Visiting sponsored families

We have met Mann, the Nepal Education Fund rep and local. He is amazing, quietly spoken and very helpful. The school is Mount High School in Pokhara. I googled it and only found a secondary one, but Ed's two children go there and they are primary age.

Initially we have been visiting the three young people, that Ed has been sponsoring for the past 7 years, through a registered organisation called Nepal Education Fund. Ed taught in Canada in 91 (when I was in Vancouver) and again in 94 when he met a woman who started to sponsor a few children. This has expanded and now she manages 180 children with sponsors from all over the world, including several Rotary groups. The local contact (Mann) is extremely kind and very effective. My friend has been planning to come here for 2 years, so he has a huge suitcase full of things to donate. (I had way less.) Today we took these two suitcases to an office In a home where they were divided up between poor schools. It was interesting because I thought the place we were in was in was pretty poor. Mann showed me some pictures of walking two days up incredibly winding sides of hills to get to remote schools. Everything came in on a person's back, many paths were too narrow for a yak or donkey.

Umesh and his brother came from their home town to Mann's house. Although he was quiet originally, Ed said he chattered when they walked to the bus stop. His younger brother has enjoyed school more, but both were very concerned that their mother couldn't afford medical treatment. That's a lot for kids so young to bear.

Sima and her sister played with the two young children before Mann took us on a long walk to Rajesh's house. We went through streets with houses built by Canadians, UK and US expats. Some had local people, as tenants while others sit empty most of the year. One, built by Canadians, had huge curved walls.

Both families we have visited have lived in a "house" that has a 1.5 m ceiling, under corrugated iron. One had a single window that was circular brickwork with no glass. One was 3m long, with a bed at each end, and a tiny gas burner in the middle. In one house, the food shelf had tiny plastic jars of a half cup of lentils, a little oil and some spices. I thought Cambodia and Laos were poor, but these people are really managing with less. We bought rice and potatoes and eggs as we left. One mother was tiny. She looked about 12 but was 20 (2 kids, 5 and 18 months). The other was a more robust 35 year old with an 19 year old son. She sweeps roads and her husband sells musical instruments in the tourist area. We have seen him several times since, and he is a happy man. This reminds me that families can be the same to world over. In almost every case, parents want to best for their children, and are prepared to move great distances, just to improve the lives of their children.

So, now we are wondering why we brought thermal underwear. So if I write this here, I will see it in a few weeks's time and hopefully laugh, not nod. Ed's from Aldi at $10 a pair, that he wore in Africa and my Columbia, brand named and with super silver shiny lining don't compare. Maybe I can wear mine inside out as a disco statement? But today I need to think about not getting sunburnt. Ah, first world problems.

Every third conversation is about the "school" near Pokhara? Just what will the English language level be? When I think about Hossein, my Inverbrackie friend's language, I marvel at how quickly some learn, when there is the chance to use it. And how slow I am now. I can say hello and goodbye.