Bridger

Hey there,
I intended to make this post a post about my visit in Banke. However, I changed my mind.
The experience was so great, interesting, overwhelming, touching, and thought-provoking that I still need some time for the impressions to settle. I want to do the visit justice and write about it in a way that is most descriptive to you.

I am working on it, but I also have a lot of other work. Next week I will be on another field visit from Monday to Friday. We will visit Makwanpur and conduct some research there. This means I am preparing right now, because you have to have the basic knowledge to ask the right questions :)
It is a lot of work because Plan has worked there for over 15 years now and I need to familiarize myself with the different strategic approaches the organization took during this time and what projects were implemented with how much success.

Last week I also had the chance to meet Urmila Chaudhary, the author of the newly released book "Sklavenkind". She is the president of the Kamalari forum, remember, Kamalari are the girls who work 16 hours a day for about 40 euro a year. You can see an interview with her here (it is VERY interesting but unfortunately in German; still you can look at the pictures ;)). 
She is a great and inspiring girl, and I wish her all the best. She is in Germany right now to introduce her book.

The children here in Nepal are on school holiday now. The children in the Kinderhouse are therefore playing all day long. I wish I could spend more time with them, but since I am gone a lot it is hard. When I returned on Wednesday night they welcomed me and one girl said shyly: "we missed you" :))
Yesterday, the drunken father of a four year old girl came to the kinderhouse and wanted to take her away. The girl had been brought to the kinderhouse because besides the father's alcohol addiction he- the only remaining relative - is also a Tuberculoses patient and they lived on the streets as beggars. The father screamed and wanted to take the child away. When the sisters explained him that he cannot just come and take the child, there are formalities, he started getting aggressive. He even said several times that if he cannot get the girl, he will kill himself. (All happening with the children around).
Finally he left. No one knows where he went, or whether he will really kill himself now. The girl seemed to be fine later. The sisters spoke to her and she said that she wants to stay in the kinderhouse. She is a really curious, open, friendly, adjusted, interested girl, eager to learn. It makes me sad when little children have to endure such misery.

Three of the kiddies dancing during another girl's birthday celebration

The microbusses are giving me a headache. A week ago we had a flat tire. Which means; everyone out and walking. Money back? Hahah you're funny!

Oh well, I am actually reacting surprisingly relaxed to things like this now. Life goes never as you plan it here. So take it as it is and go with it :)
This morning there was a road blockage. Something very very normal for Nepal a few years back. Now, not so common anymore. It is annoying because it meant that the bus had to turn around on the narrow streets, drive back and take a little field road that took 30minutes longer than normal. Okay well then I am late for work, so what....

In Banke I also spoke to a guy from the Czech Republic. He is doing his research in Nepalgunjj on birth registration. It was really great to speak to another person my age, my color, my height, and here about his experiences :)

Okay so that's it for now. I am working on the post about my sponsored child. But I also have to write reports for the country office here and for Plan Germany - which I am happy to do. However, considering that I will be gone to nowhere next week, I either finish it this weekend, or it will take a while longer.

Namaste,
Annika