A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of accompanying a group of Tearfund supporters to visit various Tearfund partners and projects in different parts of Nepal.
The members of the group spend a lot of their free time speaking to churches and community groups in the UK about the work of Tearfund, raising the profile of the organisation and encouraging financial and prayer support.
The purpose of the trip was to gain an insight into the country, its people and the challenges they face on a day to day basis. Also to meet and gather stories from people who are benefiting from the projects that Tearfund supports.
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| Hearing people's stories |
The start of the visit was interesting to say the least! The weather had closed in and loud claps of thunder and bright flashes of lightening were making everyone waiting at the airport increasingly jumpy! (We hadn't had any rain at all since November so it was a bit unexpected!)
The plane finally landed and, after an hour of pacing, the group walked out of the terminal building They exited the building at 2pm and our plane to the town of Pokhara was due to leave at 2pm so we were pretty sure we had missed it! However, we rushed across to the domestic terminal building and ran up to the desk to find that the plane was delayed until 3pm! Phew! Then began the worry that the plane would be cancelled altogether...
But it wasn't! By 4.30pm we were in Pokhara and just after we landed the clouds closed in again, the heavens opened and there were no more flights that day! We felt very strongly that God had smoothed the way for us - it was a great start to the group's Nepal adventure!
The following day, because of the rain and thunder storms, the sky was clear and we woke to stunning views of the high Himalaya, capped with fresh snow, and felt the welcome warmth of the winter sun.
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Machhapuchhre or 'Fishtail' with the Annapurna range behind
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The next two days were spent in the community of Talchowk where we met a church group who have received training from Tearfund's partner, Sagoal.
The church, after identifying the community's needs and working out what they could do to address some of these needs, is now involved in many different activities such as waste management, road improvement and a tailoring workshop. Their example has encouraged community members to follow suit and now many of the barriers which existed between church and community are beginning to disappear.
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| The church and Sagoal paid for several people to attend tailoring training. These ladies are now trainers themselves and are teaching others at this workshop, providing opportunities for many women (whose husbands are often away working in India) to earn money to support their families. |
We stayed the night with extremely generous families from the church who fed us delicious meals and showed us the beautiful scenery surrounding their village.
After that it was off to Sunsari down on the India border. Again, we nearly didn't make it (because of fog this time) but as we flew alongside the Himalayas to the east of Kathmandu the skies were clear and we were afforded an incredibly clear view of Everest.
In Sunsari we visited several people living with HIV and AIDS and saw what a great job the churches and Tearfund's partners are doing to raise HIV awareness, reduce stigma and discrimination and provide practical, home-based care for those affected by the virus.
We had the privilege of meeting Raju and family. Here's his story:
‘It is so easy to fall into risky
behaviour. Before you know it, you have put your family in danger. I used to
inject drugs, and often used unclean injecting equipment. That was the start of
our problems.
‘About two years ago, my wife
became very sick. While she was in hospital she was found to have HIV. I sought help from NJSS (a Christian NGO supported by Tearfund).
They supported my wife, and her health was restored. Later, I took my children
for an HIV test, and they were also HIV positive. NJSS provided counselling,
and we learned to live with the condition.
‘My family was very poor, and we found it difficult
to meet our basic needs such as food and shelter. I was unable to put my
children into school. NJSS provided a new rickshaw and two pigs to help us make
a better livelihood. My income is NRP 200 to 400 per day (GBP 1.40-2.80) from
the rickshaw. I am able to meet most of the needs of my family, and now my
children go to school. My daughter wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
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| Raju and his 5-year old son with the rickshaw provided by NJSS |
‘We used to live in a small temporary hut
made of dry grass and mud that became uninhabitable, especially in the wet
season. Sometimes we lived on a neighbour’s veranda. 25 members from a local church came and constructed a
two-roomed house for my family. They collected construction materials by
donation, and did all the work themselves. That was real love in the name of
Jesus.
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| Raju's wife and daughter inside their new home |
‘I share my story with community groups and
have seen neighbours change their attitudes towards people living with HIV and
AIDS. I am thankful to NJSS, the church and God for giving my family hope and a
future.
After a couple of days in Sunsari it was back to Kathmandu but this time our plane was cancelled! Instead we traveled back overnight by road (a 14 hour trip) so the group could catch their international flight the following day. Bit of an epic but all part of life here in Nepal!
It was a great week, thanks for reading!
Jude
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