Nepal Trust newsletter2005nepaltrust.org/namaste/Namaste newsletter 2005.pdfNamaste - The Nepal Trust News Page 3 The Nepal Trust health camp of November 2004, which was held in Simikot,

NamasteThe Nepal Trust NewsWorking with Health, Community development and Hope in the “Hidden Himalayas”Issue No.8

IN THIS ISSUE

Limi Valley Women Sipping Tibetan Butter Tea. (Photo by Thomas L. Kelly)

Namaste from Limi kids Mount Saipal Surgeons prepare for theatre Masks - the two faces of Nepal

Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland

Project Achievements in 2004 2

Message from Nepal Trust Austria 3Don’t miss this: Support the longestambulance drive and rescue mission 3

Shangri-La and the Myth of Eco-Tourism 4

Projects Schedule & News Briefs 2005 4

Nepal Trust Health Camp 5

Humla General Health Camp 2004 6

My Experiences at Simikot Health Camp 7

Implementing the Local 8

The Nepal Trust & Rotary 9

Across the Rooftop of the World 9

Donor Acknowledgment & Support 11

Photo Album 12

ROTARY CENTENNIAL YEAR

Page 2 Namaste - The Nepal Trust News

Dear Friends and Nepal Trust Supporters!Welcome to our 8th addition of Namaste, which highlights ourproject work in 2004. First – the good news! The Nepal TrustAustria ran a magnificent fundraising event in Vienna last Juneand raised 50% of the funds for amajor health camp featured in thisissue. NT Austria also supplieddoctors, nurses and aphotographer. This 3-waypartnership - Scotland, Austria andNepal - will take the Trust to newlevels of internationaldevelopment in the Himalayas. At the same time it was a verydifficult year for Nepal and also achallenge for the Trust’s work andfundraising efforts, hampered byNepal’s internecine politics and bythe threat of terrorism and declineof tourism in many parts of theworld. Also, one of the distant buttangible after-effects wrought by the SE Asia’s tsunamis was thatthis terrible human disaster affected a number of small charitiesfundraising efforts for other parts of the developing world outsideof the affected region. Over 2004 the political situation in Nepalgrew steadily worse and on February 1st this year, KingGyanendra declared a state of emergency, sacked thegovernment, stifled the media and suspended democracy. The

country is caught between a throwback to absolute Monarchistrule and a hardcore Maoist insurgency. Amnesty Internationalreported that more people had disappeared without a trace inNepal last year than in Iraq. More than 11,000 people have been

killed in Nepal since the start of theMaoist insurgency 9 years ago andover 400,000 Nepalese left theircountry in search of work or perhapsbecause of persecution. Thousandsmore have fled their villages in fear ofviolence and possible famine.Development agencies and projectsthroughout the country have had tocurb if not cease activities. TheNepalese people’s quest fordemocracy, peace, security and truedevelopment has never been sothreatened as now and so manypeople, especially the marginalized -women and children, need helpdesperately. As you will see in this

issue of Namaste, even during the troubles we continue to workin Nepal’s remotest and most impoverished region. This year in2005 we hope to hold another health camp in Humla to treat upto 10,000 people. If you can support our work to help theNepalese people during this tragic time, then please contact us!We want to thank you all for your continued support. Jim Donovan – Nepal Trust Director

Health Camp – Nov. 2004 - with The Nepal Trust Austria –An international team of doctors, nurses and technicians providedminor (and some major) surgery, gynaecological check ups,paediatric care, general health screening, dental treatment, andmother & child services for 4000 people.

Rotary International – RIBI – Rotary and The Nepal Trustcontinue in Partnership – see pg. 8 of Newsletter

The Ferguson Trust Health Project – continuation of grant byThe Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust providing medical training,mobile health camps, education for Nepal Trust staff & villagersand support of 4 Nepal Trust health posts.

The 1969 Vinson Charity Trust – Support Solar and 04 HealthCamp Projects

5th "Little Doctors" Health Education Programme 2004 -the Nepal Trust's health education for children and young adultscontinues to teach health concepts to youngsters to share withtheir families.

Tony & Sandra Cook appointed as Directors of HimalayanTravel – www.himalayantravel.co.uk

James Hart Dyke –April 04 - The Mt.Everest PaintingExpedition -followed by thisrenowned artist’sexhibition ofpaintings from histrek to paint thehighest mountain onearth at the JohnMitchell Gallery,London in Dec. 04.

UNICEF – HIV/Aids education and prevention programme

Rosie Swale- continues to run around the world for the NepalTrust and other Charities

Dave & Becky Bradley – UK Nepal Trust volunteers – healthsurvey for the Limi Valley, assessment of the Halji Monastery inthe Limi Valley and detailed report on possible route for theproposed “Tugu Road” to give access to Tibet for the 1700 peopleof the Limi Valley.

SNV – Dutch Development Conference - Humla District. Nov.04, sharing the Lessons learnt from a decade of development –NGO workshop, logistics arranged by the Nepal Trust.

The Austrian Himalayan Society’s 50th Anniversary Trek2004 was a great success! – across Tibet by landcruiser to MtKailash and the Guge Kingdom and then trek through the Limivalley to Simikot, Humla.

M a y a v i s i o nInternational –Michael WoodFebruary 11th 2005,BBC 2 screened theprogramme ‘Shangri-La’ – 2nd part of ‘InSearch of Myths andHeroes’, which to agreat extent was filmedin Limi Valley withNepal Trust.

