on top of the world
Annapurna Range from Pokhara
Friday, May 27, 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/may/27/nepal-women-in-politics
gender, politics, Nepal....
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Spring Break Trek
click here to see photos of the Dier-Surborg Girls Spring Break Trek in Annapurna.
Field visit to Nepal's far west
click here to see photos of Astrid's field visit to the beautiful far-west districts of Dadeldhura and Baitadi
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
More Nepal...
click on the photo to see more images from the past few months... Christmas, family, Kaja's birthday, outings, work field visits...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
More snapshots from the field...
My field visits continued into March with a couple of short trips into rural Lalitpur District and then a nine day trip to the far west districts of Dadeldhura and Baitadi to visit CECI's projects in the agriculture and local governance sectors. In Lalitpur I participated in Claire's (CECI vet and dairy health expert) animal health workshops for local farmers. Don't worry- I wasn't doing any advising on animal health (as someone who is struggling to care for two small domestic kittens and only recently acquired the confidence to distinguish a buffalo from a cow I felt somewhat unqualified... not to mention that I just learned that mules are a cross between horses and donkeys... who knew?!?!). So I left the animals up to Claire and focused on the people- my role was to facilitate a short discussion on gender and social inclusion in the dairy sector. This is part of our strategy to integrate a gender perpective into all Uniterra volunteer mandates and reinforce the link between social and technical programming. This is good for me too and makes me step out of my social science comfort zone and embrace trees, crops and buffalo- a more balanced approach overall. In the dairy sector the main gender and social inclusion challenges involve the lack of participation by women, Dalits and certain ethnic groups in leadership and decision making positions and control over resources. Although women typically spend more time than men caring for and managing livestock, men are more likely to be members of dairy cooperatives, especially in executive board positions. Men are also more likely to control the financial resources connected to dairy farming. Many ethnic groups and certain castes are excluded from the dairy sector all together. We're working with the dairy unions to promote inclusion by recognising the rights of women and all castes and ethnic groups and valuing their contribution, voices, perspectives and knowledge. Soooo... there's lots to do- let's start on the upside...
Life on the upside...
I'm back in the same village a couple of weeks later with colleagues from Vietnam and Canada and we've broken into small groups to do farm visits. I'm starting to feel a bit discouraged because it seems to be men, men, men controlling our agenda and sitting down to meet with us. In our first meeting with dairy cooperative members it was mostly men and a just a few women. As we begin the farm visits the same pattern is emerging- the men sit down to talk to us and show us around while the women remain in the background doing household chores or shyly watching us and chatting amongst themselves. So we adopt a radical approach... we ask to talk to the women. And... it's fine, no problem. The men get up and make room and the women come and take their places. We have a great discussion and get to hear their perspective- all we had to do was ask (but it would be nice to not always have to ask...). And the best part of it was an articulate young girl- maybe 14 or 15 years old- with really impressive English skills who took on the role of translator/spokesperson for her female relatives (as her father the local school headmaster looked on proudly) and shared some her own views about the value of including women and educating girls. You go girl!
and the downside...
We're in Dadeldhura in Nepal's relatively remote far west region and I'm walking back to the district headquarter with two of my colleagues after a meeting. We're feeling hopeful because the women at the meeting were enthusastic and regular attendance for their literacy classes had markedly increased since the last time my colleagues visited. However, there's also a shadow hanging over our impressions of the visit as we noticed that at least two of the women were sitting off to the side of the group. This is because they're menstruating and chaupadi is still openly practiced in this part of the country. This practice labels menstruating women as 'impure' or untouchable and also extends to women who have just given birth and are then left alone for a length of time caring for their new babies and themselves. We're following a meandering path along the river in this picturesque green valley and discussing the meeting while my colleagues greet friends and neighbours as we pass by villages. Despite the many challenges faced by people here, at this moment life seems peaceful and hopeful. But then we see a scene down on the riverside which quicky shatters this image. As I look down at the river I see something that I recognise immediately as a body under a cover being prepared for a cremation (a Hindu ritual- the ashes are then released into the river). The cover is very simple and there doesn't seem to be any ceremony or anyone attending the ritual. My colleagues are filled in by some people in the nearby village. It was a 15 year old girl who had committed suicide. As my mind was spinning about what would lead a 15 year old girl (only 3 years older than my own daughter) to commit suicide I could see how unsettled my colleagues are too. A sad, sad scene to end the day.
and more downside...
