Personal Nepal Project 2016
This is to introduce a personal fund raising project for my friend and colleague Raj Bahadur* and his family. They are direct victims of the devastating earth quakes in Nepal of spring 2015. Their house, in the village we shall here call Kumarigaon*, in Dolakha district was heavily damaged. The Nepalese government can probably allow them in stages the equivalent of USD 500 which however will not cover more than than 10-20% of the loss. Moreover, half of the family is staying in Kathmandu in a recently built house, for which debt and interest need to be paid off.
At present, this personal support project has already brought together USD 1200. I wholeheartedly thank my friends who have helped so far, and invite everybody interested to join us with a donation on my private bank account (no, I shall not buy a lifelong stock of Belgian beers from it.):
NL91 INGB 0004645555, F.Erdmann e/o M.D. van Houten, Amsterdam.
Let me tell you more about the backgrounds and details of the project.
Ideas and plans
Since my first visit in 1976, the Himalayas have remained the focus of my interest. As a student in cultural anthropology, I did fieldwork among Tibetan buddhists of Ladakh in Northwest-India in 1979 and 1981. I guided my first tourist tour there in 1988 and have returned many times to Northwest-India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet to organize and guide more tours; teahouse treks, far-off camping expeditions, language tours, culture tours and some bicycling tours. All these projects could only be succesful because of the help of local colleagues, porters, pack animal guidesmen, cooks and guides, language teachers, hotel and lodge owners and personnel. Especially the cooks and guides, with whom I have worked a number of times and whom I have met again occasionally afterwards, became friends I can never forget. Their memories keep returning in my mind. Now I am getting old and must retire from professional tour guiding, I am planning to return and see if I can pay them a visit; maybe just a visit, maybe they can now use some support from my side. |
| KTM Royal palace museum, before/after |
Actually, I did not at the time, and even after asking around I did not find the right channels or projects, until I received an e-mail at Christmas time from an old Nepali colleague and friend. We have been working together on expeditions in 1989 and 1990. In his e-mail he just wished me and my family well and told he was fine in Kathmandu, but his village house was badly damaged. He did not ask for help, and I could have just said that I was happy to hear from him and sorry about the house, wishing him well too. In fact however, I was really touched by his message and saw an opportunity to combine some plans and ideas: So, I decided to travel to Kathmandu in January to meet my old friend Raj Bahadur, do some tour preparing work, and see how the post earthquake situation is in Kathmandu and in his village.
Kathmandu
Of course, Kathmandu has changed a lot since my first visits in the seventies. It grew into three to five times its former size. Modern buildings of cement and iron rods are rising above the traditional houses and temples of woodwork and locally produced brick. The recent earth quakes have severely reduced the number of traditional buildings. We used to bike among very few, mainly public transport cars, buses and taxis. Now, there are almost as many private cars and mopeds and motorcycles as there are people, all queing and honking and exhausting fumes, in a traffic where there is only one rule, that of the strongest.During the 7 years (2001-2008) of Maoist civil war, also called "people's war", many people in the country were not safe either from the governmental army or from the Maoists, and fled to the Kathmandu valley. This made the population grow disproportionately.