Durbar High School –continues and expands -www.dhs.edu.np

UNESCO & Nepal Trust Eco-tourism Project 2004 –continued with tourism development workshops in Humladistrict, Ladakh India and in Thimphu Bhutan. The Bhutanworkshop: “ Building Sustainable Cultural & Eco-tourism” was the5th regional workshop of the UNESCO Cultural & Eco-tourismproject. Training focused on: eco-trekking skills, the promotion ofculture, the protection of the environment and snow leopards,heritage preservation – surveying monasteries; and thedevelopment of CD ROMs, local handicrafts and web-sitewww.hiddenhimalayas.org

Project Achievements & Main Activities for 2004

James Hart Dyke - Mt. Everest Painting

Director’s Message

Michael Wood BBC2 documentary Limi Valley with Nepal Trust

Volunteers for health camp in front of Simikot Hospital

Namaste - The Nepal Trust News Page 3

The Nepal Trust health camp of November 2004, which was heldin Simikot, the principal town of the Humla region, was thebiggest event that has been undertaken since Nepal Trust Austriacame into existence The founders of Nepal Trust Austria areemployed in the hospital management and development sector intheir home country, and therefore possess valuable knowledge

that will be transferred to Nepal. The goal is to create a sustainableand appropriate health care system in Western Nepal by workingin partnership with the felt needs and knowledge of the localpeople. We are well aware that the people of Humla, who live in a remotecorner of a remote country, would benefit from improved healthcare projects. Good health care depends on the combination oftechnical, medical and social knowledge. Integrating differentcultures and ways of thinking provides an opportunity for mutualbenefit for the partners involved. We are sure that given asupportive environment, that Nepali and European doctors will beable to learn from each other. Over the past 11 years, the NepalTrust has worked hard to build up a network of health posts,renewable energy schemes and heritage preservation projects thathave made a positive impact on the lives of the people of Humla.Crucially, they have also developed a network of contacts withinthe different layers of Nepali society, from governmental ministriesto people ‘on the ground’. They have also generated a dedicatednetwork of health professionals, both from Nepal and overseas. Byintegrating Nepal Trust Austria’s knowledge into this web of skillsand resources, a valuable opportunity exists to improve the health

care system available to thousands of people in Humla and otherdistricts of the Karnali River Zone in NW Nepal. What are the next steps for Nepal Trust Austria and how do wesee our involvement with the Nepal Trust and the people of Nepalevolving in the future? At the moment we are helping to plan thethird health camp in Simikot, which is scheduled to start on the22nd of September, 2005. We plan to use the existing infrastructureand contacts of the Nepal Trust to lead the medical element of thehealth camp. Clearly, we hope that the unstable political situationcurrently gripping Nepal will not jeopardise the running of thehealth camp. We ultimately hope to develop a successfulpartnership between the local people, the Nepali government andthe Nepal Trust. Wewill work towardsmaximising thecontribution thateach group canbring into thispartnership inorder to aid theachievement of ourkey goal: thedevelopment of astable andindependent healthcare system inWestern Nepal.

Support John Shackleton’s bid to drive anAmbulance from Harrogate Englandacross Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan andIndia to Nepal, where he will donate themuch needed ambulance to a hospital inWestern Nepal, that serves thousands ofsome of the world’s poorest people.John, a property developer fromHarrogate, who is 66-years-young hasraised funds, collected medicines andover the past 15 years has driven anddonated 18 ambulances and one fireengine to countries in eastern Europe.

John’s last trip was to drive an ambulanceto a health clinic in Murmansk, northernRussia on the artic circle! This incredibledrive will also help to raise funds foranother health camp in Humla this year!With your help and John’s 10,000 kmambulance drive we can raise the muchneeded funds to make another camppossible this year. Our target is to raise£20,000 pounds towards a health campthat will bring hope and treatment to10,000 people! Please Support John andthe Nepal Trust!

Message from Nepal Trust Austria – Partners inHealthcare in the Hidden Himalayas!

Dipl. Ing. Eduard Frosch and Dr Alex Blaicher

Please Help Support The Longest Ambulance Drive &Rescue Mission Ever In the World!

A 6000-Mile Drive from Harrogate to Nepal to Donate an Ambulance to a Hospital and to Raise Funds for aHealth Camp in Humla!

Nepal Trust Austria fundraising event in Vienna – Dipl. Ing Eduard Frosch (second fromleft) & Dr. Alex Blaicher (far left) with Nepalese Guests - June 04

Patient on stretcher – Simikot Hospital

Dr. Kerstin Schwarz (in white), Nepal Trust Austria, and UKnurse Janet Grotefeld in consultation

John Shackleton with ambulance

Please give 1£ for each km or mile that you would like to sponsor for this 6000 mile/10,000 km journey of Hope!Make a donation by sending a cheque to the Nepal Trust at: 4 Marina Quay, Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland, IV31 6TJ,

– Tel. 00 (44) (0)1343 810358, or by going on-line: www.nepaltrust.org - Support Page - Thank You!


Congratulations Jigme! New NepalTrust Director in Nepal, Jigme Lama- Jigme is now the Nepal Trust Nepal’soverall Director and Capt. Hari PrasadLimbu the Financial Director of theNepal Trust. A formidable anddedicated Leadership Team, that willsee the Trust through these difficulttimes, combining an impressive array ofskills & experience!

A Concert In Vienna Organised byThe Nepal Trust Austria - June 15, 05- with internationally renowned artists,Christian Altenburger, Markus Schirmerand Reinhard Latzko – in aid of aninternational health camp to treat andsupport 10,000 people in the remote Humla District, NW Karnalizone of Nepal, this September.

