"Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores": Adventures in Rukum...Part I

I know I haven't written in a while and have lost touch with blogosphere but it's because I've been travelling around in Rukum and here's a super long write for you all. There's Part 1 and Part 2 :)

THE LANDING

The plane shakes and drops (I swear it could qualify to be in an amusement park!) It’s a 1 hr 15 minute flight from Kathmandu to Rukum. I swear, I got that adrenaline rush. As we’re landing, we’re pretty much surrounded by hills –so gorgeous yet scary at the same time. Never in my life have I prayed so much, while I was in the plane. to keep me alive. I can see some nervous passengers as the plane drops and gets closer to land –so not smooth! The plane lands and wow –hills pretty much everywhere and we just landed on this not-so-big grassy area. So many emotions –thrilled, amazed and oh shit, how in the world did he just land in this small area which was also a cliff.

Oh sorry, forgot to mention how I could see the pilot and the engine from where I sat :)

People from KTM + hills = SLOW?

As I’m confidently walking up the hills (not to mention going in front of my co-worker), people that pass me ask me where I’m from. They find out I’m from KTM and the first thing they say is “Bahini timlai hidna garo bhayena? Kasari etro pahad chadyo kathmandu ma basera?" (translation: Isn't it hard for you to walk? How did you climb the hills even though you're from Kathmandu). I pass more people and it’s the same story. I pat myself on the back for being able to walk (i'm sorry confidently walk) and kind of chuckle and realize that it’s probably true for some people but seriously, we have a stereotype that we need to get rid of. Anyways, we had to walk between 1-3 hrs to get to different villages and my favorite was definitely uphill :)

How gorgeous is this? Rainbow against the hills!

Boo Rainy Season

Oh gosh, travelling in the rainy season is such a pain especially when you have to cross rivers that come up to my knees. I am such a newbie when it comes to crossing these rivers. Usually the villager held my hand and once, I got a piggy-back ride (don’t laugh). In addition to crossing rivers, the trails going downhill was another -"oh shit, I hope I survive and not slip off narrow trails and head down the cliffs." The trails were all muddy and were composed of red clay and the rain just made it super slippery and decided to give the new person in Rukum a little scare. My co-worker and the community motivator (someone from the community working for the project) are wearing slippers and walking the downhills so easily –no big deal. Then there’s me, wearing my waterproof trekking shoes, knees trembling as I take every step. The trails uphill were not a big issue but downhill was a real scare. I was literally sitting and descending while others laughed at me for being such a newbie. Mad respect to the locals who have to do their daily tasks (cutting grass far from home, fetching water, etc) regardless of the weather.

Don't judge. Because I know you are, that is why I didn't put up the picture of me getting a piggy-back across the river.

Working for Save the Children for two months has allowed me to explore two districts of Nepal: Rukum and Banke. Although I didn’t get to stay with the local people in Banke, I got the opportunity to stay 3 nights with the locals in various VDCs of Rukum à Bhalakcha & Rhunga. It may not be enough to fully understand them, however, I did understand some aspects of their lives and culture. For me, this was a great start to something that will definitely continue after I finish my semester of Bachelor’s degree and my MPH degree.

I’m helping with some documentation of the outcomes of the FSI project. Similar to Banke, I ran focus group discussions (FGD) and conducted questionnaires with the help of my co-workers. The project aims to increase food production and household income and improve nutrition by executing various such as mobilizing and coaching vulnerable groups, increasing access to safety nets, increasing access to land and water, improving agricultural and nutritional practices, creating links to agricultural inputs, services and markets and providing opportunities for off-farm vocation and micro-enterprises. The villagers were so thankful for the project and you could really see the excitement and gratitude in their eyes and the way they treated us. Since the project was coming to an end, they were sad and hoped that such projects that focused on nutrition education and improvement in agricultural practices and income would continue. Do read my research paper later about the impact of the project which I will post later once I’m done.

Here are some pictures of the kitchen garden...