The next day visit we're in neighbouring Baitadi District and hiking down to a village about a 40 minute walk from the road. We were invited there by a young woman at another meeting earlier that week- she really wanted us to see her village and some of the challenges they face and also their achievements. We arrive too early and everyone is still busy preparing and eating 'dahl bhat' (the lentil and rice midday meal). As we're waiting outside one of the houses for the women to gather for our meeting some workers pass by carrying building material. A few minutes later the woman from the house comes out and starts flicking drops of water at us and all around. I'm confused but my colleague recognises what's happening right away and tells me it's because the workers are Dalit so the woman is attempting to 'cleanse' her house. My colleague bristles and says to me that now the people don't know that she's Dalit but as soon as she introduces herself at the meeting they'll be able to tell from her family name. She doesn't hold back- at the meeting she clearly states her full name and when we leave we speculate if they are throwing water after our departure too. The meeting has an air of tension to it- partly because of the water throwing incident and also because of the drunk men hanging about and telling the women that they shouldn't bother to listen to us. The women themselves appear malnourished and irritable- frequently getting into arguments with each other and finding it difficult to articulate their thoughts and ideas to us. We ask where the Dalits in this village live and we're told that they live on the downside and that there aren't very many families. I wonder if the 'downside' means further away from fertile land, irrigation schemes and other resources but I'm not sure- sometimes everything gets lost in translation and I misinterpret or jump to conclusions too quickly. There is a positive or optimistic side to this interaction too. The woman who invited us to this meeting is a young woman with natural leadership skills and a vision for the women and men in her village. Hopefully she'll have more opportunities to put these leadership skills to use and be a role model for other women and girls in her community. As we leave the village we're also shown small agirculture projects which show a lot of potential and my colleagues offer guidance and advice. After a week of festive welcomes which made us feel a bit like local celebrities it's good that we had this learning experience too- a good reality check to put our work into perspective.
Life on the upside...
Nepal, with the exception of the Terai region in the south, is a hilly and mountainous place. Lots of upsides and downsides- both literally and metaphorically (people often describe places as being on the downside or upside of a town or village and life on the downside can be tough). One day I had some free time during a workshop in rural Lalitpur District and I met up with a local education official who wanted to show me his farm on the 'upside' of the village. And it it was definitely up, up ,up a winding gravel path to a hilltop overlooking the terraced hillsides surrounding the village. When we arrived at his home he introduced me to his wife who was busy taking care of their two buffalo. He then went to the house and prepared our lunch over a wood fire and then served his wife first (the biggest portion), then myself and the three of us sat down and ate together. His English was quite good and he explained that his wife didn't have the opportunity to go to school so they felt that it was important for all three of their children (2 girls and 1 boy) to have a good education right through university. Now all three are in Kathmandu studying at uni and working while their very proud parents are managing day to day life on the little farm with the beautiful view on the 'upside'. There was so much that I wanted to ask his wife but I was too slow and missed my opportunity. She ate quickly and then jumped up and went back to her buffalo- busy, busy, busy with only two people on the farm but it's a sacrafice they've made for their children's future. And I left the little farm with a tummy full of delicious food and with a little bit more hope that the young girls of this generation will have more opportunities than their mothers and grandmothers ever dreamed of.