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| KTM Major temple before/after |
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| Kasthamandap before and after |
Energy crisis
Cars have always had to stand in line for petrol and diesel in Kathmandu and the same is true for the enormous number of mopeds. Now however, the lines were a kilometer long and waiting times are over twenty four hours! Since last September Nepal is suffering from an energy crisis. A large proportion of the population of the Terai, also called Madeshi, has already for long been dissatisfied by the way they are represented in political bodies and financially treated unequally by government administration. They have organized themselves in a Madhesi political party, representing them in the government. However, when in September at long last a constitution was presented for the new Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, they were gravely disappointed with the result. Since then, Madeshi activist groups have been blocking the Indian border passages, controlling especially the fuel imports. Confrontations with the Nepalese army have led to casualties, but the Madeshi protesters continue to operate from the Indian side of the border where the Indian army by not intervening chooses their side. The Indian government seems to use the occasion to ruthlessly put pressure on Nepali economy and politics. For no less than 4-5 months, the supply of petrol, diesel, kerosine and gas has been totally thrown back on the black market which has made prices rise severely. People in the streets where extremely gloomy about this problem, which they considered totally unnessessary. Their helplessness enhanced their bad feelings towards the Madeshi, India and actually, also towards their own Nepali government.Latest news is that just now in mid-February the prime minister of Nepal finally went to Delhi (his first visit there). It has led to relieve of the blockades. Transport of goods fuels and gas into Nepal have started again and Nepal even has promised extra fuel imports from India. Nevertheless, the Nepali economy has suffered immensely during the last few months and prices will not return easily to the former level
The Raj Bahadur family
After 1989 and 1990, I had met Raj Bahadur once by accident in Northwest-India and once in my familiar hotel in Kathmandu in 2006. He was in good health. He has been working all these years for the same travel company. Although seasonal work, it has allowed him to earn enough cash to build a village house and provide lodging and education in Kathmandu for part of his children. It must be remarked that some of the traveling guests also helped with financial support. Moreover, connected with the travel company is a charity foundation, which takes care of his youngest son.Raj Bahadur has no less than seven children. Let us make an overview of the family in order to keep track.
The family is Newar, the old tribe of the Kathmandu valley. The family also has its roots in the valley, but it moved out some generations ago. Raj Bahadur tells me his family is hindu. I laugh and say: "But I never saw you observe any religious ritual act". "That is right", he answers, "It is not really what I like doing". He is an exception in this respect, but nevertheless a respected man.
-Raj Bahadur: age 51: trekking guide/farmer, lives in KTM most of the time, guides about 6 tours each year for the same company, mostly in Nepal in March-May and September-November, but also in summer in Northwest-India. Last year however, there were no Indian tours he could guide. This makes him worry about his employment the coming season considering the bad situation in Nepal.
-His wife, age 54: lives in Kumarigaon village, takes care of the house (what is left of it) and tills the land. She is complaining because she thinks Raj Bahadur takes it easy when he is not with her in the village.
-His sister, age 44: is unmarried and lives in Kathmandu, if necessary to take care of his children, esp. Raj Bahadur's youngest son (10). She also helps in Kumarigaon. According to Raj Bahadur she is too small to find a husband, but I do not think she is that tiny for a Nepali. She apparently just does not wish to marry, which is not accepted easily in this society.
1. His oldest daughter, age 28: is married, lives independantly in KTM, has 1 daughter.
2. His second daughter, age 26: is married, lives in a village near Rolwaling, has 2 sons.
3. His third daughter, age 21: is not-married, lives in Bangalore, India, works and studies in an academic hospital as nursing/ assistent docter. She is the pride of the family, almost independant.
4. And his fourth daughter, age 20: studies at 'university' in KTM, business management. She, helped by her younger sister, does most of the house keeping in KTM.
5. His oldest son, age 18: studies at 'at university' in KTM, financial management. He helped his father administering his building expenses and debts. His 20 year old sister thinks he is very bright. To my surprise, he was never taught to use Excell to store the administration in his computer.
6. His youngest daughter, age 16: studies in high school in KTM. Raj Bahadur thinks she is a bit difficult to control. She likes to do things her own way (maybe like her aunty).
7. His youngest son, age 10: stays in KTM in the charity organisation hostel and attends their primary school. He seems a bit withdrawn. Does not like talking to grown-ups. School is fine, but he has difficulties in the hostel.
-His brother, age 60: lives next door in Kumarigaon and looks after RB's home and wife when he is away. His own home is totally collapsed. He has 1 son and 1 grandson, age 10 (He and RB's 10 year old son are friends).
-His nephew, lives also next door in Kumarigaon. His house is also totally collapsed. His son used to work for the same travel company as RB, but never made it to become a major staff member. He is now, a bus owner in Charikot. We stayed in a hotel in Charikot and went to have dinner in his home on our journey back.
