Reflect meetings are small weekly gatherings in the surrounding villages that NESPEC has started with their social moblizers facilitating. The purpose is to discuss any issues that are affecting them so that they can take power in making social change. I attended the reflect meeting in the village of Jogidaha with Bijuli Sada, the local social activist and Ram Chaurdray, project coordinator.

It was a small group huddled closely, some not present due to work and some even afraid to attend because of a bad situation with an activist several years ago. Ram Chaurdray and I were not even sure if we could attend because of a strike occurring the same day.

Six different ethnic groups were protesting their rights and representation, shutting down all schools and businesses in Gaighat. The Tharu caste is demanding representation and more rights. The day after the strike, the president, an ex-Maoist leader called a conference in Gaighat. He is threatening an armed political movement with other ethnic groups and possibly forming a parallel government since the current political parties will not work with him. I am sure much more news will come. These demands all seem outragely complex in a country where the government does not take into account it’s ethnic differences.

The agenda for the Reflect meeting was about socio economic support among the community. The members in the community meeting are of the Dalit caste, living in 18 houses of the Jogidaha district, Ward 6. The issue of single women government subsidies was brought up with many to discuss the issue on widows. There are eight women over sixty years old whom are widows; seven receive the monthly subsidy because one does not have citizenship. Migration papers were lost when settling in the present area.

Claiming birthrights and obtaining paperwork for citizenship is a major challenge in Nepal. Many remote villages do not understand the importance of establishing citizenship at birth or over the years people lose track of their documents, missing out on much needed money from the government. I began to wonder exactly how many are not accounted for because of lost papers the government will not replace. It is unknown exactly how many people in Jogidaha do not have citizenship. To replace migration papers and issue a new citizenship card is simply way too complicated in the local government offices. I believe its another way the government can save money is by not claiming citizenship or not educating people on its importance, an issue I want to explore much farther.

The central issue at the Reflect meeting involved corruption at the local school, Shree Janta Higher Secondary. The government gives scholarships to all Dalit children, a new law that was approved this past year for children in class 1-10. Children in classes 1-5 are not receiving the scholarships (350 rupees per year) and are often not giving the correct amount for families that have more than one child.

Also, this system does not allow children to excel into class 10 or beyond because of the high exam fees that the Dalit caste cannot afford. “Why should I send my children to school when we are so poor?” one woman asked desperately. The school issue only adds to the great discrimination that the untouchable Dalit caste face. Bijuli-ji, the social activist will help in gathering students’ names that have not received scholarships and will attend along with the parents to the management school board committee.

Reflect Meeting

Shoeha Dahal

A new organization in Gaighat, Agency for Community Development and Change (ACDC) is pioneering a single women’s project in the Udayapur district.  Unfortunately, this district is known as one of the worst areas in the country regarding inequalities of women.

The major objective is to empower single women to speak out for themselves and their families.  Shoeha has used her own life positively by becoming an activist with ACDC.  They have formed 23 women’s groups throughout the area to help single women in skill building, (learning how to sew to building chairs) education and aid in school fees by creating a loan system.

Shoeha’s plea is to change society’s overall perception of single women.  The biggest problem is economic due to the lack of job training and skills.  Interest free loans and free education for children and parents of single women are greatly needed Shoeha proclaims.  Also, the knowledge of law in Gaighat is limited and assistance is needed with land rights, economic stability and conflict among families is common.  

The government only gives monthly subsidies to single women over 60 years old.  Shoeha, ACDC and NESPEC hope to change this law for all single women and also establish other government incentives.  In addition, Shoeha hopes to create a similar discount system to that of India’s government, where single women receive a discount card for food and transportation.  Such a subsidy system in Nepal would benefit women’s daily lives as well as their futures economically.

