Four new UK volunteers came to visit me today prior to starting their attachment with us in Hetauda tomorrow. They were led by Lynne Rawlings who I've been in contact with for ages but only met today for the first time; I seem to know so many of the charity's supporters on this basis. The volunteers' task is to run a short mosaic selection course that will assess aptitude and commitment of potential new recruits to my Kathmandu studio. They themselves have no particular experience in this field but they follow in the wake of equally unqualified Hetauda volunteers this year who have served us brilliantly. Whatever their contribution, their just being there and showing an interest means so much to the girls - girls who have been rejected by their families and communities.
Today has been "Teachers' Day" in Nepal. Instead of this being used as a day to celebrate education in some way it is actually a school holiday with teachers skiving off and kids (like ours at the refuge) being left bored at home during the monsoon. The teachers should be ashamed of themselves and deserve for the most part no such accolade.
Monday, 30 July 2007
Saturday, 28 July 2007
The Indian Embassy
Yesterday I called at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to apply for a business visa for forthcoming circus rescue trips and networking in India. I went with some degree of curiosity after reading Jeff Vize's experiences there:
http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/04-12/escape-from-kathmandu-or-how-to-con-and-influence-apathetic-power-brokers-at-the-indian-embassy-kathmandu-nepal.html
I don't know if I met the same "balding" guy that he mentioned - the clerk I dealt with had a splendid red/brown toupee. He was also remarkably agreable. Perhaps this was because my worthy application stood out from the rest that'd he'd seen that morning or maybe it was just the contrast of my appearance with the rest of the applicants in the lengthy queue. There was a fair abundance of unsavoury-looking aged hippies who seemed to have little need of a toupee. The clerk did take issue with the letter of support from ChildLine India that I offered as being addressed "to whom it may concern"; he argued that this should have been addressed to the embassy which was the only authority to issue visas. I smiled sweetly at him and promised that if he issued me with a visa I would convey that observation to letter's signatory in person. Rather amazingly this comment coaxed a laugh out of him. Anyway, surprise, surprise I have to go and join the queue again on Wednesday as the embassy has to telex to UK to check my credentials, this being standard practice for all applicants.
My biggest enemy here is time and it will have taken the best part of a day in total to obtain this visa. There must be a better way of doing things in this day and age.
http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/04-12/escape-from-kathmandu-or-how-to-con-and-influence-apathetic-power-brokers-at-the-indian-embassy-kathmandu-nepal.html
I don't know if I met the same "balding" guy that he mentioned - the clerk I dealt with had a splendid red/brown toupee. He was also remarkably agreable. Perhaps this was because my worthy application stood out from the rest that'd he'd seen that morning or maybe it was just the contrast of my appearance with the rest of the applicants in the lengthy queue. There was a fair abundance of unsavoury-looking aged hippies who seemed to have little need of a toupee. The clerk did take issue with the letter of support from ChildLine India that I offered as being addressed "to whom it may concern"; he argued that this should have been addressed to the embassy which was the only authority to issue visas. I smiled sweetly at him and promised that if he issued me with a visa I would convey that observation to letter's signatory in person. Rather amazingly this comment coaxed a laugh out of him. Anyway, surprise, surprise I have to go and join the queue again on Wednesday as the embassy has to telex to UK to check my credentials, this being standard practice for all applicants.
My biggest enemy here is time and it will have taken the best part of a day in total to obtain this visa. There must be a better way of doing things in this day and age.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Red Panda
The girls in the mosaic studio have been surprised to have me join them over the past couple of days. This is indeed a rare occurence because of the pressures of work but a very welcome one for them and for me. The reason has been the necessity to give them some artistic guidance from my limited skills as we try to define the appearance of future "products" that we plan to sell to generate an income for them and for the project. I've been working on a design for a Red Panda, an endangered 
species in the Himalayas. See the original photograph and my interpretation of that on the right. This includes the use of fishing line projecting from the mosaic to simulate whiskers. It needs a bit more work doing to it and I have asked advice from my friends, mosaic artists Peter and Alison Massey in Derbyshire (www.zantium.co.uk). Meanwhile I am consulting young supporters in Facebook to see if they have any good design ideas.
species in the Himalayas. See the original photograph and my interpretation of that on the right. This includes the use of fishing line projecting from the mosaic to simulate whiskers. It needs a bit more work doing to it and I have asked advice from my friends, mosaic artists Peter and Alison Massey in Derbyshire (www.zantium.co.uk). Meanwhile I am consulting young supporters in Facebook to see if they have any good design ideas.My dogs have tuned into the Windows signature tune so that they know it's time to go outside for their final wee of the day when they hear those distinctive notes. Here goes....
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
The Last Resort
Last March a conference on international adoption was held in Kathmandu. Following that gathering it was agreed that better regulation was required and that international adoption guidelines should be introduced bringing the practice into line with The Hague Convention. Quite right and proper and no argument with that. The problem is that ever since then many international couples who had been allocated children (and who had a chance to bond with them) prior to this resolution have been left in limbo as their files were suspended pending the introduction of these guidelines. This is certainly not in the interests of the 436 children who are awaiting formal adoption, never mind the equilibrium of their prospective parents. The situation has not been helped by ill-considered comments by foreigners that have been used by Nepalese xenophobes as powerful ammunition against the concept of international adoption. For instance, Gillian Mellsop, the Country Representative of UNICEF in Nepal, is on the record as having described international adoption as "a last resort". With the greatest of respect to Gillian, I beg to differ.
