I look back at the last 4 months and walk away smiling..

It’s been a while and the village life has once again become a part of me. Many of the projects are either completed or on their way. Hmm… Time has really flown.. Another week and I will be done as far as this village is concerned.. I sensea hint of sadness at that thought, but its alright, cause what I actually likes most about this place will never leave me, it is a part of me now..

So what have I done?... and what have I used the funds donated for? Here is a summary of it all… It might be long but this is my last blog, so sit back and get a glimpse of my last 4 months in a some words and a few pictures…

Scholarships for University

The students of this school often come from families of farmers, who have very little money and are already stretched sending their kids to school. One of the days I was with a Grade 12 boy who happened to be in my English class, and was talking with him about his plans after his final year at school. He said he had no plans, I was like “what about University?” his words were “Why have dreams about things that you cannot get?” I was sitting there and I felt humbled by my question, my mind assuming that life was always that simple. He told me about his family being farmers, and going to another city to study is well beyond their reach. Over time in my class and otherwise I noticed his enthusiasm with learning, so after consulting other teachers who agreed, I decided that funding his university studies is a good way to utilize my funds. I also had noticed a girl in my English class who was very capable with the language and much better than most students. I felt a person like her should continue with her studies. To add to that she didn’t have a father as he had passed away, so money was a constraint for her as well.

I got them to my hut and had a talk with them. I explained along with a teacher that I would help them cover all costs of university and boarding if they are genuinely keen to study at University. They were very shy and hesitant, but they were very glad to have this opportunity. I explained to them that the reason they are getting these scholarships is thanks to their village and the school, and they must return this favor in some way of form in the future once they have completed their studies. Take steps to improve their community is all I asked. They seem to understand, and without making it into a long lecture concluded “but first make sure you pass your exams”

There were other potential areas I could have donated this large chunk of money, but if education helps a student here to go and make something of themselves, they might come back and make an even larger difference than any amount of money could. Like the person I am working with now, who got a scholarship to a University and now for the last 20 years is the sole reason why this village, and the neighboring villages are developing and this high school exists. So investing in people is what I chose to do.

Scholarship Costs($1600 for the 2 of them. Might have to get more money in a year or so, as it might not be quite enough for 3 years.. Lets see..)

School study Scholarship

Although I had spent a large portion of the money by providing the University scholarships, more scenarios arose. I was watching some lady with 2 girls walking and talking to some teachers in the school area. I found out that they had come after a 2-3 day walk from a distant village and wanted their daughters to get education. They had heard that this school can help them. They said they had only 1000Rs($20) and couldn’t afford to pay for education. I know I can’t help everyone, but for 2 years of study & boarding at the hostel that was needed by these grade 10 girls, upon calculation came to about $450. The mother wanted them to study even though in these places girls are often neglected, so I sat their looking at them caught in a web of " I should, but I cant, but I must..." I couldn't possibly turn my back. Funds were not readily available, but thanks to some nice people back in NZ who I was in touch with, they decided to help out and donate even more than their previous contribution. So thanks… I talked and explained to the girls to stay at the school and study hard and not to worry about the schooling costs. They invited me the next day for a simple nepali dinner in their tent to say thanks… Language is no barrier at times, No words are necessary when you can just smile! By the way their mother says thanks to All of you!.. In her nepali words “You are all a godsend” …

Cost - $450

Recycling

I had noticed that this and most regions around Nepal have no recycling system, children and adults just chucking the plastic bottle into waterfalls or just outside their houses. Over time this would be a big problem, and the pristine nature of this region would be lost by inorganic rubbish. So I decided that we need to create some sort of basic system to keep this area clean. So along with couple of other volunteers we made a crate that would be kept on School premises and would be a plastic/glass collection centre. We got
some wood and paint and hammered it in, not too bad considering our non-handyman skills. We decided to create an incentive program that would give everyone who puts a plastic bottle into the crate a token One Rupee. This would make the children who are walking around pick up the bottles, and thus allow them to buy some candy from the local store. At least a system is in place and hopefully the bottles can be disposed correctly when the crate is full. Might send it to UK, apparently they are collecting plastic bottles and paying for it, so I have been told J