In a previous blog I mentioned how there is a new law that was established in July by the Parliament providing a dowry to any men who would marry women.  The men would receive 50,000 rupees ($650) by marrying women who have lost their husbands, many killed by the Maoist conflict.  In recent weeks women’s rights groups have become outraged and are demanding the center-left coalition that announced the law to revoke it immediately.  Hundreds of women marched through the streets of Kathmandu last week to the prime minister’s office chanting, “We don’t want your government dowries.”  Police stopped the courageous women unfortunately and luckily there was no violence. 

I am infuriated by this law, not only does it cross many human rights abuses, yet also raises questions about how the government is spending it’s money.  Shouldn’t this money be going towards women for the poor health care system (reproductive healthcare in Nepal is very poor) job training and education?  Also, wouldn’t the men marry only for the money and then take off and run with it?  Unraveling the patriarchal worldview that women have held for lifetimes will take years and lifetimes to break. Not only do women need to understand their rights but also the government needs to change its gender based discrimination, which sadly will probably take much longer for change. It’s a human right for single women to live the way she chooses, a problem across the globe even in the most developed countries.  

A nation wide movement needs to be formed and I hope in the next few weeks I have left I can motivate women in NESPEC’s women’s forums groups to take action. Many rural women do not know of the changing policies and certainly the more that are informed, the increasing chances they will want to become more involved.

View of Gaighat from the Shiva Temple

The majority of people in the Udayapur district are Hindu, a religion that I was not very familiar about before coming here and still have much to learn.  Not understanding what is going on around me due to the language barrier while attending many of the religious festivals here hinders my experience for sure.  Although I still feel an undeniable spiritual presence in Nepal where I haven’t felt anywhere else.  I can’t put it into words and maybe it’s because it’s so woven into people’s lives here where it has been entangled into my own as well.  I often wonder if I would understand more if my own religious faith were deeper before coming here and if I was devoted to one growing up. 

I have always wanted to question what religion means to me and think my own beliefs should evolve along with my experiences in life.  I have always wanted to explore new faiths and understand different paths to God.  Nepal has certainly awakened my spiritual quest which I hope never dies. 

While in Kathmandu I wanted to learn what was happening in the rest of the world so I picked up the mainstream American magazine, Newsweek. ” 21 surprising things you need to know right now” caught my attention while I was in a daze at the bookstore.  Inside, there is an article, “We are all Hindus Now” that is very relevant to the world I am living in relating back to America’s changing religious values.  76 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians, which is the lowest figure in history.  There are over a million Hindus in the U.S, more than a billion in the world.  The article points out that the rest of Americans are beginning to think like Hindus.    

“The Truth is One, but the sages speak of it by many names,” from the Rig Veda, the ancient Hindu scripture.  There are many ways to reach God Hindus believe, completely opposite in how the majority of Christian Americans are taught, that the only way is through Jesus.  The number of Americans who call themselves spiritual, not religious has increased to thirty percent also according to the Newsweek piece.

My host family took me to a ceremony this morning celebrating the life of their friend’s grandfather.  The issue of how Hindus consider death arose and surprised me a little by the large celebration.  I figured once a person dies they are reincarnated and that’s the end.   Hindu’s believe that at the time of death the body burns while the spirit escapes  and returns back to earth many times through different bodies.    I am happy to read that American’s religious views are evolving from a literal translation to what can happen in the afterlife to an attitude which values other paths to God as well.  There is great danger I believe in trapping yourself in a bubble in believing there is only one path.

Politically, religion is of course in the forefront of issues.  It will be at turning point in the next few years with how the “New Nepal” will have religion in it’s democracy.  The recent UN Human development report insists that a strong nation state is essential in building peace.  The country is rebuilding based upon secularism, an ideology that took over a nation that was ruled by religion.  Hinduism surely is the ruling religion in Nepal, often causing great discrimination.  Those in power must acknowledge the major differences between social groups here;  religions, ethnicities and castes.  It  is essential in the future for peace.  The laws being written in the new constitution should be in every respect through inclusion and participation of all groups. 

This is where NGO’s like NESPEC step in to pressure local governments, ideally by empowering people  from marginalized groups.  It is very encouraging that civil society is strong here and that young people  are very involved in helping those less fortunate.  Rural women who have never been educated in the hill side now know that their rights will be changed.  The future can only tell what will happen and I will be watching no matter where I am.