more upside...I'm back in the same village a couple of weeks later with colleagues from Vietnam and Canada and we've broken into small groups to do farm visits. I'm starting to feel a bit discouraged because it seems to be men, men, men controlling our agenda and sitting down to meet with us. In our first meeting with dairy cooperative members it was mostly men and a just a few women. As we begin the farm visits the same pattern is emerging- the men sit down to talk to us and show us around while the women remain in the background doing household chores or shyly watching us and chatting amongst themselves. So we adopt a radical approach... we ask to talk to the women. And... it's fine, no problem. The men get up and make room and the women come and take their places. We have a great discussion and get to hear their perspective- all we had to do was ask (but it would be nice to not always have to ask...). And the best part of it was an articulate young girl- maybe 14 or 15 years old- with really impressive English skills who took on the role of translator/spokesperson for her female relatives (as her father the local school headmaster looked on proudly) and shared some her own views about the value of including women and educating girls. You go girl!
and the downside...
We're in Dadeldhura in Nepal's relatively remote far west region and I'm walking back to the district headquarter with two of my colleagues after a meeting. We're feeling hopeful because the women at the meeting were enthusastic and regular attendance for their literacy classes had markedly increased since the last time my colleagues visited. However, there's also a shadow hanging over our impressions of the visit as we noticed that at least two of the women were sitting off to the side of the group. This is because they're menstruating and chaupadi is still openly practiced in this part of the country. This practice labels menstruating women as 'impure' or untouchable and also extends to women who have just given birth and are then left alone for a length of time caring for their new babies and themselves. We're following a meandering path along the river in this picturesque green valley and discussing the meeting while my colleagues greet friends and neighbours as we pass by villages. Despite the many challenges faced by people here, at this moment life seems peaceful and hopeful. But then we see a scene down on the riverside which quicky shatters this image. As I look down at the river I see something that I recognise immediately as a body under a cover being prepared for a cremation (a Hindu ritual- the ashes are then released into the river). The cover is very simple and there doesn't seem to be any ceremony or anyone attending the ritual. My colleagues are filled in by some people in the nearby village. It was a 15 year old girl who had committed suicide. As my mind was spinning about what would lead a 15 year old girl (only 3 years older than my own daughter) to commit suicide I could see how unsettled my colleagues are too. A sad, sad scene to end the day.
and more downside...
The next day visit we're in neighbouring Baitadi District and hiking down to a village about a 40 minute walk from the road. We were invited there by a young woman at another meeting earlier that week- she really wanted us to see her village and some of the challenges they face and also their achievements. We arrive too early and everyone is still busy preparing and eating 'dahl bhat' (the lentil and rice midday meal). As we're waiting outside one of the houses for the women to gather for our meeting some workers pass by carrying building material. A few minutes later the woman from the house comes out and starts flicking drops of water at us and all around. I'm confused but my colleague recognises what's happening right away and tells me it's because the workers are Dalit so the woman is attempting to 'cleanse' her house. My colleague bristles and says to me that now the people don't know that she's Dalit but as soon as she introduces herself at the meeting they'll be able to tell from her family name. She doesn't hold back- at the meeting she clearly states her full name and when we leave we speculate if they are throwing water after our departure too. The meeting has an air of tension to it- partly because of the water throwing incident and also because of the drunk men hanging about and telling the women that they shouldn't bother to listen to us. The women themselves appear malnourished and irritable- frequently getting into arguments with each other and finding it difficult to articulate their thoughts and ideas to us. We ask where the Dalits in this village live and we're told that they live on the downside and that there aren't very many families. I wonder if the 'downside' means further away from fertile land, irrigation schemes and other resources but I'm not sure- sometimes everything gets lost in translation and I misinterpret or jump to conclusions too quickly. There is a positive or optimistic side to this interaction too. The woman who invited us to this meeting is a young woman with natural leadership skills and a vision for the women and men in her village. Hopefully she'll have more opportunities to put these leadership skills to use and be a role model for other women and girls in her community. As we leave the village we're also shown small agirculture projects which show a lot of potential and my colleagues offer guidance and advice. After a week of festive welcomes which made us feel a bit like local celebrities it's good that we had this learning experience too- a good reality check to put our work into perspective.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tales from the field...
