"Learning from the Slums" - an interesting article from Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/03/01/learning_from_slums/

Pictures from the Vitamin A Campaign

This pictures are from my Vitamin A distribution adventures. This first picture is from a pooja performed by married women in Patan. A team of us from NTAG happened upon it as we were meeting with FCHVs prior to the National Vitamin A campaign. The other two pictures are from the "slums" of Kathmandu taken during the campaign. The river is in the background of the second picture. Yet, it is stagnant and moves only when the waste water from septic systems flow in from large tubes along the banks of the river. These blackened still waters of the Bagmati are filled with sewage, industrial byproducts, and trash, mostly plastic. The living conditions here are overcrowded.

Many people who have come to these slums are from villages throughout Nepal. The cost of living in Kathmandu is high and renting property is nearly impossible for these families. They move to the only available land in the city, along the river banks. From the original tent homes made from plastic tarps, they have developed over time to more permanent structures made of brick and cement. I have come to learn that it is difficult to distribute vitamin A capsules to new encampments due to the high number of migrants coming through them and the lack of permanent FCHVs. There is a team that is mobilized to service these areas.

Vitamin A Distribution - Nepal

I finally got a green tote! The green tote is sported by Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHV) during the bi-annual distribution of vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets to children from 6 months of age to 5 years. This last weekend I worked with NTAG (Nepali Technical Assistance Group) while they supervised this national campaign.

Although I was not able to make it to the far western region of Nepal for the Vitamin A Distribution, I did get to further explore the Kathmandu valley. On my first day I went to Lalipur which is located in the southern region of the valley. On my second day, I stayed within Kathmandu and visited many slum areas along the Bagmati river banks.

A night out

Tonight John and I watched "Fast and Furious, part 4" at the movie theater. Occasionally there are films from America that trickle down to Nepal. Although I am not one for action movies, this one was better than most action movies I've seen. It was entertaining, suspenseful, and without too much blood. It put me in the mood to drive fast. Since we don't own a car here in Nepal, I opted to walk fast instead! I was zipping through the crowds, nearly avoiding head on collisions, and doing maneuvers only thought to be done by professional stunt devils.

In the midst of suffering from indigestion having eaten a deep fried chicken burger at the theater and zooming up and down the street in my new high speed walk, I looked toward the street scene in front of me and felt nostalgic for this place. It made want to scream out, "I'm really in Nepal!" and hug myself. At the same time, I felt sad to know that in two months I will be leaving this place. Tonight, as we walked home I remembered the way I had first seen the beauty and strangeness of this city. Maybe it was the smell of dinner having just been made wafting from the open kitchen doorways or the way the stringed lights hung from windowsill to windowsill giving a warm glow to the street below that made feel this way. I smiled the entire way home.

Ganesh

Ganesh is the Hindu god of prosperity and wisdom. I drew him last night during one of our power outages, or "load shedding".

Living in Nepal

Here are some pictures of my adventure in Nepal. I am not the best photographer, but have been attempting to take more interesting pictures.

ABOVE: This picture was taken in Bhaktapur, Durbar Square, on a Sunday excursion.

ABOVE: One of my friend's parents had come to Nepal in February and wanted to renew their vows. Our didi, Mongluxmi, had arranged the event at a Ganesh Mandir in Bhaktapur with a reception back at her house. This picture is of the priest that was hired to carry out the ceremony. He is preparing the pooja.

ABOVE: In front of the Ganesh Mandir where the wedding ceremony was being held, these bells are placed for worshipers to use while praying. The statues in the background have been heavily masked with red powder, known as tikka, as a blessing given by mandir goers.

"the girls"

The mask swallows

“the girls” whose ideas of fairness and humility

Are disguised under the unintelligible act of chatter

And the commercial language of shoes and clothes

Mark them as swallowed.

“the girls” have masks well-learned and well-liked,

But soon forget the difference between

The swallowed havens of voluntary darkness and of light

This tavern holds no ventilation and soon suffocation

Follows them in the recesses of the throats of chatter

Of the political powers that shovel inefficient excuses

Further down until digestion is tasteless but tolerable

And “the girls” wonder when they will no longer be young

When the mask will swallow them whole

Becoming the inaudible chatter

Of those who never listen and soon forgot “the girls”