Himalayan Travel - Trek Safe & Save Lives! - Rotarian TonyCook and his wife Sandra are the new Directors of the NepalTrust’s Travel and Trekking Company – Himalayan Travel:www.himalayantravel.co.uk Treks, rafting and mountaineeringexpeditions can be booked with Himalayan Travel in Nepal,Tibet, Bhutan and India and profits will be ploughed back intocommunity projects. Himalayan Travel’s: “A Trek To HelpRenovate the Halji Gompa in the Limi Valley” 15. 9. 05. Contact Tony Cook: [email protected].: 44 (0) 1304-620880

Is It Safe To Trek In Nepal With A Maoist Insurgency? Sofar no tourists have been harmed in anyway in Nepal due tothe ongoing and tragic political problems that beset thecountry. The Guardian Travel Magazine on March 5th of thisyear ran an article titled: “Heading back to the hills” – whichstates that tourism is rebounding and on the increase in Nepaland if some prior research is done and commonsense used thenthere should be no problem. If you do decide to travel toNepal, we advise you to exercise caution and vigilance andcheck with the British Foreign office and with travel advisoryweb sites.

Project Schedule & News Briefs – 2005

The Shangri-La story took hold in westernpsyche following the publication of theJames Hilton novel Lost Horizon and,more especially, the 1937 film starringRonald Colman. The lure of such afabulous place during and in the aftermath

of the Great Depression era provedirresistible, and the attraction remains justas strong today. It is likely that those whoread this article will fall into two groups:those who have visited Nepal, and thosewho haven’t but would love to go oneday. What is your motivation? What drawsyou to a land so difficult to get to, marredby administrative complexity, primitiveinfrastructure and political corruption, notto mention a civil war? No doubt youranswer will involve the glorious scenery,spectacular mountains and rich culturalheritage. Some of you will be driven bythe commendable altruistic desire to dosomething positive for your fellow man, tocontribute your time helping another, inthis case poorer, society.

What none of you may mention, but allwill be aware of, is the legend, which isShangri-La, a myth that means differentthings to different people. To some it isnothing more than a good story, anEastern Holy Grail, which many seek butdo not really wish to find, for to do sowould leave their lives bereft of dreamsand ambition. For others it signifiesspiritual contentment, which evenChristians concede is the domain of theBuddhist. What all who have beenfortunate enough to visit the region willacknowledge is the peace and tranquillityof the mountain regions of Nepal, Tibetand Bhutan. This is the essence of themyth of Shangri-La. Whilst Its geographicallocation might be open to debate, itspowerful effect is a shared experience.The historian Michael Wood, following hisremarkable television programme on thesubject, posed this question in an article inThe Times: is it possible to seek Shangri-La without destroying it in the process? Totake it one stage further: is any form of‘eco-tourism’ or ‘responsible tourism’ultimately a myth, an oxymoron riddledwith social complexities? Is it really

possible to promote travel to socially andenvironmentally fragile areas without atthe same time sowing the seeds of theirdestruction?Only one thing is really certain, tourism inthe regions such as Humla will continue tothrive and expand whether we want it toor not. Remote villages like those in theLimi Valley, whilst rightly apprehensive ofthe consequences, recognize that thedevelopment of their communities maydepend on the income they can generatefrom foreign visitors. By setting up its owntravel business, Himalayan Travel, theNepal Trust hopes to exert some measureof influence in the effect that tourism mayhave in the regions in which it operates. Ifthis seems a trifle conceited, then judgeour objectives by our achievements. Whenother travel companies pay lip service tothe ethos of eco-tourism, and may evenpoint to the odd social project they havepaid for, the Nepal Trust has an unrivalledtrack record of solid, consistent andsustainable socio-economic developmentin some of the remotest areas of theHimalayas. We hope that if you arethinking of visiting these areas you will doso with Himalayan Travel. The company isa mere fledgling at the moment, tentativelyfeeling its way in the crowded world oftravel agents and trekking companies. If itsucceeds, then not only will it help tobolster funds of the Nepal Trust, butmaybe, just maybe, we will find our ownShangri-La and will work towards leavingit intact at the same time.

Shangri-La and the Myth of Eco-Tourism by Tony Cook, Director of Himalayan Travel & Rotarian from Sandwich, England

Monks at Halji Gompa

Nepal Trust Director, Nepal –Jigme Lama

Nepal Trust Guesthouse, Simikot

Mountains from Til village

Take a holiday in Spain and support the Nepal Trust atthe same time! Jean and Glenn Marshall, friends of the Nepal Trust have generously offered us a special deal on the rental oftheir beautiful apartment in Alcossebre, Costa del Azahar. Therewill be a 10% discount to anyone booking who mentions theirconnection with the Nepal Trust and in addition the Nepal Trustwill also receive a 10% donation from any rentals arranged inthis way. Check www.ownersdirect.co.uk and type in theproperty reference S1291 in the top right hand corner. You canthen contact Jean and Glenn directly by phone or e-mail.

The Nepal Trust Raffle – drawn on 27th Aug. 04 brought inover £3000. We will ask for your support once again later on inthe year and hope you will buy and sell as many tickets aspossible.

A Challenge of a Lifetime! – Youcan go on an adventurous trek inthe Himalayas and support theNepal Trust at the same time! TWOEXAMPLES OF HOW YOU CANHELP PEOPLE IN GREAT NEED &HAVE AN ADVENTURE! 1.) Lastyear, Rotarian, Douglas Reid, fromFife, Scotland, trekked to the basecamp of Mt. Everest and raised£5000 pounds for the Nepal Trust.2.) Shane Wolsey from BangorRotary Club walked "In TheFootsteps of Shackleton" - Shane raised £2000 for the NepalTrust by getting sponsorship from members of Bangor RotaryClub for an expedition in March 2004 during which he and agroup of friends trekked across South Georgia on the sameroute as Shackleton did in 1916. Shane says: “we believe thatonly about 60 people have ever done this – that includesShackleton and us!”You can take a challenge like this anywhere in the world tosupport our work. For more information contact the Nepal Trust– Tel.: 01343-810358 or see the following web site:www.charitychallenge.com

Take a Walk for the Nepal Trust- We recently came across apromotion for the ‘Kellogg's Corn Flakes Great Walk 2005’ andthought we pass it on to you as an opportunity to raise fundsfor the Nepal Trust: “ Between April and September you canjoin Karen Churches on her marathon walk from John O'Groats,through Ireland and on to Land's End. Participate in one of themany 10 km sponsored walks that will be taking place in townsand cities along the route and raise money for your chosenregistered charity. For a greater challenge you are invited to joinon the longer, interconnecting walks, which link up the 10kmevents. For further information: www.great-walk.org

Bob and Alison Hewitt got on their bike – always activeraising funds for the Nepal Trust.