The village headman, age 75. He came to RB's home both days I was there. Raj Bahadur is thinking of retiring and becoming farmer again in his village. I think he should be the one to replace the old headman.
The Kathmandu house
The first thing Raj Bahadur wanted to show me was where he lives in Kathmandu with his children, i.e. with his two daughters of 20 and 16 and his 18 year old son. Sometimes also his sister and youngest son stay with them. From my hotel we walked some 2.5 km to arrive in a quiet area with unpaved paths and scattered houses. "There", Raj Bahadur says, "there is my new house, the yellow one. I just built it recently after the earth quake. It took three months". |
| RB's 'yellow' house in Kathmandu |
We walk up the stairs and find three tidy rooms on the third floor, where they live. Also the rooftop is theirs and a fine place to cook and sit outside with a beautiful view. Raj Bahadur shows were he has some chicken roaming around. "I'll build a small house for them, because when that land is claimed by neighbours, they cannot stay there, and look that small sloping area behind the house is also mine. We'll grow vegetables there." Now in winter, it is too cold on the roof, so we sit in one of the rooms downstairs. While his daughters prepare dinner, Raj Bahadur and his son show me his administration. "Here is the municipal permit to build on this site". There is a wardcode and number, but no address? "From those data they know exactly where it is, but a real mail address will follow when we get our own electricity and fresh water connections. We made the applications, but for now we can use our neighbours'. We pay for it of course." The piece of land value is the equivalent of USD 9.000. The total cost of the house building of more than USD 20.000. half of it is loaned money at an interest rate of 10-15%. The house and land would sell at a profit of maybe one third, but Raj Bahadur needs it for at least another couple of years to let his children stay and go to school in Kathamndu. Normally, he would be able to pay off his debts if he can continue working in tourisme for soem more years. Now, however, there is money needed to rebuild his village house, and now prices are suddenly rising very much, partly because of the Madeshi problem. Moreover after the civil war and the earth quakes, bad news about political turmoil and rising prices will do no good to Nepal's attraction as a tourist destination. Raj Bahadurs has great fears. If he finds less employment and no financial support, he may have to sell his new house. As for himself, he is willing to resume village life in Kumarigaon as a farmer, but he is afraid that before long the opportunity for his children to finish their studies in Kathmandu will be in danger.
Kathmandu valley
During my stay I have visited several familiar places in the valley. Svayambunath, the 'monkey temple', rising high to the west of Kathmandu, is still intact. In fact, it is a buddhist monument, a large stupa on a hill top. They say there used to be a lake in the valley and the stupa has risen spontaneously where a lotus grew in the lake. It usually is a busy place of pilgrimage, but this time I could roam around there by myself with hardly any other visitors around. I always enjoy figuring out which of all the artefacts must be the oldest, dating back to the Licchavi period (4th-9th c. A.D.). Hindus gather at the small Hariti temple next to the main stupa and have the attending brahmin perform a puja. |
| Bodhnath stupa before and after |
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| Bhaktapur ruined houses |
Patan Durbar square also a few temples. Nearby, the famous golden temple seemed untouched, as were most houses. Even Patan museum in the royal palace was open. The generator was not running (lack of fuel no doubt), so it was too dark to see most of the objects properly. I was rather disappointed and after the visit I went to the cassier and suggested I should be restituted 3/4 of the 600 NRS which I paid as entry fee (for Nepali NRS 80 only). I looked at the man very seriously, but actually meant it half as a joke. To our surprise, he returned 450 NRS to me instantly.
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| Patan Durbar Square before and after |
The village house in Kumarigaon
After a few days in Kathmandu we traveled to Raj Bahadur's village. It took a twelve hour journey. The first follows the Arniko rajmarg, the "highway" to Tibet, where the border is closed due to landslides since the earth quakes. It leaves the valley via Dhulikhel, where clear mornings allow a Mt Everest view. Then it dives far down to Dholaghat bridge across the Indrawati river at 900m. After a climb to Lamosangu, we divert eastward from the highway to Charikot, de Dolakha district headquarters. Actually Charikot is the new name of the district, but everybody still uses Dolakha. From Charikot the next diversion is northward to Si(ri)ngeti. It is a gravel road now which continues to Rolwaling, with a dirt road diverting to Bigu gompa. On the way we are dropped at Kumarigaon.