The most beautiful meeting...
Kaja and Claire: hitching a ride with the milk truck
Travel by 'magic'
One of the highlights of travelling is often the actual method of travel... rickshaw, tuk-tuk, cyclo, horseback, camelback... and Nepal is no exception. Here we have safa tempos, tata sumos, microbuses, macrobuses, motorbikes, milk trucks and yes even magic. So now you're thinking 'really? magic?'. Maybe not quite as romantic as it sounds but a fun ride nonetheless. Tata magics are 10 (officially if you don't count the people hanging out the windows and sitting on the roof) seater diesel trucks which are used for public transport in and around Hetauda and Makawanpur District. And hey- it's just fun to say 'let's go by magic':)!
Many cups of tea...
In the spirit of Greg Mortnensen's controversial book 'Three cups of tea' a colleague and I recently agreed that we would call our memoirs 'Many cups of tea'. Yes- many, many, many...
During recent trips to Hetauda and surrounding villages in Makawanpur District we indulged in many cups while visiting and meeting with local dairy unions, cooperatives and farmers to assess the animal health situation (Claire and Pierre's role) and the gender equity and social inclusion situation (my role). Kaja was even able to join us for a few days during her December school holidays to take in the 'thrill' of travelling by sumo, magic and milk truck and experience small town, village and rural life in Nepal. Offering delicious sweet, milky Nepali tea is a standard courtesy in offices and homes and I'm not complaining as it is often a welcome 'pick me up' and all part of the relationship building process.
During recent trips to Hetauda and surrounding villages in Makawanpur District we indulged in many cups while visiting and meeting with local dairy unions, cooperatives and farmers to assess the animal health situation (Claire and Pierre's role) and the gender equity and social inclusion situation (my role). Kaja was even able to join us for a few days during her December school holidays to take in the 'thrill' of travelling by sumo, magic and milk truck and experience small town, village and rural life in Nepal. Offering delicious sweet, milky Nepali tea is a standard courtesy in offices and homes and I'm not complaining as it is often a welcome 'pick me up' and all part of the relationship building process.
The 'many cups of tea' continued in late February during a field visit to beautiful Dolakha District where I met with women's savings and credit cooperatives, local NGOs and community forest groups (CFUGs) together with my colleague Ganesh. I'm more than happy to continue with this approach to relationship building and establishing partnerships- as long as my bladder holds out and my body can handle the occasional caffeine induced sleep challenges!
In the shadow of the Himalaya: the most beautiful meeting in the world
I've been fortunate to have opportunities to travel and work in many places around the world but last month I think I had the most 'beautiful' meeting ever with a community forest users group and women's savings and credit group in Dolakha. Ganesh and I took a half hour dusty local bus ride from Charikot, the district centre, then got off and walked uphill for about forty minutes to a community 'open space' meeting place. Stunning snow capped himalayas and green terraced hillsides dotted with farming villages provided the backdrop to our meeting. Most of the (mainly women) participants had walked one or two hours down the hillside and were enthusiastic about sharing their achievements and challenges and plans and... it was a very inspiring exchange which kept me from getting too distracted by the scenery. However... having these 'open space' community meeting places may seem idyllic to a naive foreigner like me but one of the challenges the women described was (of course!) the rainy season. I was lucky enough to be there during the dry season but during the rain soaked summer months it's difficult to find a suitable dry meeting space and often carefully handwritten documents and accounts are lost to the challenges of the elements. The women were animated and enthusiastic as they described their plans for a community meeting building- just a simple structure on the hillside where the local people can meet and keep themselves and their paperwork dry and healthy. As they recounted their stories, experiences, hopes and plans I relied on Ganesh for translating the words but the faces of these women- the eyes, the lines, the smiles- told a million stories without words.
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