Spent - $100 (for the crate and the Rupee incentive scheme, hopefully the money lasts a while)

Laptops

I bought some used laptops & some donated by friends, fixed them up with the required parts, and distributed it to the school and NGO staff. In total I got 7 laptops that are now being used by staff and members of the NGO. They are used for variety of purposes ranging from Testing wireless connectivity at various relay stations, and also for teaching purposes as the electricity goes(more often than not) the teachers can continue with the laptops. It’s easy to carry and transport in this mountainous environment. They all seem very happy with these goodies.

- $1500 (Fixing up donated laptops and the costs of purchasing used laptops)

Electronic Database

I have created a database to manage the students/staff/scholarships etc. in the school. Previously they had only paper records of students and staff. Now they can enter all the students personal details and keep track of the various factors (Name/Gender/Grade/Age/Village/Scholarships Received etc..) that occur in the school. The program allows them to have charts and statistics that they can send to funding NGO’s and also to make sure the school is meeting their set requirements. It is primarily a database to make the school become more efficient. Hopefully in time they can use it to its true potential. I trained one of the teachers on how to use it and improve it in time to meet their needs.

-Cost (Just my time at $0 an hour it cost them 120 x $0 = $0) :-)

Table Tennis/Sports Equipment

Due to a lack space there isn’t much children can do here, and I thought adding a racket sport will be a good change from the basketball and volleyball they have been playing in these parts for many years. We cleared out a room used to store wood and unused items and give it a good clean. Then we began our craftsmanship of the table. It might sound like a simple job, it’s a table with a net in the middle right, but it is taking a long time!.. We even have a carpenter with us, but when you have to use hands and no electric saws and drills, it becomes a job of epic proportions(for my standards J).. It will be a very solid table, mainly thanks to the carpenters you see in action to your right...

Also the school was running out of basketballs and volleyballs, they had 3 and 2 popped, so I

decided to replenish their supplies.

- $130 (Cost of table & Carpenter labor, basketballs, volleyballs, table tennis rackets/net/balls)

Wireless/ VOIP

I spent a fair amount of time with the Wireless/VOIP(Internet Phone) project while my time here. They are trying to give access to the internet to the villages, for schools to use, and also as a means of phone communication. So I was involved in a variety of testing and implementation. Installing routers/antennas and making the network within my village work soundly. I was in touch with some companies who want to help make the internet phones available to locals in order to contact their family in the cities/overseas. In short I did a whole bunch of IT work and it was interesting to learn new areas that I had never known. I helped bring wireless technology to my village and the surrounding area, so that kept me happy J

I did other things that might not be worth mentioning, simple things that a local should do for their village… like making windows in the volunteer huts, fixing broken planks around the school.. etc.. good old manual labor can be quite refreshing!

So my goodbye…

All in all I have gotten more from the village that I could possibly give. It opened my eyes to a whole new world, a simple and peaceful existence with the nature around us. For that I am indebted to the people and this place, and I shall remember forever... I don’t want say this for the sake of it, but I hope I come back here in the future and share this life again… Even better would be if I can live this life back in NZ or wherever I end up.

So thank you for it all… Without your support it wouldn’t have been the same. Being able to give needy children an option to study and make something of themselves, is something you can all take credit for, I was just a messenger. If possible come to Nangi one day and see it all for yourselves, you will see why I love this place!

What am I doing after this..? I really don’t know, maybe I head back to NZ, or a role with United Nations in India, or maybe go teach in Burma.. Time will tell..

