Health check

The morning of 28th of March and Aandhimul got a visit from Bikram Piya, Rayaram Prajapati, Anil Pragapati from medical hall and doctor Shrhar Rayastha from Bandipur.
This one day health camp has been organized by Bikram Piya and Dr. Shehar has investigated 80 villagers.

Anil Pragapati has donated all the medicine from his medical shop in Dumre. This is the first time that I've seen so much interest, and all has been on a totally voluntarily basis - we only offered a simple Khadja.

Most of the issues are related to sanitation - another puzzle of this matrix and also poor diet. The traditional dhal bhaat is actually completely balanced food, but in this village most do not have money to buy vegetables or lentils.

The best thing for me was to hear how happy Dr Shehar and Anil Pragapati were after all examinations. Also the people who worked on the project were keen to get checked first as they told me - we have a work to do, we must go quickly.

I've also learn how to wash my hands correctly! Seems that the water will bring many solutions - with a bar of soap!

Jolana xxx

Imagine the world as candles

The last few weeks have been a ride, well it has been a big ride anyway but we have not stopped.

The only 'Ke Garne' ( What to do ) came after the Holy festival when most villagers got drunk. Their God allows them to drink so they really took it well, better than me. I was so angry with them, especially as Ana- ( engineer) arrived and saw very tired looking people to do the work with! Actually it was the only slip, and they have been good. Almost, I could call the digging work as a sobering therapy.

We have completed the 3km digging part, and as I'm typing we are building DC tank ( no 5) or at least the start of it. If you can imagine that the only tools we have are a shovel and a pick axe and we find stones in the jungle!

Now with the heat it is really hard work just walking up hill, but I have tasted the spring water yesterday and we are dealing on a daily basis with small issues. Most people will tell me that all is ok and then I hear that the engieener was crying - ( Crying in Nepal is not very usual, it is usual for me but here it means a lot), The food we cook is not very good and changing a cook with only one eye, provided another obstacle, over salted food with too much oil!

In between all of this I had a meeting in Ktm and found out that there is no financial support and really I should just learn Nepali if I want to communicate better- so that is what I'm doing. I have stopped trying to understand all of it and now can deal with the lack of planning and don't get too annoyed when I hear - Joli Miss we are in emergency we have no food or no cement left! Now I just hop on the bus and through time I've got to know the people who can deliver with only an 1 hour delay.

Lou has managed to secure the last funds and now it is up to us to make sure we complete on a very slim budget. I think we can do it. We will do it!

Most work is now done by the villagers and I have recognized that once a week a 3 chickens will be the right inspiration to keep them going! I have seen a real change in the community and they work much better together now! (when there is no festival)

In between we squeezed an art workshop with Christina from Berlin (see pictures above), Pati and Subash (spanish/nepali family) and it was amazing to see so much concentration, even hearing nothing, silence!

I have attended a big meeting about creating social business in Bandipur and creating an NGO, which all sounds fabulous as other small projects with school but I really only can concentrate on doing rather than talking.

A wise man told me a story.

"Imagine a world full of candles! how do you see them? Do you see them lit? but no no they are just candles and you must lit them and someone will give you a lighter - how will you lit the millions of candles?

You take 2 in your hands and lit them and pass them to someone else -that's how you lit them.

Some will blow off but most will get lit."

La enough for today,
back to field!
Jolana

1st intake almost finished

Yesterday I got stuck in the kitchen making roti (bread) for the workers and to ensure that they will eat better than just the flat dry rice. I have been really feeling tired and the villagers started to worry about me, saying I'm too thin. I promised I will hike up to the source but I had a dodgy belly so skiped the morning dhal bhat and wondered if I can actually make it. Now we are entering into the hot months and walking up hill in the heat takes much energy.

I eventually got there via the dangerous route! My first climb up and for climbers a joy but for me a bit worrying slippy path hanging onto roots of trees, my body attached to the cliffs! I had two boys for saftey -no rope! It was fun getting the food to the workers and enjoying the super spicy veg we made and roti!

There is so much work to do still! We got some stones and today while I'm not there we should be carrying to the second intake and also burying more of the plastic tube.

It is amazing to see the earth covered - all farmers are egar to plant corn so we must be fast. There are some concerns about the ferocement, this new technology can be damaged with a single stone and we need to find a skilled person, who will probably charge at least 1000 NRP per day! It will take minimum of 2 weeks to build.

Ana Prasad will come on Monday and I would like to go to Ktm to prepare for the small art project my friend Christine will be heading.

Also, I had a little chat with some local women and they were teaching me some Bhujel words (for more info on the bhujel people please take a look at this site) - and have given baby clothes to Kisan so he can present them to the mothers ....hopefully this will get all the babys super clean! (the sanitation is improving!!!). Nursery have also planted some flowers I brought and now I'm in the Damouli shop changing my phone and again it is taking ages. Will see if I have better luck this time!

Joli x

Waiting for a main hole cover...

Lot's happening, even though a wee bit slower. We had problems with having the main hole cover done, the grill pasal (shop) where we left the high tech drawing could not actually read it, or understand it. So I got another one made at another place to replace it and of course waited Nepali style ( they said it will take an hour because they have to eat first!)

Anyway, yesterday I saw the first 200 meters of water tube being covered and the mountains where there in full view = that was amazing! It kind of got the connection away from the horrible noisy streets and endless shops of black tubes, to a really amazing site and actually for its purpose. Providing water for the people of Aandhimul.

Shivaratri - we have 2 days holiday here.

Soon we will finish the first intake and then have to start on the second intake - the Korika village will be helping. All people from our village even the skilled people decided to work for free! We have to provide Khadja (lunch) and only pay people if we have to bring them from further away - so the ferocement - we will need experts to build, and in our high designed plan we have about 7 intakes to build!!!!

Which means I need 8 main hole covers so I hope that this place can make it well!

Better go, must be a bit of the hard a!?se, so that things get done!!!

The coffee brothers are leaving tomorrow (thank you so much for their efforts, it means a lot to the Project) and the villagers want to give a big farewell to them - think they had really good impact on a few people, especially Kissan (one of the young project supported teachers who also runs the youth club) - he really has been great, taking so much care to ensure everything is ok!

Yesterday The coffee brothers had chow mein at Pampha's (local shop/cafe on the main Kathmandu/Pokhara road 20 mins walk from Aandhimul) - the Dhal Bhaat (traditional Nepali meal) was too much, but we still were able to give the unwanted food to more hungry bellies, so that was all good!

Think we now have spent over 4 lacks from the money sent to Choice. Still, I need to buy cement and have money to pay for some experts ...but trying to keep all tight, the villagers ate only chura yesterday - the flat dry rice...

Jolana x