Lord Shiva Temple

Dalit woman and child

Outside of Nespec

NESPEC has been quite hectic the past few days with the monthly review and planning meetings.  My desire to learn Nepali has heightened even more after sitting in the discussions with only some translation.  All staff members and some board members were present to check in with the activities for the past month as well as plan for next month.  Each social mobilizer presented their activities in July and then feedback was provided.  The issues that NESPEC have are the same that many other NGOs face.  Field offices not open long enough, committees not following saving model, resources lacking, donors adapting grants and the most common problem, staff are not getting paid enough. Even on the other side of the world the same issues are struggles with organizations.  

The organization is a broadly based human rights NGO, working on four campaigns; land rights and food security, education, women’s rights and health. Since the start of NESPEC in 1997, the organization has always focused on what marginalized people need in Gaighat and the surrounding areas.  A human rights based approach was implemented, educating people on their rights with an overall awareness of various issues.  The awareness eventually led to people who would never speak out demand the government for important issues, such as water pumps and land rights.  Just recently, one committee asked for a foot water pump, which will help grow their vegetables. These simple requests are how villages will sustain their food supply, especially with an organization like NESPEC supporting them.    

The largest campaign that NESEPC is working on currently is the food and land rights campaign with Action Aid Nepal.  NESPEC, along with seven other organizations are forming ways to help marginalized people live better lives with sustained income.  One way NESEPC is taking action is through farming groups, in which 45 have formed in different districts.  The farmers talk about their problems with the land, and as a result formed a micro finance system.  Loans can now be given with very small interest to those in the community that are in need.  There are also REFLECT classes in which NESPEC oversees, a town hall like forum that marginalized groups can tell their stories and can feel empowered through local government advocacy.  NESPEC is a powerful force in Gaighat and will continue to be with its determined activists and campaigns.  Local government policy has been influenced by the campaigns.  Now the district members are committed to changing the micro credit system so that it is assessable to all.

An issue in Nepal that I witness on a daily basis is the inequality of women.  Many have approached me asking what America is like, how I have been able to come here and most important, how do I like Nepal.  Those are the simple questions that are entertaining to answer.  However, it’s when the conversation gets deeper is when it becomes very complicated.  Every woman has had extreme hardship to endure in this society. Childbirth for example, can be very dangerous to the mother and they are forced to take care of the household the day after giving birth, resulting in serious medical problems years later.  Domestic abuse, unequal pay and low literacy rates are other issues to name a few, all in which NESPEC is fighting against. 

A monthly women’s forum has been established by NESPEC where oppressed women gather to speak about their experiences ranging from land rights, to how to get out of domestic abuse situations. The women have felt very empowered through this story telling and a survey was conducted by NESPEC with women in various communities about domestic abuse that was then passed onto the local governments.  The ministry has recently passed a new law in which women who have been abused by their husbands are given compensation.  In the end, women in the forum felt very empowered by making a significant social change.

It is truly astounding to see such a small organization make such a large impact in the community policy level.  NGO’s such as these are needed in a country where the government is seen as corrupt to most citizens and very slow to actually listen to its people.  

The next blog hopefully will be about the children’s campaigns in the field if the rain ever stops. 

Tomorrow I leave for Gaighat out in the Eastern Terai with Ajaya who is a member of NESPEC. I have finally met Ajaya who I have been in contact with for months now and am now looking forward to understanding NESPEC’s various campaigns. I will be focusing on farmer’s land rights, an issue that I will certainly be learning a lot about. Over 90 percent of Nepal’s population is involved in agriculture, thus rights and advocacy of farmers is extremely important. It is their livehood yet many have no land which means no food for their families.