H e r i t a g ePreservation - TheConservation of 1000Year-Old HaljiGompa continues inLimi Valley in 2005! See our web site:www.nepaltrust.org -for more information onthis important project. A“Trek To Help RenovateHali Monastery” isscheduled withHimalayan Travel.

Nepal Trust - Major Project Plans &Events for 2005:

Health Camp 2005 - Nepal Trust Austria – together with theNepal Trust, Scotland and The Nepalgunj Medical College will runanother comprehensive health camp in Humla District for 10,000people on life’s margins. The Ferguson Trust Health Project - continuation of advancedhealth training, education and support for Nepal Trust healthprogrammes, clinics throughout Humla and health camps atSimikot Hospital.Little Doctors’ Programme’ - Health Education & Literacyproject for children and young adults goes into its 6th year –young people learn basic health concepts and take these lifesaving skills home to share with their families. The Nepal Trust has a series of renewable energy micro-hydro projects with Rotary Clubs & Districts in the UK that havebeen delayed due to political situation. The projects will beimplemented as soon as circumstances permit.UNESCO & The Nepal Trust Eco-Tourism Project, LimiValley –skills building, income generation & eco-tourism project- the programme continues to expandUNICEF - HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Programme inHumla District – Improvement of Health Post – Rotary Club of Thorpe Bay –was delayed from 04 to 05 due to political unrest.A New Project in the Making – The Rotary Club of MisbourneMatins has now formally agreed that we lead a project


Rotarian Shane Wolsey – Footstepsof Shackleton Expedition March,

2004

Nepal Trust supporters Bob Hewitt & daughterAlison on fundraising bike rally

Nepal Trust Health Camp by Janet Griffin

I arrived in Simikot aweek before thehealth camp was dueto start and with thehelp of othervolunteers and NepalTrust staff weprepared, cleanedand organised thehospital to make surethe necessaryequipment andmedicines would be

in place for the arrival of the international team of doctors,dentists, nurses and technicians. I ran the post-operative ward andthe emergency department with the help of Claudia, an Austriannurse. We were kept extremely busy as about fifteen cases ofmajor and minor surgery were performed each day. The post-opbeds were always full and children were nursed five to a bed.One of the problems was that due to the height at Simikot theoxygen levels were difficult to maintain. Another main concern Ihad was trying to keep the patients warm, especially at nightwhen the temperatures were often below freezing. In theoutpatients emergency room I saw two children with severe headwounds who had been kicked by donkeys, other patients withburns or deep wounds, a woman in childbirth and a severelymalnourished boy who sadly died. Any patients who did not needemergency treatment were referred to the appropriate departmentat the camp. I found working with many different internationalstaff interesting and rewarding. Each evening we would all meetand discuss the day, trying to resolve any problems encountered.I stayed for a week after the camp finished to monitor the post-operative patients and to see to those who had stitches to beremoved or needed changes of dressings. Most days I saw about30 patients, none had any post-operative problems or woundinfection. When I left Simikot one little girl was not quite ready togo home after major bladder surgery and I took her with me toNepalgunj medical college. After years of suffering this girl hadwalked with her father for six days to the camp – it was her firstchance to receive treatment. We hope to run another camp thisyear in Humla.

Nepal Trust Director, Janet Griffin, attending to patient


Hari Bahadur Shaj, his wife and young sontrekked for 7 days to reach Simikot and theNepal Trust health camp. Sadly his sondied before they reached help, delayed byMaoists who control the entire district ofHumla outside Simikot. Three of Hari’sfour children have now died. Beforereaching the health camp, he had neverseen a doctor, and all he wanted from histrip to Simikot was some hope for a betterfuture for his familyUnfortunately, these stories are all toocommon in Nepal’s more inaccessibleregions. The situation has been mademuch worse by a vicious civil war that isripping the heart out of one the poorestcountries of the world. Although the late

season prevented some people crossingthe high passes from remote valleys, thebiggest barrier to patients coming to thehealth camps was the Maoists, whoprevented some people from crossing theircheckpoints. Nevertheless, there are somepositive stories to report. Six year old Rhitawas carried in severe pain and discomforton her fathers back from the village ofMailla in South Humla, which is a good 5to 6 day walk from the health camp. Ascan revealed she had a large stone in herbladder which was preventing her fromurinating properly, and was causing her agreat deal of pain. She was successfullyoperated on. Rhita had never left hervillage before her trip to the health camp,and had never seen a car let alone flownin a plane. Her fortitude and the gratefulthanks of her loving father was a mosthumbling experience for all those involvedin her care at the health camp. The Health Camp drew together volunteerprofessional staff and helpers from Nepal,Austria, Germany, Scotland, England andthe USA. They worked as a great teamunder the direction of Dr Kidwai to treatnearly 4000 people from all over theHumla district and the neighbouringdistrict of Mugu. The camp administeredmedical, surgical, dental, paediatric andgynaecological care. Over 150 major,minor and family planning operationswere carried out successfully. Nearly 300tests were carried out in the temporarylaboratory, as were over 500 X-Rays, over500 Ultra-sound tests and 60 ECGs.Funding for the camp was provided by theNepal Trust in Scotland and Austria and

raised from a number of grant giving trustsand a special gala event in Vienna.

