A few months ago, a workshop on “Hygiene around menstrual bleeding” took place in Narighar. At that time, Dr. Mingma Sherpa had trained the participating women on various topics around the monthly period. As a follow-up project, reusable sanitary pads were produced for the first time in Narighar at the beginning of April. A first promising attempt to counteract the waste problem in Kathmandu and to offer women a cheap alternative to improvised scraps of fabric and expensive plastic products!
Party with Gabrielle & Joachim
Our long-standing, very committed supporter Gabrielle and her husband Joachim were finally able to travel to Nepal again in February. Of course, the two organized a small party for La Dhoka with special food, music and dance. Our teenagers especially enjoyed the occasion and nibbled blissfully through the burger dreamland.
Thank you dear Gabrielle & Joachim!
International Women's Day 2023
“We have to do another parade,” Laxmi was repeatedly told by the Narighar women. So again this year the banners were unpacked, women were rounded up, saris put on and dances and speeches were composed. On March 8, the crowd marched through the streets of Balkhu, with the Kusuntikids at the head of the procession.
Uraj drives the scooter, Suryansh holds the speakers and Priya and Alisha shout the slogans :).
Visit to the Balmikishwor School
At irregular intervals, Laxmi, often accompanied by BK, employees of Narighar or some of the Kusunti children, visits our scholarship children. Recently, it was the turn of “our” students at the Balmikishwor School in Baktapur. Here we support 12 students*.
Attendance at the government schools is free of charge in Nepal, but parents still have to pay the expenses for school uniforms, books, exercise books, etc. Laxmi and her crew have therefore distributed new school backpacks, pens, notebooks and other things to our group of students to save the families these expenses.
* plus an additional scholarship from a friend of Laxmi
Shivaratri
Every year at the end of February or beginning of March, the Shivaratri festival is celebrated in Hinduism. Shivaratri or Mahashivaratri is an important holiday in Hinduism. For the worshippers of the god Shiva it is the highest festival, the holiest of all nights. In our Narighar one rarely overlooks a chance to party and so the Kusunti girls Sujata and Alisha dressed up as Shiva and Parvati (Shiva’s wife) and enjoyed themselves for an afternoon in their god roles. The two had great fun with their performance; who woudn`t want to be a God sometimes. 🙂
Dengue fever in Kusunti
In early September, we received a disturbing message from Kathmandu “Children are sick,” Laxmi wrote. For the time being, the symptoms (fatigue, temperature) affected “only” Alisha and Priya. Laxmi took them to the hospital for a check-up and after various blood tests, the somewhat surprising diagnosis of dengue fever was made. It soon became clear that this was a veritable outbreak of the plague in the Kathmandu Valley and throughout Nepal*. Dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes. Anamica, Suryansh and Uraj also soon complained about symptoms. The teens were prescribed medication and bed rest and fortunately the unpleasant tropical disease subsided after a few days. Meanwhile, everyone is doing quite well again and the thing seems to be over!
* The WHO writes: “Dengue is endemic in Nepal. The country is experiencing a surge in cases that started from the week commencing 8 August to 26 August. Between January to 28 September 2022, a total of 28 109 confirmed and suspected dengue cases and 38 confirmed deaths due to dengue have been recorded, affecting all seven provinces.”
7328 Fr.
This is the proud amount that has come together thanks to the campaign “Kicking for La Dhoka”! Many thanks to our mileage sponsors and the orders of postcards and letters! Our travel blog http://www.outcycling.ch is still active, because our bike tour is not over yet.
The money will be partly used to cover ongoing project costs. In addition, we buy a demonstration doll for the sewing courses, increase the monthly fee for all 31 Scholarship children to 800 NPR, organize a staff meal for the Narighar crew and take a small trip into the countryside with the Kusunti teens. We also accept four more children into our scholarship program for at least five years.
Many thanks to everyone who supported us during our kicking!
The La Dhokas in July 2022
There was just enough time for a small interview with our kids & teens before the onward journey of Louie and Simone in July 2022:
Not just a women's issue
Around 23 women sit in narrow rows in the Narighar and wait patiently until Dr. Mingma Sherpa arrives, the projector is installed and everything is ready.
Hygiene around menstruation is the topic today. Dr. Mingma Sherpa starts from scratch knowingly. What does a uterus look like? What functions do the individual parts have? Why and how is there a menstrual period at all? Which cycle lengths are considered normal and what can we do about the tedious side effects of the menstruation?
Soon, the dedicated doctor also addresses some important taboo topics. Women are not dirty and unclean during their period and can easily enter a kitchen. A lively discussion arises when the topic of “religion and menstruation” is addressed. In Nepal, menstruating women are not allowed to enter a temple or perform prayers. All women in the room know these outdated rules from their own experience.
The correct handling of sanitary pads is discussed and the advantages and disadvantages of purchased pads versus reusable fabric pads are also explained. The fabric pads perform significantly better in the context of Nepal. They are inexpensive, efficient and produce no waste.
Finally, Dr. Sherpa has the women draw an uterus. The results are impressive and everyone leaves Narighar after an extended Q&A session with valuable insights: The period is something positive and a sign that we are healthy.
A new girl in Kusunti
The Child Welfare Office has been urging us to do so for a long time: We have space and a good place and on top of everything not the required 10 children in our children’s home in Kusunti. Therefore, this year in June we were assigned another girl: Sujata is 10 years old and, like Anik, comes from the distant mountain region of Jumla. Although she has a biological mother and a sister, she has been living with relatives for some time. These relatives contacted Laxmi and inquired if we could have another child. Laxmi referred the relatives to the local authorities and they issued the necessary documents. Only after the official approval of the Child Welfare Council in Lalitpur, Laxmi gave green light and Sujata moved in in Kusunti in June.
She is the same age as Laxmi and BK’s son Surjansh and attends the same school as Alisha. Meanwhile, Sujata has shed her initial shyness and seems to feel quite comfortable in her new home.
Welcome to Kusunti, Sujata!