I arrived almost two weeks ago in Kathmandu with much excitement to learn and work in Nepal. My days have been filled with wandering around the city aimlessly, shopping in Thamel, the backpacking tourist district, visiting beautiful Polkhara and researching the development work here as well. The senses are on constant over load with the chaotic sounds and smells of the street. Kathmandu is a city filled with immense poverty everywhere. The begging child on the street who is hysterically crying asking for water or money, the stray dogs desperate and the families passing time with their hands out are all the faces of great despair that I now have on my mind. The poverty is not only an individual level but also throughout the city. There are power outages daily and I am lucky if I can get a call out on my mobile. The common phrase, “everything is taking for granted back home” is entirely understated.

I am continuously filled with guilt with being a foreigner on my first step outside the guesthouse every morning. I get frustrated and want to help, yet then the controversial questions arise with giving out money. My privilege has never been so apparent with the color of my skin and by the clothes I am wearing. The same question that persists in the back of my mind and has initiated my career in development is, “Why was I born in such a wealthy country, why me?” I hope through this fellowship I will be able to tell stories of those who could never get their voice heard and realize that through understanding and empathy I can be of some sort of help.

I could have been born anywhere, that age-old statement I believe for me is the catalyst alone to propel me to work here. I owe it to oppressed people or anywhere when asked for help. My power and privilege that being an American holds is staggering to think about and I hope that everyone reading this will get a chance to see themselves differently in a developing country.

My trip here has been very tumultuous at times and other moments have been filled with pure joy, especially with meeting people here and getting to know a vastly different culture. Yesterday, Jessica, another AP Peace fellow and I went to Patan, a small town right outside of the city to see the famous Dubar Square there. It was a beautiful site to see with the ancient temples and it was after a Hindu festival that morning. There was an open-air market with all kinds of fruit, shoes, colorful saris and endless bracelets. Friends and families were walking around slowly. The slowness in their walk surprises me since their driving is much faster and very aggressive, one of the countless contradictions in this culture. Saturday is their only day off, as Nepalese work six days a week so it’s a great day to explore the city.

I have decided to go out to the Terai, to Gaighat after some hesitation for many reasons. My life will drastically change from my now comfortable Kathmandu life to an area that rarely sees foreigners. The future ahead is unknown of what my work will entail and filled with many emotions. My new family awaits me with much less pollution in a green land. I will celebrate my 26^th birthday on a bumpy roller coaster ride out to my new home for the next few months. Good karma I hope will come tomorrow morning with no bandhas, what they call strikes here. More to come shortly with pictures when a better internet connection hopefully.

The highlighted red section is where I will be located, in the eastern Terai region in a small town called Gaighat.

The highlighted red section is where I will be located, in the eastern Terai region in a small town called Gaighat.

After a strenuous cross country road trip from the green mountains of Brattleboro, Vermont to the Central Coast of California I am now off to my next chapter on the other side of the world. Off to Nepal on Monday to join the other fellows already there. I am not sure what my future holds but I do know a few things; I am going to be constantly questioning the world around me, I am going to take for granted the luxuries of my easy living in the U.S, I will be surprised on a daily basis of the Nepali culture and lastly, I will emerge with a different worldview.

The over arching goal of my blog is to bring an awareness of current political, social and cultural situations in Nepal. Considering some people I have told where I am going do not know where the country is located (surrounded by India, China, Bhutan) I have my work ahead for me.  I hope to learn much more surrounding the political conflicts with the changing government from as many Nepalis as I can.

As for the work I will be doing at NESPEC (Nepal Social Development and People Empowerment Center) I will strive to apply what I have learned at SIT (School for International Training) to the people’s needs in the rural areas.  I hope to write my capstone paper on how policy is changed in Nepal’s rural areas. The fellowship will allow me to profile marginalized people using video, pictures and blogging. The work will be tremendously challenging in another culture and at times I will be very frustrated with my “outsider” presence. To put it simply, I want to learn as much as I possibly can about the Nepali culture and to help wherever it is needed in my community.

I am very grateful for this opportunity and I hope that my blog will be read by many. Please comment about anything that interests you and certainly ask questions that come to mind about life in Nepal.  Also, pass it along to others as well.

Onto Shangri-la!