Incredible Hardship - Far West Nepal (I)
the adventure
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"It was as if Every Element in their Universe had Conspired Against Them!"
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This was an eye-opening yet emotionally trying experience. As we sat with each low-caste community and listened to the villagers share their daily struggles, our hearts were broken for them over and over again.
Our mission was to conduct a recce of this Far West region, in order to engage with the different people groups and assess their community needs. In all, we met, sat and broke bread with 21 mostly low-caste villages in a vast, triangular-shaped region that was surrounded by jungle and major river tributaries. There were many more communities in the area that we did not have the opportunity to visit and engage, but I suspected that their stories of struggles and hardship were not very different.
A very hard and arid land... a near continuous cycle of harsh temperatures and devastating monsoon floods... frequent threats from elephants and jackals that raided and destroyed homes... periodic harassment of girls and women by other higher-caste villagers... limited jobs... poor education and healthcare access... prostitution and liberal ganja use... diseases like HIV Aids and malaria... contaminated water sources... insufficient food and nutrition... the list went on. It was as if every element in their universe had conspired to make their lives unbearable, desperate and hopeless.
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I thought I had witnessed first-hand some pretty terrible conditions in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquakes. But, the idea of having to live each day under such trying conditions here was something else. From the perspective of disaster preparedness and community development, every village had a desperate need in every imaginable area.
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Although life here was hard, the terrain harsh and the climate inhospitable, we also found a people who were welcoming, generous and curious. Many probably did not quite understand why we had bothered to make the difficult journey here to meet and sit with them. After all, their social and cultural norms constantly reminded them that they neither deserved attention nor care.
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As we take stock of our findings from this recce and look ahead, I know that crafting and executing an assistance strategy in the Far West region will be no small task. But, if we can find ways to help uplift their incredible conditions, even just a little, then a tangible difference might be created. And, if we are also willing and able to stand with them in their hardship, then such solidarity and compassion might count for something valuable in the days ahead....
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