The 2004 Humla health camp wasprobably the best organized and successfulcamp held anywhere in Nepal accordingto camp director Dr M. Kidwai, anexperienced and eminent surgeon fromNepalganj who was recently awarded thecountry’s highest honour by the king. DrKidwai is a great friend and supporter ofthe Nepal Trust and the Trust is forevergrateful for his influential help in puttingtogether support for the camp. Nepal isperhaps not at the top of most peoplespriority list for help, especially in theaftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami andthe ever-present problems of Africa. Inreality, however, the country is at thebottom of the heap. The civil war isworsening the situation in an alreadydesperate country, which will undoubtedlyrequire our help for many years to come.Please continue to help the Nepal Trust tohelp the people of Nepal.

Humla General Health Camp 2004by Tony Sharpe –Chairman of the Nepal Trust & Rotarian from Elgin, Scotland

A learning experience for meby Maya Lama, Nepal Trust Health Manager from Humla, Nepal

We always believe in hard work. Perhapsour relationship with the Nepal Trustbegan in this way when I joined in 1995.While I was in the community health post,we always enjoyed helping people anddoing something generous. Learning skillswith foreign volunteer doctors and nursesand treating many people each day gaveme the greatest satisfaction. This year, wehave had an even bigger experience as weran an extensive health camp in Simikot. Itwas a wonderful feeling to help so manypeople . Because of the political situationand geographical conditions, there weredifficulties in getting the message out tothe public; it was not easy for people totravel from their villages to theheadquarter and yet, nearly 4000 peoplearrived in six days. The camp was takingplace in early winter and doctors, nursesand volunteers came as far as Nepalgunj,

Kathmandu, Kashmir in India, Austria, UKand America. Support was received fromthe Nepal Red Cross Society branch officein Humla, Little Doctors and ManasarovarHigh School, Security Forces, ATA officeand various other individuals. We arethankful to all for making this camp asuccess. My role in the camp was primarilyto oversee the NT health staff in generalwith main focus on the Gynaecological

Department as an assistant to Dr. WibkeBlaicher and Dr. Kerstin Schwarz from theNepal Trust Austria. I gained muchknowledge and skills from these doctorsand also from my friend UK nurse JanetGriffin during the camp.

Tony Sharpe & Rudra Man Pradhan – Nepal TrustChairmen from Scotland & Nepal

Nepal Trust Director, Dr. David Hurman – healing apatient – maybe?

X-Ray procedure Simikot Hospital

Health manager Maya Lama in traditional costume


Our team of doctors consisted of myself (Surgeon), my wifeKerstin Schwarz (Pediatrician), Roy Reece (Dentist), DavidHurman (Oncologist) and Wibke Blaicher (Gynaecologist). Onarrival in Simikot we met the remaining members of the foreignteam – nurses and lab technicians, who had already spent sometime making all the necessary preparations for the camp. Togetherwith the team of doctors and nurses from the Nepalgunj MedicalCollege, we finalized a strategy to cope with the expectednumbers of patients – namely to have a triage process, whichwould allow for patients to be referred to the relevantdepartments such as General/ Internal Medicine, Pediatrics,Dentistry, Gynaecology and Surgery. Mostly we were dealing withminor operations, in particular hernias, re-amputation of fingers,special wound treatments, vasectomies and sterilizations. On oneoccasion we removed a bladder stone - a major operation, whichhad to be done under local anaesthetic only. Due to the lowtemperatures in Simikot it was not possible to administer generalanaesthetics. Of course the overall working conditions are notcomparable to a medical facility in the west - a sterile environmenttakes on a completely different meaning in a remote Himalayanhealth camp. The conditions could best be described as workingin a field hospital in a war zone. We had very good workingrelationships with our Nepalese counterparts and during our timespent together new friendships were formed. I would like toillustrate two cases to give an impression about what kind ofevents one might confront at a health camp in one of the poorestregions of the world.

The first case was a five years old girl who had received seriousburn injuries on her left arm during infancy. The healing of thewound happened in a bent position - as a result the lower andupper arm grew together and in addition the left hand was alsotwisted further into an unnatural position. The girl could not useher arm even for the simplest task. Unfortunately, it was notpossible to perform the necessary operation in Simikot so we

collected $250 amongst the volunteer health staff to financetransportation to Nepalganj Medical College as well as food andlodging during her stay there. Thanks to the generosity of DrKidwai and the Medical College the operation and treatmentduring Dec. and Jan. were provided free of charge. The girl isnow able to stretch out her left arm, although she still has not gotthe use of her hand. It would take the skills of an experiencedhand surgeon to solve this permanent affliction. We are nowtrying to organise sponsorship through private individuals toensure a better future for the child.

The second case is the three-week old baby of a woman,who, after walking with herhusband for three days, arrivedin Simikot and then diedduring the night. The causewas probably HELLP Syndromecombined with hypertension,which had developed beforethe birth. The boy, most likelyborn in the 32nd week ofpregnancy, weighed only1700g and during two days ofcare by the father and a

relative of the mother, lost another 200g, then developedpneumonia and was in a life threatening condition on arrival atSimikot hospital. It was decided to put the baby under thepersonal care of the paediatrician and eventually, after severaldays of permanent medical care and antibiotics, the infantrecovered. At the same time the father had been begging indesperation for someone to adopt his son, as he would not beable to look after him. In a further development of the story thebaby was taken to Kathmandu and is now being looked after bya ‘day-mother’ until the process of adoption has been completed.In this case a special thanks to the Nepal Trust – it is the first timethey have been confronted with such a situation and they madeit their responsibility to find a solution to the challenge.