Pheri Batuala, Dhanyavad, (see you later, thanks)

Anukool

‘Be still, stillness is always with you. Its there when your thoughts are running wild and when the world is falling apart, it's there in your busy city and also in the simple village, its in the beautiful mountains and also within the traffic jam… Its always there, you just need to see it, and you will realize that everything is exactly as it should be and forever at peace'

Note - If you click on the picture, they get bigger :-)

And if you ever wondered what did Anukool see when he opened his windows from his hut .. well here you go... :-)

Back to the 'Real' World

Download the original attachment

Nearly a month I had wondered into another world filled with countless things like televisions, pizzas, bars, restaurants, cars, planes, etc. I almost got used to having all those around me. Your mind so quickly starts to identify pleasure with things around you instead of finding joy within itself. Luckily I had to leave that unreal world and come back to my village. It’s better here, even if it’s just another place.

So what happened in the past month, well I could write pages but here it is in 5 lines.

Met some friendly faces from India, Singapore, US and New Zealand… Walked the desert with the camels and nomads, watched people have heat strokes and then enjoyed sleeping on the dunes with the stars above glittering away…. Trekked the Himalayan mountains for ten days… lost one knee and one ankle on the way… broken physically but the sight of the highest peaks all around me soothed all the pain away.. It was breathtaking..... and NOW I am here at my village J

So… whats new at my village

Lets start with the fact that there is a Tiger … YES that’s right a T.I.G.E.R roaming around my village. I was having dinner with some villagers and one of them said “ Make sure you keep your doors closed when you leave”.. I’m like why?.. She goes last week her neighbors dog got eaten by a tiger and it would be best not to take chances.. I sat there with the cup of tea stuck to my mouth and my eyes wide open. For a while I hoped tiger meant something else in Nepali, but no it means the same, especially since she was talking in English! There was not even an expression of excitement in her voice, it sounded as if she had told me that 1+1=2. I looked at her and realized why have fear, it has no benefits.. So I drank the tea and talked about something else… The fear of a tiger is much worse than the tiger itself.. If the tiger and I meet one day I shall deal with the scenario then, why worry about things that you cannot control.. And in any case as my wise friend says if I die at the hands of a tiger I will die a ‘Mans Death’ J

I have much to do in the next month… I got the laptops that I plan to deploy to villages surrounding mine(yes more one knee trekking for me), setup the Wireless antennas…. Finish my electronic database for the school…. But for now I must go make some Rotis… mmmm Roti and local plum jam that’s my breakfast… Who needs bacon n eggs, pancakes, muesli!,, My Roti is satisfaction guaranteed!

I am currently busy with establishing certain Wireless devices around the village and neighboring mountains. Plenty to do and just another month or so till I leave this paradise. I will send another update soon regarding certain funding opportunities I have identified, don’t want to make the blog too long, you all have other things to do than read my blah blah… Here are some pics from the past month… Yes I had some touristy fun too!

" If you live your life doing whatever makes you the happiest on a moment by moment basis, you will live an entire life full of happiness." Live in the now.. it is all that really exists :-)

In the Midst of it all...

Well its been three weeks and you all are probably wondering if I have run back to NZ, but since I have a little idea which track heads out of the mountains, that option was lost the day I got here. So what’s been happening here? well I have a good understanding how the school is run now, the students often come and talk to me in my hut, they all seem mighty impressed by my collection of Hindi music and like to sit and listen to it.(Whatever gets me into their ‘cool’ zone, I shall provide.. I feel 17 again, well I pretend to be one of them anyway!)

Other than that I have gotten used to the cleaning, cooking, washing and now it takes only half a day instead of the earlier efforts of an entire day. I spent three weeks teaching English and learnt a lot about myself, including some words that I had no idea what they meant, and had to make up answers to keep my face. The students seem to enjoy my style of less book more talking, one student even said ‘he’ loved my voice , I told him thanks and made him sit next to a girl. Unfortunately an English teacher has been appointed and I have been put on standby, sad but I guess I can go back to doing what I had come to do.

