back to Kathmandu with mothers with children begging on the streets, here at the entrance to the shopping malls on New Road.

Before I came to Nepal I had read and heard many terrifying and shocking stories about the people who were injured and killed in the earthquakes. It had even more of an impact on me to hear how body parts, arms, legs and heads had to be dug out from between the collapsed concrete buildings. Bearing this in mind it was even more daunting to see with my own eyes what this earthquake had done to the lives of so many people and families. 

In after earthquake Kathmandu the people are taking it slow because all this restoration work can't be done in one lifetime..

Luckily the Nepali people are very optimistic people and are used to living in poor and basic circumstances. They are slowly starting to remove all the devastated buildings and in some places they are starting to repair existing buildings or build new buildings. Unfortunately the government has not been active in organizing the a rebuilding programme. There are also only few material resources like excavators so much of the work has to be done by hand. 

Demolishing concrete from a collapsed building. This will make space for a new building and the old building materials will be reused.

Camps where families still live under plastic.

Now in the monsoon season it is hot here in Nepal. People are using umbrellas to protect themselves against the burning sun.

We will soon leave for the Solu Khumbu district to visit the big but remote village of Necha. Here we will start our projects as we have a lot of good contacts there. I have visited Necha twice in the past 3 years. The village is spread out over a complete mountain side from the bottom of the river side to the top of the mountain. Most of it is agricultural land with  traditional farming. Most of the houses are made of mountain stones and mud or from bamboo and mud. 

Life continues and rickshaw drivers again cycle past the destroyed Gaddi Baithak in Basantapur Durbar Square. This European style building was built as a part of the palace in the early twentieth century.

Our plan:

- Give 50% of the 35 kilo of clothing I took from the Netherlands to poor families.

- Building  greenhouses and supplying start up seeds to 3 poor families which will provide them with food all year round.

- Assist local schools to develop nutrition and hygiene courses by providing study materials and resources.

- Establish a partnership between the Necha Community Hospital (supported by the Asian Heritage Foundation) and Micro-Care Nepal Foundation which will enable the hospital doctor to give first aid courses to health teachers from all 16 schools in Necha. In the future we will  provide the first aid teaching resources so they can give the first aid course to their students and put knowledge into practice. 

- Give photos that I previously took to the people of the village as a memory.

Little boy living with his parents in their temporary house this time provided by the Chinese Red Cross.

Arrived in Kathmandu

Arrived on the 2de in Nepal. Busy: learned to plant the rice nice in the rain, preparing for the projects of the foundation, talking to people, doing research, sorting out the 40 kg of clothing I took with me (gave some to the family I am staying with and one poor family living close, shopping plastic for greenhouse we are going to build, getting first-aid course books in nepali to try to educate the teachers in the mountains, trying to not get to much wet in the hard monsoon rain, survived the first little earthquakes.. 

Working on a newsletter with more details and of course photos. Tomorrow leaving into the mountain to the village Necha and will be looking for poor families to handover more clothing.