My experiences at the Health Camp in Simikotby Dr. Dirk Schwarz, – German Surgeon & Nepal Trust Austria Volunteer

A Dentist abroad by Roy Reece, Rotarian and Dentist from England

Surgeon Dr. Dirk Schwarz operating

Parents with their ill son in patient ward –health camp 04

Dental work

Queue of women patients - Simikot health camp

After a gruelling overnight west-to-eastflight to Nepal, my overriding desire onarrival at my hotel in Kathmandu was tofreshen up and get some sleep.Invigorated by both, I proceeded toexplore and savour the uniqueatmosphere of the city. This was my firstvisit to Nepal. I was allowed to settle inbefore being summoned to the NepalTrust office, where I met some of the team.We then enjoyed generous hospitality in

the home of Mr Pradhan, Chairman of theNepal Trust NGO in Nepal. After twoflights in two days of travel we arrived inSimikot, Humla. We took a little time tobecome familiar with the new situationthat we found ourselves in and to meet therest of our party of westerners and thenstarted to get the Simikot hospital ready forthe influx of patients who would begin toarrive on Monday morning.


Implementing the Localby David Citrin – PhD student in Medical Anthropology from the USA

In November 2004 I was fortunate enough to assist the NepalTrust during a health camp, which took place in Simikot, thedistrict capital of Humla district, an area so remote that the LonelyPlanet does not speak its name. I was keen to explore rural healthdevelopment issues in this unique corner of the world. I was alsointerested to look at the obstacles to delivering adequate healthcare to Nepal’s most rural and isolated inhabitants. These includeviolence, absence of adequate infrastructure, poor channels ofcommunication and an incredibly complex bureaucratic culture.A number of other questions were in my mind during the timethat I spent with the Nepal Trust: Who is involved in the planningof such development initiatives and how is local culturalinformation utilised? Whose values and needs are reflected in thepreparation and implementation of projects such as the healthcamp? Because of Nepal’s rich ethnic, religious and culturalheritage, there will be no single strategy or ‘silver bullet’ forbridging the gap between aspirational outcomes and the reality ofdelivering development programs on the ground. For the past 11 years, the Nepal Trust has been working toimprove the health care provided to the countries most remotepopulation, which consists of just over 45,000 Humli people. Thisgoal grows ever more difficult as the nine-year-old civil war rageson amidst an increasingly uncertain socio-political situation. KingGyanendra’s recent sacking of the government has thrust thecountry’s future into further doubt, and daily life for rural villagersmay well grow more precarious in the near future. Seen in thiscontext, it is a real achievement that Nepal Trust has continued tomove forward and have sustained community support for much

needed health development and village-based projects in theKarnali zone of NW Nepal.The Nepal Trust’s integrated approach to addressing the culturallyspecific health problems of the Humli people combinesinternational capability and experience with grass-roots effort.This has allowed the Trust to lay the groundwork for futureprograms within the Humla district, and has created a forumthrough which the rural voice can be heard. The organisation is

backed by the tremendous support of an international team ofdoctors, and the Nepal Trust’s board members and directorsprovide clear strategic direction for the whole operation. Theirsuccess also stems in no small part from their incrediblymotivated and perceptive team who work on the ground inNepal. This includes a number of Nepalis who grew up in Humla,some of whom still live there - who better to address the healthneeds of the surrounding communities than the people whoknow them firsthand. We can only hope that the Nepal Trustsfocus on the “local” will emerge as a goal to be emulatedelsewhere, and that other health care and development programswill turn towards this direction. The Nepal Trust’s work embodiesan unquestionable devotion to the people of Humla. The successof the health camp that I attended is testimony to this fact. Theirsupport is invaluable in these uncertain times as the country dealswith and adapts to the dramatic changes of recent months. I wishto sincerely thank the Nepal Trust for not loosing focus indelivering their vision, and for striving to bring hope and self-sustainability to a just cause. Lead by example. There is no otherway.

There was an impressive Medical Team ofmedics from 5 countries who hadtravelled to Humla to treat the localpopulation. A contingent of fifteen Nepalisfrom the Medical College of Nepalganj,under the leadership of Dr Kidwai, theirdirector, joined us on Sunday and workbegan in earnest on Monday when thehealth camp officially started. Photographsof the queue for registration show whatawaited us that morning. Patientspresented with a whole manner ofproblems, which involved undertakingsurgical operations, distributing antibioticsfor treatment of infections, and dressingwounds. The three thousand six hundredpatients who reached the camp ensuredthat we were all kept busy during the nextsix days. The team of medics helped toprovide much needed treatment for thelocal community, some of whom had

walked for five or more days in the bittercold to get to the camp. One woman gavebirth prematurely en route to the camp,but sadly died during childbirth. Dirk andKerstin Schwarz are currently in theprocess of adopting the surviving child. Each day after work had finished themedical team gathered for debriefing andrelaxation. Our lab technician Paula toldof a man with three wives and nochildren, whom she persuaded toundertake a fertility test. Paula was curiousto try to find any evidence for his lack ofpotency. She simply said that through themicroscope, his little sperm could be seenhobbling along like they were oncrutches! At the end of this marathon health camp itwas therapeutic for our group to spend ashort time together back in Kathmandubefore going our separate ways. We all

enjoyed the farewell party, whichcemented friendships made as a result ofour shared experiences at the healthcamp. It is admirable that many of theseyoung people gave up holiday entitlementfrom their busy careers, with so muchobvious enthusiasm, to devote time to thecall of the Nepal Trust.

Dr.Wibke Blaicher taking an ultrasound of patient

Student volunteers Dave & Neena – medical anthropologists from US

Women’s literacy class


Congratulations To Rotary On Its Centenary - 100 Years of Humanitarian Service!The Nepal Trust would like to thank you Rotary for all of your support and hard work in helping the Nepal Trust over the years!