Note -Do not judge my teaching skills based on this picture :-)

Things I am currently involved in:

• As I mentioned internet access is paramount in this region as means of communication are non-existent other than that. So I have been firstly trying to setup wireless access around the school compound, which I have done, but I want really is that the villages I see on neighboring mountains also are able to have access from there, instead of the 3 hour walk up to our village. So I am planning on setting up a high gain antenna that will allow access to our wireless network faraway, as much as 10km. Of course there needs to be people with wireless access at the other end. That’s why I am thinking of providing laptops to each of the village, that will be able to utilize this signal. Still working on getting the parts, which I need to go to Kathmandu and get, but the idea is in function. It might seem strange why so much emphasis is on computers, afterall its a village in the himalayas, but these children have to compete with the rest of the Nepal/ World at some level, so they need to be aware of the uses & benefits, and if they are to make a difference, technology is going to guide them.
  

• I am also working on a database to manage the school student & staff. Currently there is only paper documents with student details, this I am going to turn into an ‘Enrolment database’, that provides up-to-date report. The staff can use for the years to come to keep track of various aspects of the school. I am already well into creating the database, just collecting the essential ingredients that will allow to be most useful to the school. It will help manage the scholarships currently handed out, the student demographics, and provide a useful way of giving facts when demanding funding. I might even make another database to manage their inventory (Computer, networking equipment, etc.), depending on how they mind this one first. So far they seem pretty happy with what I have shown, so that’s a good start.

• I am taking some of the fund money to improve the facilities for the students and villagers here. As I said there is not much to do in these hilly terrains, so I thought of adding a sport that can easily be setup. Table Tennis! I am sorting out the creation of one or two tables to be crafted by the local carpenter (gets him some decent income), and again the other racquets and balls I will have to get from the city. They have only 2 sports at the moment Volleyball & Basketball, this will add another way for children to burn that energy, instead of drinking and smoking marajuna (which is unfortunately common in these areas).

• I am looking at other things as well, like the water supply is pretty bad here, and rubbish is just thrown into a hole, I am thinking of finding an alternative for both of them, lets see what if anything I come up with.

Other than that I will be heading to India to pick the additional laptops and phones I had bought for the school that my friends kindly transported for me. So will be away from the village for a while. Hmm I just realized I have to climb backup this uphill mountain on my return, damn! Why cant the whole world just be going downhill, and still take you to the top, physics is always holding my dreams back!.

Here are some pictures from a recent festival that took place, they had dancing, sports, sacrificing of 300 goats, sheeps and pigeons. I sat their and watched the massacre, but atleast they aren't killing human beings in the name of god, unlike many other places... In anycase who am I to judge, I eat meat, so someone has to kill them, can't be a hypocrite now can we Anukool.

Thanks again for all your contribution, without which none of this would have happened.

Anukool

Here is a little poem to describe my time here...

Walking in Mud

Walking in mud I see me smile,

The dirt over me seems worthwhile,

So long I had fought to try and keep

An image of someone I was trying to be,

Now I watch the world with a welcome sign,

It feels strangely peaceful, I feel unendingly fine.

I often see the truth when I take a shower,

There seems to be joy even in cold water,

I always needed things that somehow defined me,

I even needed others that pretended to annoy me,

I have none of those no more, and I can tell you a fact,

It all was my mind playing a joke,

and I fell for that.

Awake I walk with freedom in my eyes,

Whatever I see, seems to wave back and say hi,

How I had missed noticing the scent of grass,

When I had walked through it, I seemed to just pass,

All I see now is nature in full bloom,

Even when I sit with my computer in this room,

If you asked me now to define god in one line,

I will tell you,

It is this moment right now, and it is every time.

