Happy Christmas 2014!

We remain grateful to God for giving us the opportunity to live, work and study in Nepal. We are humbled by the friendliness, generosity and tenacity of the Nepali people, even when life is tough. We are constantly in awe of the natural beauty all around us - even in Kathmandu (which is sadly now one of the most polluted cities in the world). 

View from our roof on a clear day

Tearfund's work through local Christian partners continues apace, helping communities tackle issues such as human trafficking, poor sanitation, food insecurity/malnutrition, poor health and illiteracy.

Off-season vegetable farming is helping to generate income and enhance food security in some of the poorest areas of Nepal. This reduces the need for people to look for work in other parts of the country and abroad, and makes them less vulnerable to trafficking 

As Christmas approaches we are enjoying singing and playing instruments in various school, church and choral events. One of the songs we were listening to yesterday reminded us that in all the busyness of getting ready for Christmas ('presents, santa and sleigh') we mustn't forget about the 'baby who was born in the hay.' So true!

Here are some of the highlights from our year:

Near Hua Hin

We started the year in beautiful, warm and relaxing Thailand.

Hitching a ride in Bangkok

Dolphin Bay

Our next break was in the summer when we enjoyed almost three months in the UK, re-connecting with family, friends and favourite haunts in Devon, Surrey, the Midlands, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Scotland... The weather was amazing and we (well, the kids) were able to swim in the Irish Sea, the North Sea, the English Channel, Wast Water (England's deepest lake) and also various rivers and streams!

Collins family reunion

With Jude's family in the Lake District

Edinburgh

Back in Nepal, cycling has become our favourite family hobby. We don't have a car but on our bikes we can escape the city and explore the rolling hills and river valleys around Kathmandu. 

Resting in the shade of a village Pipal tree

One of our cycles took us up to the Buddhist Stupa at Swayambhunath. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - one of seven in the Kathmandu Valley.

Swayambhunath Stupa

View over Kathmandu from Swayambhunath

In September we took part in the 8th Kathmandu Marathon (we did the 5K race!) as part of a group helping to raise awareness about child trafficking in Nepal. 

Start of the race (can you spot Steve!)

In October, to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, we did some hiking in and around Nagarkot on the Kathmandu valley rim.

This lady's load is definitely heavier than our rucksacks!

Also in September Amy performed in the school production of Fiddler on the Roof.

In December, both Paul and Amy took part in the primary school production of 'Angel Alert.'

Paul in the chorus

Amy singing a solo

Our greetings and love to you all at this special time of year as we celebrate the 'baby born in the hay' with great joy and thanksgiving.

God bless

Jude, Steve, Amy & Paul xxxx

Precious water - a story from the field

Kumsot village is located in the northern hills of Nawalparasi District; a dry, deforested area vulnerable to landslides. The rough access track to the village winds 8km uphill from the main road and is often impassible when it rains.

Part of Kumsot village (Photo Jude C)

The major crops of the area are rice, maize, potatoes and millet but agricultural yields are low and insufficient to meet the subsistence needs of the population. 

The literacy rate in Kumsot is very low. There is only a primary school in the village and very few people have passed their School Leaving Certificate (grade 10).

Unlike the flat plains, where it is relatively easy to obtain water from boreholes or wells, people living in the hills generally rely on rivers, streams and springs. Tapping, storing and distributing water from these sources is expensive and difficult. As a result the women and girls from many hill communities have to walk long distances across difficult terrain to collect the water that their families need.

About 21 years ago, a water system was constructed for Kumsot village as part of a Finnish development project. At that time there were 26 houses in the community, so a water system with five taps was built.

As the population grew, the water supply became insufficient. The system was poorly maintained because of the lack of a functional users group and the pipe from the source was frequently damaged by landslides.

When water flow was disrupted or insufficient, the women had to spend a lot of time (up to two hours a day in the dry season) collecting water from other sources. Sometimes pond water was used resulting in ill health. Personal hygiene and sanitation suffered and inequitable distribution of water regularly caused conflict.

The reservoir tank was lower than the village school making it necessary for pupils to collect their own water. Girls in particular had to spend a lot of time collecting water, reducing their time in lessons.

In 2010, Tearfund partner UMN began to work with the community to identify and prioritise their greatest needs, as well as help them make plans for how to address these needs using local resources wherever possible. The main problem identified was the lack of reliable access to clean drinking water.

UMN engaged an engineering consultant to survey and design the system and give technical advice. A village water users committee was formed and trained in water system construction, protection and maintenance. The villagers, with help from local church volunteers, carried out as much of the ground preparation and construction work as possible.

To ensure local ownership, the committee was responsible for coordinating the work and decisions such as where to site the taps were made by the whole community. 25 rupees per month is collected from each household to fund on-going maintenance.

Laying the pipeline (Photo UMN)

Water is now piped from source for 2.2km into an underground 18,000 litre reservoir tank. This then flows into 11 taps in different parts of the village, including the school.

Precious, clean water in Kumsot village (photo UMN)

Through the on-going activities of UMN and the local church, the community is being encouraged to integrate other tasks related to water and sanitation into the programme such as kitchen gardening, animal husbandry and construction/use of toilets. Adult literacy classes are also being run in the village.

Khini Maya (photo UMN)

Before the water project, for much of the year Khini Maya and her friends had to walk for two hours to collect water from a spring and carry it home again.Now Khini Maya only has to carry water from the nearest tap to her house and is so grateful. Not just for the water, but for the extra time she now has – including the time to attend adult literacy classes. She says ‘I didn't have the opportunity to go to school when I was a child and I really didn't want to miss out again on the chance to learn to read and write.’   

This is just one of many stories about the great work that Tearfund's local partners are doing in some of the remotest and most disadvantaged regions of Nepal.