First trip to the field

This week I am in the Far Western Region of Nepal--very removed from what is going on in Kathmandu. My trip is nothing short of amazing. We fly to the Terai (lowland jungle in the South of Nepal) and spend a few days there visiting Village Model Farms initiated by Helen Keller International (HKI), the NGO where I work. We also see health promotion sessions on nutrition.

While there, we visit dalits (untouchables) who have been marginalized for centuries. Some of the ones we meet aren’t benefiting from the program and some of the Village Model Farmers are unwilling or unanxious to associate with them. Later, when we travel to Baitadi, we meet dalits who were quite involved in HKI’s work and seem to be doing quite well.

The trip to Baitadi, which is in northwestern Nepal, is quite an adventure. Considering infrastructure challenges in Nepal, the road is good, though after looking at a map of Nepal, I see that the road we’re on is the only major route along the western border with India. We travel over lots and lots of hills and mountains. After 8 hours, I feel a bit nauseous (though never really sick).

The hills in Nepal remind me of a combination of Bolivia and Guatemala—very steep with lots of terracing. The accommodations are basic. The food is good but one night I crave something different so I make hot chocolate. The restaurant staff don’t know what hot chocolate is so I ask them to heat milk while I go next door to buy EIGHT (small) Cadbury chocolate bars. I split them with the driver and we melt each one in the warm milk. It is so much fun doing this that I’ll make a tradition of it when I return to Kathmandu. The people we meet (HKI staff and locals) are incredibly accommodating. It is really a great experience meeting so many of them.

One of my favorite moments is meeting a 70’s-ish woman who has been leading a local NGO for decades. She is full of energy and VERY short. When she stands next to me for a picture, she is slightly above my waist. One of the HKI staff members takes a snapshot of us but doesn’t know how to use the zoom. The picture is mostly of me (waist up) with only the woman’s head showing in the left corner of the frame—as though she’s been decapitated. Even so, she sports a smile.