- Anukool Sathu Aug 2008

My new Home 'Nangi'

Well, I am here,

I arrived at the village a week ago, but reaching here was an experience on its own. It began with a 7 hour bus ride from Kathmandu, and then an 8 hour bus ride, of which I spent 5 hours on top of the bus, as there was no space inside. Well there was space but I can tell you breathing was a problem, my legs did not fit within the space between the seats, and I am not that big. To top it all off I had a goat under me, yup a Goat where I should be putting my feet. There I was sweating so much, and the bus was at 200% capacity as Nepal is facing a petrol crises. The price of petrol is nearly $3 a litre at times, and you have to wait 16 hours in a line to get petrol, I wish I was exaggerating but I am not.. Hence the bus was packed to its last inch, it felt like the train to Auschwitz in Schindler’s List where the jews were packed in with no breathing space and desperate for air. Ok it wasn’t that bad, but coming from NZ I was amazed, so I got up and said to the driver “I am going on top”, he said ”Its raining” but I had to go. And I was the sole passenger on top of the bus, as it poured down, but in the warm climate its not so bad. I enjoyed the ride quite a bit, later a boy joined me, and we even made a tent on the top of the bus, to avoid the lashing rain, the mountainous terrain made the swerves left and right very interesting indeed…

5 hours later I arrived at my final stop.

I spent the night at the little town and there my guide from Nangi met up with me, and our trek began. He said he was getting a porter for my backpack and the handbag, I said “ no problem I will carry it”, he looked at me and said “ no”. And 10 minutes into my trek I realized how right he was. The trek right from the onset is uphill, straight up, I kid you not. I am not that unfit, but I have to say I was just happy I wasn’t the porter. 6 hours of uphill climbing, thank god for the breaks. We climbed to 7000 feet and then finally 2 hours of just normal walking. When I finally reached the village it was all worth it. The green mountain-top village was a sight for sore eyes, and all my aching legs felt almost fine.

The Village

Now I am at Nangi, my home for a while, and I have a little hut to myself J. Vegetables, Rice, Water are provided to me and all I have to do is cook. The lady teachers were very nice to cook for me for 2 days after school and teach me Nepali dishes. Now I can make roti, tea, rice, dal, potato n beans. YAY!. People are genuinely friendly here, there’s not much to do, and they don’t have much but they are happy. Knowing Hindi is clearly keeping me in the loop a lot. They understand 40% Hindi but can’t speak much. But between little English and little Hindi I somehow manage. The school is the main centre of this region. Children and staff travel 2-3 hours everyday to get here, and then they go back. 4-5 hours walking up n down mountains everyday just to get to schoolJ. I will no longer complain about anything anymore. It’s a much dispersed village, no real centre, no proper road, just tracks up n down hills.

What am I doing?

For the past week I have been helping setup the phone communication that allows them to use a normal phone that connects via IP devices through the internet to a phone exchange. This is their only way of communication to the outside world, other than the 8 hour trek to the town!. Without the Wireless radio stations the entire region was so isolated, so a few years ago when they set them up it was a welcome relief. I have also started teaching English to Class 12, as the English teacher has left the school. Having never taught it was quite an experience. I am trying to get the students to talk as much as possible, as they are very shy. I read stories from their course book and explain what it means. Their English is still not very good, especially spoken. But it’s a great challenge and I’m loving it.

It’s a beautiful place, with white mountains at the distance, green farms all around, children playing, cows eating grass. So when I have done my cooking, washing, cleaning (Which surprisingly takes a long time. Makes me want to thank my mother for all those yearsJ, that I barely noticed.) I sit down and look at everything around me and take a deep breath.

There are many issues that need attention, like electricity going down constantly, no dental help for villagers, no money for children to go to university as their parents are all farmers, etc.. but one by one they are trying to resolve these issues. And doing it all with a smile on their face.

I sit down and look at things often and even in just a matter of weeks I cant believe I have another life back in NZ, it feels all but a distant memory. Living and working here seems much more satisfying, without the so called pleasures of life you start enjoying the simple things, like watching the chicken chase the cowsJ.

More Later….

‘Dhanyavad’ and ‘Pheri Betaulla’ (Thanks, and see you later)

Anukool

To the right are my Cooking teachers... The lack of elecrtricity didnt stop us!

WET WET WET

Well.. I know its the monsoons but my lord, I now know how it feels like to be in Bangladesh... I had to walk 5 km to get to my hotel and I kid you not half of it was in water close to my knees. This was in the main streets of Kathmandu, Completely covered in water not a little, a river full!.. Clearly Kathmandu does not have a proper system to deal with rainwater disposal, it was amazing, It was like a river was roaming all through the city.. AND then the LIGHTS went off!..

