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Well, Nepal finally got rid of its monarchy. There’s been a struggle going on for years, and now the Maoists have control of the government. I know what you’re thinking, “Aren’t Maoists like communists? Doesn’t the US government consider them terrorists??” The answer would be yes for both, but it sounds a lot worse than it really is. Democracy didn’t really work out so well for the Nepali people, and the Maoists made a lot of promises. The country elected a Maoist majority to the parliament about a month ago in a free and fair election, and they decided to kick out the royal family. So, on Wednesday 2065-2-15 (or May 28, 2008 for all you non-Nepali people), Nepal was officially declared a republic at 11:20pm. The king is no longer in the royal palace, there’s currently no president, and the pro-monarchists have been showing their displeasure with a few, carefully placed, almost entirely harmless bomb blasts in Kathmandu. We’ll see how things end up, but things here remain very peaceful and the change in the government hasn’t disrupted life in the village.
The past three days have been public holidays - private schools are closed until Sunday, and some
businesses have decided not to open. Public schools have been closed since Tuesday, and they’ll remain closed until June 10th. The government used the paper quota set aside for the schools’ books in the recent election, so the children have no textbooks or anything to start to the new school year. Older students were protesting this lack of supplies, so the government shut down the schools for two weeks. I doubt the government will suddenly be able to come up with the much-needed paper is a mere fourteen days, but everyone seems to be giving them the benefit of the doubt.
I heard gas prices in America are over $4 a gallon right now, but it’s over 100 rupees a litre here (which makes a gallon cost over $6). With an average yearly income of less than $300, this will undoubtedly spell disaster here. Also, there’s currently a petrol shortage, and it’s probably not going to get any better. Apparently India is refusing to sell anymore gas to the country because they haven’t caught up on their oil debts. I read in one of the English-language newspapers that there will be no gas left at the end of the
month. I’m not sure if they mean the Gregorian month or the Nepali month. Either way, it’s not good news. Prices for taxis have doubled, people can no longer afford to fill their motorbikes to get to work, and there are fewer buses and microbuses running. Maybe I’ll end up walking to the airport…
This all sounds pretty gloom-and-doom, but I assure you, it doesn’t appear as if anything has changed here. Life in Chapagaun is the same as it’s been for the past three weeks, and things just keep moving right along (albeit at a much slower, Nepali pace). Farming families are busy harvesting wheat, so I’m constantly stepping over bundles of wheat and trying not to breathe in all the grain floating around in the air. I took a walk down into the valley by my house, through the wheat fields. They apparently don’t get too many foreigners wandering around there because everyone kept asking me where I was going, if I was lost, and if they could help me.
I’m learning a lot at the health center, and I’ve started doing my own research. It’s painstakingly slow, but I’m hoping it will be worthwhile. I’m
also getting to see so much else. I’ve been to a preschool for very poor families that also has a small dorm for older orphan boys. The children were so cute, and very eager to show off their English skills. They know their colors, numbers, alphabet, and names of fruit. We went to a secondary school that serves a very poor part of the community, and we’re supposed to be doing a health education program there. Well, I mean, we were supposed to start this program before the schools got shut down. Barbara and I have been asked to teach the older students about puberty and adolescence because they don’t have health as part of their curriculum. It turns out that there are no resources for us, so we’re making our own lesson plans, activities, and we’re trying to develop a curriculum that future volunteers can use. We’re also supposed to help judge a Hygiene, Sanitation, and Health fair put on by the students sometime in the near future.
We also made a repeat visit to the leprosy hospital, which involved another bus-top ride. This one, though, was much more harrowing…it felt like we were going to be pitched
over the little metal railing at any second. The bus hurtled up the hill, coming very close to the edge of road (which drops off down into the valley). I guess the brush-with-death is included in the 10 rupee fare. After the, uh, exhilarating bus ride, we managed to get a tour of the hospital. It’s about three hours from Kathmandu, and then you have to hike nearly a kilometer up a hill, but the treatment is all free. The Leprosy Mission (an international organization) fully funds the multi-drug therapy, reconstructive surgery, self-care therapy, and any other type of care the patients might need. We got to meet many of the patients, and I’m happy to report that the antibiotics have successfully cured the facial deformities that used to be characteristic of the disease. Many of the patients, though, are missing fingers, toes, or even whole legs. Leprosy causes nerve damage, and patients are unable to feel any sensation in their extremities. Therefore, they can unintentionally damage, overuse, or burn appendages, which can eventually require amputation. The one thing that really struck me about the hospital was that Jesus was just about everywhere you looked. I realize that the Mission
is a Christian organization, but the Christian imagery was very over-the-top for a country that is widely Hindu and Buddhist.
My knowledge on a lot of the things I’m encountering here leaves a lot to be desired, so I’m spending a lot of my time reading. There’s a small library at the health center, and I think I’m the only person who’s read these books since they were donated in the 80s. I’ve now learned all about family planning techniques, maternal and child nutrition, parasites, sexually transmitted infections, tropical medicine, survey research methods, and epidemiology in regards to community health.
In about a week I’ll be heading to a rural health clinic in a village called Falebha. It’s supposed to be quite remote (8 hour bus ride to Pokhara, 2 hour bus ride to Kusma, 3 hour hike to Falebha), so I’m very interested to see how it differs from our more “suburban” health center.
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anonymous
non-member comment
OMG what little cuties! I'm glad nothing too serious has happened as a result of the government change-over. :) I was a bit worried (but, let's be honest Miss Henschel, you can handle pretty much anything!) And gas is not yet $4. Most expensive gas around here is about $3.87 and there are plenty of cheaper stations, esp. if you want to pay in cash! :) PS <3 the photos!