By Tony Sharpe | Project Leader
Our UK chairman, Dr Mike Love, has recently returned from a voluntary three week trip to our project sites in Humla. It was a gruelling trip over high passes and mountain trails to reach some of the villages. He is able to report a satisfactory outcome and genuine progress being made. The new on-site health manager, Ratna Lamichanne, is introducing new methods and training to improve health care delivery. Our cooperation with another Ngo, ISIS, has seen significant improvements at the health clinics in Kermi and Yalbang both in the service delivery and infrastructure. This type of collaboration has positive benefits and avoids duplication and wasted resources in such a remote and difficult area. New staff, particularly female, have been or will be recruited which will give more confidence to female patients who find it difficult to be examined by a man in their very conservative society. A small laboratory is now available in the Yalbang clinic for the analysis of blood and urine samples - another first for the district.
Change is happening rapidly and increasing expectations. Limited roads are beginning to appear from the Tibet side, sometimes hand built by the villagers themselves. Mobile phones can be used over about 75% of the area so contact and keeping in touch is a lot easier. However, for the majority life is how it has been for the last thousand years but with small improvements happening year-on- year.
Our first Birthing centre at Bargaun village is on course for completion in the spring of 2014. This is another district first. Bargaun is working in collaboration with our nearby clinic at Torpa village which will improve efficiency and delivery. About three hours walk down the mountain is the largest, and poorest, Hindu village in Humla, Thehe. We are now in discussion with the village leaders to develop a collaborative health care delivery policy involving Thehe, Torpa and Bargaun. Work has started on a new Birthing Centre in south Humla in the village of Sarkegad attached to our existing clinic. Some initial funds have been secured for this vital project and it is hoped to complete by 2015. The new Birthing Clinic at Yari village in north Humla is at the advanced planning stage and the majority of the funding has already been secured. As always, the community have to contribute up to 10% in kind. This ensures a sense of ownership and future care.
Our three Little Doctor programmes in Simikot, Yalbang and Bargaun have been completed and 66 young students successfully graduated. We urgently need funding for next years programme.
As reported before our other activities are fully integrated with the health programme to help nurture and promote healthier lifestyles. An example of this is our Renewable Energy programme that has developed numerous hydro and solar energy schemes all of which significantly reduce the need for kerosene and wood and leads to a reduction in respitory diseases. Earlier this year eight members of the Rotary Club of Durango Daybreak in Colorado trekked, in horrendous monsoon conditions and under the direction of the Nepal Trust, to deliver and fit 165 solar lamps to homes and small businesses on the Great Himalayan Trail in Humla. These are homes that would otherwise not be connected to another electricity supply and will help them to develop their businesses for trekkers and tourists and improve the local economy. While in Humla they were also able to participate in one of our Little Doctor programmes. They have now produced a fantastic film about their trip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EOTfz-7lBM 'Journey to the Sky'. It is well worth watching to get some idea of the difficulties of working in such a remote area.
If you would like to trek with the Nepal Trust do get in contact. Our Treks 2 Build have been running since 1994 and will provide you with the experience of a lifetime and you will also put something back in to these deprived communities.
Finally, to all our supporters and friends around the world, from everyone at the Nepal Trust, we would like to wish you a very happy Christmas and festive season with your family and friends. We hope that 2014 brings you joy and new hope and that the people of the Hidden Himalayas will continue to see improvements to their hard lives. It is a privilege to work for them when they also share their lives, and what little they have, with us.
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