No light, none whatsoever, here I am walking with no idea anymore where I am heading, every 2 minutes I am asking for directions.. and in the dark I am lost as to the direction to my guesthouse, all the landmarks are gone in the black city I now was in. Whats worse is that I know there are potholes all over the streets and as I walk on water I cant see any of them,and Im thinking "Thats great, I will be in a hole soon".. So I just followed people right behind them, making them the sacrifice...

After walking/swimming for 30 minutes I reached my alley where I live. Its part of hundreds little alleys not big enough to get a car inside. I always get lost inside them, but I know this one way inside this maze of alleys to find my guesthouse. And as I entered the alley system from the main road, i realised the alley was flooded, but really what can I do I know other way, so I step into it and ahmm.. First step water is to my waist, and it was dark as dark gets.. As I though well sinc eIam already init I might as well walk, a guy shouts and says STOP!.. and points that water get nearly to your neck after a few steps.. and I thank god for sending this man, and take a step back and come back to the main road.... And then begins my expedition to find a new way back to my guesthouse (Who's name I have forgotten!). roaming the alleys(Gali's) of kathmandu I spend another 40 minutes going in circles and finally i end up at my guest house, I dont know how.. I just do..... Wet, very very wet..

Long interesting night it was indeed!

Hello from Katmandu, Nepal

Namaste,

I have been here for nearly a week now, the weather is pretty good, and compare to NZ where storms are over the country it has been great here. T-shirt and short temperature, and not too hot. I am living at the heart of the local working class area, away from the regular tourist crowd, its an experience in itself, feel like one of the locals.. Kathmandu as a city has not really developed as much as it should have due to the political instabilities in the last 15-20 years, and it shows. It shows everyday when I am taking a shower and after I lathered myself well and good, and I open the shower and nothing comes out, and I have to wipe off with a towel. I kid you not it happened 3 times, 3 times!!.. So yesterday I decided I will soap myself in small parts and test to see if the water is coming… But in all honesty I cant really complain, its free accommodation and the people are really nice. As my colleague said, its like 5 star accommodation compared to the village I shall go to soon.

I am currently working on building a VOIP (Internet Phone) server, so that we can manage calls from the villages to the main centres. Since there is no phone line in most villages, the NGO has setup wireless stations that allow internet to be accessible in those rural local villages. We use the internet for phone communication with the rest of the world. Very important, as in case of emergencies most of the villages are days away from the road and the only way communication is if someone walks to the nearest town.. remember the 1800’s J

Its amazing that there are quite a few locals working with the NGO’s for no money, its really commendable.. There are people doing intense work 6 days a week for sheer goodwill. I have to say in Asian countries people are strangely very friendly and want to help. As they say “the lesser the people have the more they want to give”.

All else is well, looking forward to going to the village, and more I hear about it, the long trek seems more and more painful.. But it will be well worth it, if I make it…

Still Alive n well, All thanks to this guy :-) (he wanted 500 Rupees for that picture, I clicked and walked :p)

Anukool

Off to Nepal I go....

Hello All,

I have departed for my journey to Nepal as of last week. I am currently in India stocking up on the necessities for my travels. I am carrying some Laptops, & Internet -Phone related equipment with me from NZ that is needed by my project co-workers. Luckily the customs didn't create a fuss regarding the goods in India, so hopefully neither will the Nepalese side. I will be in Kathmandu for a week helping set these phones in the hospitals and then will head out to the village. At the moment there is some issue with accommodation, as there is none for me :-), but all will sort itself out, as it always does..

It is hot in India and Nepal, and monsoon season is still around.. so rain will be my companion for the coming month. I am following an advise given by a great man, "If it rains, you get wet' ... so there is no problem anymore..

Thanks to all of you for your contributions, hopefully I will put them to good use...

Will update you later on any progress...

Anukool