Further down the resorts list might be that of staying at home. A newborn baby girl in Nepal has a higher risk of death in childhood than her counterpart in the West. Aside from the filth and malnutrition that may go with a domestic upbringing in rural Nepal and predispose to early death, children who are adopted internationally are at no risk whatsoever of some very grim local diseases. For example mosquito-borne illnesses such as Japanese Encephalitis and malaria are not uncommon in the south of Nepal. Both of these can be fatal and in the case of the former if a child survives he or she can be left severely brain damaged and bed-ridden. I will never forget seeing two sisters, Bina and Rina, in this state, hidden away in a back room of the family home in Bhairahawa, able to do little other than performing their basic bodily functions.
Assuming that a child from a poor family survives to age four he or she will enter the Government school system; this is pathetically under-resourced (especially in the rural areas) where there may be one teacher to 100 pupils. Teaching is based largely on rote learning and through presenting "examples" rather than offering explanations that would lead to comprehension. Creativity and original thought are stifled. A girl child is quite likely to drop out of school through family poverty (with her brothers taking preference to stay on at school) and soon afterwards she may find herself offloaded into an arranged marriage. Early marriage means early pregnancy and this is directly linked to high maternal mortality. But even if she were to carry on in education she'd have little chance of passing the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) at age 16, this purporting to be the key to some kind of a career. Less than 1% of Nepalese children who enter the government school system at age 4 pass SLC so it's small wonder that parents pull their kids out of education well in advance of this point. Anyway, success at SLC, rare as it may be, arguably only reflects a good memory for "facts" rather than a good education in the true sense of the word. So the education system is betraying and stifling Nepal's children who seem to be so innately industrious and capable. Educational provision is not likely to get any better in the foreseeable future.
I need not compare the above family upbringing with what an adopted child might expect in the USA or Europe, even if it is at the expense of "remaining in their own culture" - and by the way don't forget the size of the expatriate Nepali communities these days (this must prove something of my argument!). At least the child has a better chance of entering adulthood in good health and as a well rounded individual than if they were to remain in Nepal. However there are other circumstances that I consider can join the impoverished family upbringing well behind the "last resort" of international adoption. From our work we know only too well of how so many children from poor families end up being trafficked into a life of abuse and exploitation that may lead to adult prostitution. Other children from poor families or broken homes run the streets of Kathmandu, sniffing glue and well on their way to a life of adult crime and the prospect of early death. Then there is the option of the institutionalisation of the children's home, where thousands of children (mainly girls) are accommodated. As I see it this really is the last resort for childcare in a society where there are so many unwanted children and where domestic adoption usually equates to servitude. My Trust provides residential refuge care out of absolute necessity - a safety net - rather than as a satisfactory care option since there is no alternative at the moment for the 75 or so desperate children that we are looking after. I'd much rather see all of them adopted by loving families in Nepal (which seem to be at a premium) or linked with childless couples abroad who are yearning to extend their love for one another to a child who needs it - and who is wanted.
Further down the resorts list might be that of staying at home. A newborn baby girl in Nepal has a higher risk of death in childhood than her counterpart in the West. Aside from the filth and malnutrition that may go with a domestic upbringing in rural Nepal and predispose to early death, children who are adopted internationally are at no risk whatsoever of some very grim local diseases. For example mosquito-borne illnesses such as Japanese Encephalitis and malaria are not uncommon in the south of Nepal. Both of these can be fatal and in the case of the former if a child survives he or she can be left severely brain damaged and bed-ridden. I will never forget seeing two sisters, Bina and Rina, in this state, hidden away in a back room of the family home in Bhairahawa, able to do little other than performing their basic bodily functions.
Assuming that a child from a poor family survives to age four he or she will enter the Government school system; this is pathetically under-resourced (especially in the rural areas) where there may be one teacher to 100 pupils. Teaching is based largely on rote learning and through presenting "examples" rather than offering explanations that would lead to comprehension. Creativity and original thought are stifled. A girl child is quite likely to drop out of school through family poverty (with her brothers taking preference to stay on at school) and soon afterwards she may find herself offloaded into an arranged marriage. Early marriage means early pregnancy and this is directly linked to high maternal mortality. But even if she were to carry on in education she'd have little chance of passing the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) at age 16, this purporting to be the key to some kind of a career. Less than 1% of Nepalese children who enter the government school system at age 4 pass SLC so it's small wonder that parents pull their kids out of education well in advance of this point. Anyway, success at SLC, rare as it may be, arguably only reflects a good memory for "facts" rather than a good education in the true sense of the word. So the education system is betraying and stifling Nepal's children who seem to be so innately industrious and capable. Educational provision is not likely to get any better in the foreseeable future.