Rotary Projects completed or delayed in 2004 and currently supported or plannedprojects:

Simikot Hospital – District 1040 (Matching Grant Rotary Foundation) - project completed

Rotary (District 1030) Aqua Filters – Rotarian George Craig and the Trustees of the Aqua Filter project have donated 4 filters to the Nepal Trust. For more informationon the project - contact George Craig - Telephone 0191 4885715

Dentist, Rotarian Roy Reece, IGA Grant – RC Guildford District (D.1250) – health camp 2004

Ghoti Khola Micro-Hydro - Districts 1160, 1010, RC Cheltenham Cleeve Vale (D.1100), Sturminster Newton (D.1110) with Matching Grant – still delayed due to political situation – awaiting implementation in 2006

Lali Micro-Hydro – RC Maidenhead Thames (D.1090) Rotary District 1090, RC St Nom La Bretech (France), RC Hengelo Driene (Holland), RC Steinfurt (Germany) – delayed until 2006

Rotarian Alan Hepworth - RC of Dronfield, donation of surgical instruments, walking sticks & crutches

Health Post Upgrade/Equipment – RC Thorpe Bay (D.1240) in Limi valley – delayed until Autumn 2005

Kermi Health Post & general support – RC Wells and Avalon (D. 1200) – great result of the Boules Tournament!

Humla Health Post – RC West Worthing (D.1250)

Health Education and Trainings – RC West Fife (D. 1010)

Nurses Visits – RC Bailgate Lincoln (D.1270), Rhos-on-Sea (D. 1180) – health camp 2004

Planned Micro-Hydro at Halji for 2006 – RC Misbourne Matins (D. 1090)

Elgin Rotary (D. 1010) - Bankatuwa Water and Sanitation Project - Prepared andimplemented by Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH), included 46 tube wells, 148 sanitationtoilets, kitchen gardens, health education, the formation of 46 management committees.Over 1500 people and 250 families are beneficiaries of this excellent project. Tony Sharpe,Chairman of the Nepal Trust led a group of Rotarians from Elgin to the project site in Nov.04 for a simple inauguration ceremony. The Trek was arranged and run by the Nepal Trust.

Contributions of £500 and more towards the running of the health, education oralternative energy programmes have been made by the Rotary Clubs of: West Fife;Misbourne Matins; Bangor; York; Abergavenny; St. Albans; Trent Bridge. Many moreClubs have given donations from £100 to £500 to help keep the projects going, but forspace reasons we cannot list all the names. Thank you once again for all your tremendoussupport! Our thanks also go once again to the International Service Committee of RIBI andto the Rotary Clubs of Lalitpur, Thamel and Nepalgunj in Nepal for their help.

The Nepal Trust in Partnership with Rotary Worldwide.

Across the Rooftop of the Worldby UK Scientists and Nepal Trust volunteers – Becky & Dave Bradley

Preparing for Operation

Rotary Aqua Filter Project – Dist. 1030

Rotarians from Elgin – Bankatuwa Water & SanitationProject

The trip was to take us to Mount Kailash in Western Tibet - thespiritual centre of the universe, and then on to the remote andrugged beauty of the Limi valley, steeped in culture andtraditions, where we would spend a month assisting with theNepal Trusts work. We left Kathmandu with Nepal Trust Director,Jigme Lama, on a bus going bound NE for the Nepali border withTibet. This monsoon journey took us past verdant and lushvegetation and through dramatic gorges with swollen riversrunning off the Himalayas. It was an extremely pleasant relieffrom the chaos of Kathmandu. Throughout the five-day landcruiser journey westwards across theTibetan plateau to Mt. Kailash, the scenery changed dramaticallyfrom Nepal. One minute we were amongst verdant valleys, thenext barren, rocky, arid mountains and plains with small villagesand splashes of green irrigated fields. We were treated tounforgettable views of the distant Langtang Himalayan range andMount Shisha Pangma (8012m) across a vast plain spanned by anauspicious rainbow. With altitudes in excess of 4000m, appallingroad conditions, greasy Chinese food, terrible toilets, bitter winds

and long days, the journey was a draining and yet unforgettable. We were finally rewarded by majestic views of Mt. Kailash andLake Manasarovar. We did not have time to complete the Kora -a 56km 3 day trek around Kailash, but we felt that our karmadefinitely received a boost simply by being there. For us it wasthe tranquillity, clarity of the air and beauty of Mount Kailash, theazure blue lakes and Mount Gurla Mandhata, a huge snowy andsacred mountain, which made the place so unique. It was thendownhill, literally and spiritually, to the Tibetan border withHumla, Nepal. Our pleasure at being back in Nepal (Hilsa) wasmarred by the appearance of an angry Maoist who wanted toknow what our Nepali team was up to. Fortunately, as we wereperceived as western tourists, we were left out of the heateddiscussions, that ended up being resolved without issue. Thefollowing day we began a two-day trek to Limi valley, traversinghigh up on the steep valley side above the mighty Karnali river. The next day we turned away from the Karnali and over theLamka La (4300m) pass into the Limi valley. From the pass it waspossible to make out the bright green fields of Halji village far


along the Limi valley. To the right towered rocky mountains,rising to snow capped peaks. It was an easy descent to the firstvillage of Til (3950m), nestled up a side valley amidst hundreds ofterraced fields of barley, in an amphitheatre of craggy andglaciated peaks. The people of Til seemed a friendly group andchatted and smiled non-stop on the way into the village. Thesudden abundance of wild flowers and scent of many varieties ofherbs hit our senses with surprise; a welcome change to thedesolate Tibetan plateau. Camping in the open courtyard of thecommunity hall meant it wasn’t long before the locals came for achat and to welcome the Nepal Trust.

