My last few days in Nepal before returning to UK on Tuesday evening were so hectic with trying to fit everything in that I was even denied my little pleasure of blogging. Business has now resumed, but only temporarily before I go for two weeks' holiday to The Scilly Isles on Saturday. I don't expect there to be any blogging from there and I really hope that there is very little to report upon in any case.
Driving from the airport on Tuesday I was struck by the clarity of the air - a stark contrast from the car exhaust polluted air of Kathmandu - and the beauty of the landscape even when viewed from the M25 motorway. Those who live in the UK and complain about it don't know their good fortune. Mind you I was beginning to wonder a little myself yesterday as I contemplated the incessant rain and took on board the flood warnings that were being issued by the Met Office. I thought that I had been escaping the monsoon.
Stepping out of the door of my in laws home in Welwyn Garden City for my early morning (6.00 a.m.) jog, I knew immediately that this would be quite a different experience, a world away from pounding the back streets of Kathmandu. The air was crisp and clean and all felt fresh after a thorough soaking yesterday. But there was more to savour, as I enjoyed the security and comfort of even footpaths and pavements, the manicured gardens and hedges and the silence of public woods. The well trodden forest paths (probably kept in control by the genteel locals with their labradors) were a delight, with no hint of the dog mess that one has to avoid in Kathmandu. This was my longest run since I resumed regular exercise two weeks ago however that was not a case of my being virtuous. The truth of the matter is that I became lost in the oneness of it all and eventually had to retrace my steps to trudge my way home.
This afternoon I will be chairing an interview board for a replacement for one of my two London office staff members, Camilla Kinchin, who has resigned her appointment after a great four years' service to the Trust both in UK and Nepal. This will represent a temporary setback for us as we have to stand the (unavoidable) costs of advertising in the national press for a replacement who will then of course have to be trained up to meet our needs. But yesterday there came an unexpected bonus.
Earlier in the day I had been telling my father in law how I felt that I needed not just a replacement for Camilla but an extra staff member to support me in Nepal. Even that would still represent skeleton staffing but it would give the balance of having two staff in each country and allow me a better chance of meeting those deadlines that seem to slip all the time.
The Good Lord was one ahead of me for hours later in came an e mail from a young lady who had seen the advertisement for the vacancy in the London office. She is intending to apply to the Vodafone "World of Difference" programme that pays the salary and expenses for a staff member for one year and wishes to do so on the basis of joining our team. It may not come to anything but she has very strong credentials within the sector and if successful that would allow the two appointments in London to be shared by three individuals allowing rotation of support to the Nepal office.
Ours is a very small charity that achieves a great deal and has big ambitions in the fight against child trafficking. An extra pair of hands really would make a world of difference.