Local bus rides are always torture for me. Not so much because
the 32-seaters are filled with almost a hundred people, al lot of the on the roof. Most Nepali
people are too nice and friendly to avoid being near them. And when
mothers place their child in your lap it is too honourable a gesture of
trust to refuse. In our bus 5 boxes, each containing 50 one-day chicken, and 12 bags, each containing 30 kg of rice were also brought along. My problem however, is that my legs are too long and if they do not
constantly hit the chair in front of me, they don't allow me enough
room to move to change position. Unfortunately, I am not enough trained in relaxation yoga to forget the pain.
The village of Kumarigaon is in fact a 'ward', the smallest administrative unit, of about 150, mostly scattered houses. A ward is part of a 'VDC' (ca. 10 wards), and a district, in this case Charikot or Dolakha consists of 105 VDCs. Raj Bahadur's house used to be a few hundred meters down from the main foot path through the area. When this path was turned into a dirt road and made accessible for cars, he exchanged some land with his brother and moved nearer to this road, just below the village well.
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| Village home before and after |
After the earth quakes
On 25 en 26 April 2015 the first heavy eartquakes, 7.8 and 6.9 on the Richter scale, shook the Nepalese area south of Lamjung Himal, especially Gorkha en Sindupalchok. The number of casualties was first estimated at 8000. 12 May there was another serious quake, 7.4, further east and nearer to the Tibetan border. The latter hit Dolakha. Less than 100 people were killed, but local people think that lots of dead bodies covered by debris have not been counted. Many houses were also devastated.Soon after the earth quakes the government and the international Red Cross have made corrugated iron available for shelters. People in the effected areas have received government allowances in three stages: 1. The equivalent of 20 USD for food, 2. 150 USD again for survival and finally, 3. another 100 USD for extra clothes and blankets for the winter. For these allowances the most recent administrative data were followed. A couple of years back, each house has been obliged to build a separate toilet building and the owner has received a small amount from the government for that purpose. Now, each independant household member of the houses with a toilet registration, has received an earth quake victim registration card. Raj Bahadur and his sister both have such a card and each have collected the above mentioned allowance, which was given regardless of the real damage to the house. For rebuilding the houses, a new system will be used. Again in three stages, a total of USD 500 will be given, but now only to the owners of the really damaged houses. A damage assessment will be performed by government representatives within one year after the earth quake. This is why many victims who now live in corrugated iron sheds, have not started any rebuilding. In Kumarigaon I could observe only some houses in the process of being rebuilt, especially houses right along the road, which people needed to use as shops to earn some cash. Others were postponing till after the assessment, hopefully in early spring. This means that everybody will start rebuilding at more or less the same time and prices of building materials such as cement and bricks, as well as professional plumbing and carpentry labour will be sky high. The border blockade also has effected the prices. For many families the government allowance will cover no more tan 10 or 20 percent of their cost.
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| Brother's home |
The personal support project
It is clear that Raj Bahadur even if he manages to stay employed in tourism, cannot both pay his debt and interest in Kathmandu, and restore his village house at the same time. For this he needs to be supported and I want to help him with some fund raising.The presently collected sum amounts to USD 1200. I wholeheartedly thank my friends who have helped already with donations and want to again invite everybody interested in joining us in this personal support project with a donation on my private bank account nr.NL91 INGB 0004645555, F.Erdmann e/o M.D. van Houten, Amsterdam.
Please, trust that via this blog, I will keep you posted on the progress of the amount collected, of the transfers to Nepal and finally, how it is spent on pay-offs in Kathmandu and rebuilding in Kumarigaon.
*Because via this blog personal information is made public, I have for reasons of privacy and security used pseudonyms mentioning my friend and his village.
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