I need not compare the above family upbringing with what an adopted child might expect in the USA or Europe, even if it is at the expense of "remaining in their own culture" - and by the way don't forget the size of the expatriate Nepali communities these days (this must prove something of my argument!). At least the child has a better chance of entering adulthood in good health and as a well rounded individual than if they were to remain in Nepal. However there are other circumstances that I consider can join the impoverished family upbringing well behind the "last resort" of international adoption. From our work we know only too well of how so many children from poor families end up being trafficked into a life of abuse and exploitation that may lead to adult prostitution. Other children from poor families or broken homes run the streets of Kathmandu, sniffing glue and well on their way to a life of adult crime and the prospect of early death. Then there is the option of the institutionalisation of the children's home, where thousands of children (mainly girls) are accommodated. As I see it this really is the last resort for childcare in a society where there are so many unwanted children and where domestic adoption usually equates to servitude. My Trust provides residential refuge care out of absolute necessity - a safety net - rather than as a satisfactory care option since there is no alternative at the moment for the 75 or so desperate children that we are looking after. I'd much rather see all of them adopted by loving families in Nepal (which seem to be at a premium) or linked with childless couples abroad who are yearning to extend their love for one another to a child who needs it - and who is wanted.
Saturday, 21 July 2007
Cats and dogs
I got back to Nepal yesterday, returning to the height of the monsoon season. To celebrate my return my four dogs enjoyed a fight as dramatic, and in truth as harmless, as anything seen in any wild west saloon. Today though, they're bored and miserable as the rain outside is torrential.
Interesting to read that Facebook is now attracting 150,000 new members per day; its popularity doesn't surprise me. I set up a Facebook group for the Trust's work in Nepal a couple of weeks ago. Already we've got 105 members signed up. It's a great way for a charity to connect with younger supporters and for this comparative dinosaur to keep contact with the superb young volunteers who have served us recently in Nepal.
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Louis de Bernieres
Louis de Bernieres wrote an excellent article in the Sunday Times magazine a couple of days ago about his recent visit to Nepal.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2060945.ece
His beautiful writing means a lot to me. Captain Corelli's Mandolin was the last book that Esther read and enjoyed before she died. Coincidentally, in the solitary days after her death I sought comfort through reading a pocket edition of the Book of Job (ISBN 0-88241-791-0) and there I came across de Bernieres again with his insightful introduction to the book. Job's pain and bewilderment after all his tribulations is very tangible and although it dates from three thousand years ago feels somehow strikingly contemporary; de Bernieres analysed those sentiments with typical brilliance and indeed with some humour.
For me though, the message of that book is very clear and differs somewhat from de Bernieres' final conclusion of Job having had to contend with bombastic, uncaring God. My deduction instead is that there are no answers to the problem of suffering, the suffering that can be deeply personal or for that matter surrounds one all the time in Nepal. You just shouldn't seek answers that can only ever be unsatisfactory. Instead it's better to develop a focus, get on with it, try to meet life's problems in a practical manner and keep the faith in spite of whatever trauma comes your way.
That's been the secret of achieving results in Nepal.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2060945.ece
His beautiful writing means a lot to me. Captain Corelli's Mandolin was the last book that Esther read and enjoyed before she died. Coincidentally, in the solitary days after her death I sought comfort through reading a pocket edition of the Book of Job (ISBN 0-88241-791-0) and there I came across de Bernieres again with his insightful introduction to the book. Job's pain and bewilderment after all his tribulations is very tangible and although it dates from three thousand years ago feels somehow strikingly contemporary; de Bernieres analysed those sentiments with typical brilliance and indeed with some humour.
For me though, the message of that book is very clear and differs somewhat from de Bernieres' final conclusion of Job having had to contend with bombastic, uncaring God. My deduction instead is that there are no answers to the problem of suffering, the suffering that can be deeply personal or for that matter surrounds one all the time in Nepal. You just shouldn't seek answers that can only ever be unsatisfactory. Instead it's better to develop a focus, get on with it, try to meet life's problems in a practical manner and keep the faith in spite of whatever trauma comes your way.
That's been the secret of achieving results in Nepal.
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
ArtVenture
Today I crossed my fingers and applied to the Singapore-based philanthropic foundation ArtVenture (http://www.artventure.com/). They approached me a couple of months ago (always a good start when you're trying for funds!) following their research identifying our good work in Nepal. I've now applied for grant funding for our first three month long art workshop that will start this September. The aim of the workshop is to provide art therapy and training for up to 40 circus girl returnees - the first of its kind in Nepal. The course will help girls process their trauma - most returnees have some element of post traumatic stress disorder - and pave the way for employment within an art career. If they are trained and have the aptitude I can give them real jobs. We're lucky enough to have two visiting UK volunteers for that period; one is a potter, Alex Hunter (http://www.alex-hunter.co.uk/) and the other, Eleanor Lane, is an art therapist who has recently been working with Tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka.
Many of the other organisations in Nepal that purport to provide "rehabilitation" for trafficked girls settle for buying them a goat or a sewing machine. We can do much better than that.
Many of the other organisations in Nepal that purport to provide "rehabilitation" for trafficked girls settle for buying them a goat or a sewing machine. We can do much better than that.
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