Travel Report in Nepal 2016 by Jakob Frenes

 

I landed in Kathmandu at 11 pm. I felt the pleasant temperature and set out for the check-out in order to get a visa for one month. There weren´t many tourists and I had just a credit card instead of 40 $, therefore I had to wait a lot before they could issue me the visa.

I left the airport and outside lots of taxi drivers were waiting for me. On the way to an hostel in Thamel the streets weren´t lit enough.

Usually by day venders are selling their products such as wood carvings, paintings, cloth and at night people are spending their time dancing out of clubs sorrounded by western-world music.

I spent the first days visiting the most important monuments in Kathmandu and close to it: monasteries, Stupas and temples. Unfortunately, most of the important sights have been damaged by the two earthquakes last year and are still being held up by wooden beams, in order to tile and to restore them.

The problems are chiefly with places built far away from the sights, such as Bhaktapur where many buildings crashed to the ground and lots of people are still trying to rebuild their houses again. I noticed that women used to work harder than men.

I travelled from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot by bus: a coach-load of people and luggage. I was hoping to see the Himalayas, but unfortunately I couldn´t because the peaks were hidden by the monsoon clouds. I almost travelled by myself and therefore I had the opportunity to visit Nepal and cherish it from a different point of view also thanks to the close encounters with the local people.

I had the pleasure of helping this wounderful and poor country and I had the chance to volunteer to spend there three weeks working for two non-profit organizations.

In Mulkharka, a small village set on the northern part of Kathmandu, the Phugmoche-Nepal Organization is building a Guesthouse which should be useful to rebuild the School of Phugmoche which was damaged by the earthquake. With the backing of Mrs Dietrich I helped to paint the walls. Besides with Pasang, a sherpa who knows English well, we did the best to clean the house. Several problems were solved in order to open it and in October we could already host some people. I was the first volounteer in Mulkharka which gave me the opportunity to share many experiences within it. They took care of me and were very friendly to me.

I spent the rest of this period organizing the Kevin- Rohan- Memorial- Eco- Foundation in the southern part of Kathmandu, which helps the local people. There is a big garden, tomato crops, a jewellery, a school and a kindergarden. Thanks to this, many people can work here and often many volunteers come to Nepal to dedicate their time to these projects.

Now I´m flying home and I think about this wounderful experience. Nepal has really impressed me because of its culture, mentality which are different from our way.

The earthquake destroyed most of this country and many people have lost everything and the government still doesn´t take care of its population. Despite the people are still positive and try to survive due to the huge problems which are the reasons why teenagers decide to leave their country. Smarphones, mobile phones and stone age-stuff living conditions: two different worlds joined up. I´ve never felt lost or afraid and the people always gave me a warm welcome. Nepali are curious and very friendly to visitors…

….just get dragged into Nepal:

“Real meets patient people, otherwise it slips out of impatients”

Jakob Frenes

Travel Report in Nepal 2016
Travel Report in Nepal 2016

Tipchok

In August 2015 one of our members visited Nepal and he noticed much destruction to private houses, schools and waterworks due to the earthquake.

The school was especially damaged and many classrooms were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. In order to support the students and the teachers, sheet metal and other poor materials were temporarily used to build walls and roofs which provided the opportunity to continue to study, attend classes and shelter the children from the monsoon. Due to the extreme heat of the sun, the classroom became like an oven and the noise of the rain was intolerable.

Pro Nepal decided to support them with a contribution of money to solve this situation and asked its local partner, SEO of Kathmandu, to plan a project. Pro Nepal received the project to build three classrooms in Autumn for the cost of 20.000 euro. Pro Nepal praised and approved the project and the building of the three classrooms began. At the beginning of March 2016 final invoices and expenses were sent to Pro Nepal.

During one of our member’s visit in March 2016, he realized that there was no space for the children’s play time during the break. Because of the steep slope, it was necessary to build a wall and a flat surface which cost almost 5.000 euro. Pro Nepal financed this project with donations from its members and also from Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio.

Flyers were distributed at Supermercati Poli-Regina in order to collect funds for these humanitarian projects. Other people decided to support this initiative and helped Pro Nepal with their donations.

Important information about the project:

  • Building of three classrooms in Tipchok – Kavrepalchok- Nepal
  • School’s name: Shree Bumimata Secondary School
  • Cost: almost 20.000 euro
  • Students: 250

Saimarang

,

Saimarang is a small village in the centre of Nepal. Pro Nepal has been helping this village to build a water main by assuring financial support. Shortly before the beginning of the construction of the water main, the government announced that it would build the water main not only for Saimarang, but even for other villages close to it. Since ProNepal was asked by the school of Saimarang for help to support the construction of a classroom containing a science laboratory.

Because there was no science laboratory available to the students in Saimarang, it was necessary for them to go to Pokhara by taking a bus or walking great distances. Due to the absence of a laboratory in the village, both teachers and students were forced to spend much time and money to attend the school in Pokhara.

In December, 2015, the village sent us a proposal for the project estimating 7.000 €. Work started after our financial support arrived in January 2016, and, in March 2016, part of the building was completed. The size of the classroom was increased, and Pro Nepal approved of what was decided. The final cost of the labour was 10.000 euro.