Earthquakes - Ramechhap, Eastern Nepal (I)
the adventure
"Raising Yet Another Small Army of Servant Leaders in the Remote Mountains!"
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We did not expect the sudden drastic temperature drops in the Ramechhap mountains! As we made the long and difficult hike up the mountains, our training team members were all happily expecting pleasant 23-degree days. This time of year was supposed to be the ideal period for running an outdoor training course in these gorgeously scenic mountains. Instead, we faced strong biting winds, finger-numbing cold, snowfall and even hail! When the locals showed up for training in heavy winter coats and warm blankets, we looked at ourselves in our mostly light hiking gear and knew that we were in trouble. That we were so under-dressed made everyone feel vulnerable and cold all the time. To make matters worse, the nearly-sub zero temperatures at night made sleep both fitful and uncomfortable.
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Nonetheless, my intrepid training team pressed on. Thankfully, the sun did eventually show its warm face often enough for us to run all the outdoor lectures, activities and mission exercises. And, the hundred or so participants that we had invited from the surrounding villages were so engaged throughout! During the morning outdoor lectures, for instance, Jeebraj and I would sometimes have to go on for two-plus hours at a stretch without a break, but everyone would remain attentive up till the end. I reckoned that this was due less to our ability to captivate than their eagerness and hunger to learn. Most have never had the opportunity to learn about servant leadership or to undergo disaster preparedness training in this experiential manner. Likewise, no one had ever shared with them the simple truth that leadership is really about exercising positive influence through the right posture and role-modelling, and that everyone can be an effective leader without formal titles or positions.
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As always, everyone loved the experiential activities and mission exercises held in this rugged, 2500m-high, mountain classroom. For most, playing a game was simply to enjoy a bit of fun. Few realised that such experiential activities could actually help them learn and internalise important leadership lessons. And, as they performed the various team tasks and underwent mission exercises that simulated likely disaster scenarios in their area, they found themselves problem-solving together and helping each other as a community. All of these were novel discoveries for the men, women and youths of the Ramechhap region.
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This was, by all measures, a really gratifying training mission. For my training team, our hearts were so filled with joy as we watched them learn, discover and co-operate. And, with the successful conclusion of this latest training mission, I was thankful that Project Fresh Hope had now touched another remote mountain region of Nepal, and we had helped to raise yet another small army of servant leaders. Let's hope that they will put into practice what they had learned and experienced, so that their communities may begin to experience positive leadership and become more capable of tackling their challenges going forward!