Along with the invaluable help of Ringin, Sittar and Kendrup (NTstaff), a household survey was conducted in order to obtain adetailed understanding of the people, their way of life and futuredevelopment needs for the valley. In addition, a comprehensiveinventory and photographic record of religious artifacts of TilGompa was gathered. Another objective of our trip was tophotograph and document tourist information ( walks, climbing /kayaking potential, hot springs, retreat caves etc). So whilst in Til,we took the opportunity to explore the valley above to gain aclose up view of the towering glaciated peaks of Pembur,

Karkzang, and Memonazum. On return to Til we met a contingentof Maoist preachers who’d come to convert the locals to their wayof thinking, to encourage them to form Maoist Committees and todonate money to their cause. For the locals this amounted to just50 to 100 rupees per household, but for us it was a hefty 9000rupees each. The Maoists were not threatening to us, save for thesmall hand grenade strapped across the back of the youngestrecruit.

The village of Halji was our next port of call, a 3-hour walkalongside the attractive Limi Khola. The valley opens out into awide plain at Halji, where every square inch is cultivated with neatirrigated fields and steep cliffs rise all around. The village is hometo the important 11th century Rinchenling Gompa, said to havebeen founded by Rinchen Zangpo the Great Translator. Themonastery originally belonged to the Sakyapa sect and later to theDri-gung Kagyu sect. For centuries, it has been the cultural andreligious centre not only of the three villages in the Limi valley,but also for the entire Bhotia community of upper Humla and

western Tibet. The monks were very welcoming, treating us tobiscuits and sweets washed down with sweet tea, chang (barleybeer) and Coke. We were shown round the ancient building,festooned with old statues, murals, scriptures, Buddhist teachingsand brightly painted masks for their ritual dances. Here wethoroughly documented all the valuable religious artifacts andinvestigated the Halji Gompa restoration issues. Another 3-hour walk brought us to the village of Jang. We set upcamp on the roof of the gompa where two Tibetan refugees wereliving. In Jang we began to work on the Limi Valley Demographyreport, based on information from nearly 200 families anddevelopment issue discussions (eg health, education, electricity,

access and tourism) with the relevant management committees.Our next task was to survey the ancient Tugu trading route fromLimi, north to the Tibetan border. The people of Limi wanted torename and make this yak trail into a motorable road. Locals havebegun the hard work of constructing the road by hand, but reallyrequire external assistance for the realisation of their dream – adream that they feel will change their lives or more specifically thelives of their children for the better. Our objective was to surveyand photograph the route. It is hoped that this information willlead to funding for this road to Limi project.The rest of the trek back to Simikot took 4 days over 2 highpasses, wading through icy cold glacial water and camping upremote and vast valleys inhabited by semi nomadic herderstending their animals. The contrast in surroundings, from the semiarid region of Limi to the lush alpine style meadows and pineforests came as quite a surprise. Two days later we flew out ofSimikot on a Twin Otter back to Kathmandu, where we workedfor the next month on the: Limi Valley demography survey, LimiValley tourism and monastery report and the Tugu Road survey aswell as a CD ROM and video of our findings – all available fromthe Nepal Trust.

View of Halji

Limi girls dancing

Saipal Range

Lake Manasarovar

Traditional dance of Limi men


If you would like to support the Nepal Trust:Please return this form to: The Nepal Trust, 4 Marina Quay, Lossiemouth, Moray IV31 6TJ, Scotland, UK

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Appreciation and thanks:Single donations in 04/05 of £500 or more Individuals:Edwin Dunlop; M.V. Owen; Bob & Alice Hewitt; James Hart Dyke & Friends; Trusts, Companies: (Rotary donations are listed separately on pg 9)The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust, 1969 Vinson Charity Trust; UNESCO; Nepal Trust Austria;The Paget Trust; The Paul Charitable Trust; The Souter Charitable Trust; Miss KM Harbinson’s CharitableTrust; The Stonewall Park Charitable Trust; The Rhododendron Trust; The Ryklow Charitable Trust; TheScouts; Posthouse Printing; Priority FreightFor help in different ways:Tony and Sandra Cook, Justin Jeffrey, Jeremy Carter, John James, Don Stewart, Winnie Mackintosh, JamesHart Dyke, Sandra Milne, Dan Wynde, and all the staff, directors and trustees of the Nepal Trust Nepal,Austria and UK.To all the Medical Volunteers during the 04 Health Camp – a special thanks for putting in so muchenergy and hard work under difficult conditions!Due to space restrictions we are not able to list by name all the many more wonderful people who havealso contributed through regular donations, volunteering, gifts, advice and moral support. ONCE AGAIN: THANK YOU SO MUCH - PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP!

Humli Man with wool hat

Dr. Kidwai, Nepali Surgeon & Director of Nepal TrustHealth Camps 2003 & 2004

Dr. Alex Blaicher (N.T. Austria) with Dr. Roshon Phokerel(District Health Officer) at Simikot Health Camp

Girl with baby

PHOTO ALBUM

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The Nepal Trust4 Marina Quay, Lossiemouth,

IV31 6TJ Scotland Tel: 01343 810358 Fax: 01343 810359

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The Nepal TrustChun Devi

Kathmandu, NepalTel: 00 977 1 4721112 Fax: 00 977 1 4720224

E-mail: [email protected] sites: www.nepaltrust.org www.himalayantravel.co.uk

After a long walk - a long wait for treatment - Health Camp 2004

Nepal Trust medical volunteers enteringMaoist country

The Chieftans of Limi Valley

3 women waiting to see doctor

Halji Gompa

View of Simikot just before landing -hospital centre left

Humli woman in Red

Boy ready to partakein the harvest -

Til village

Horse Race

Nomad’s tent with “7 Medicines” Mountain inbackground - Limi valley

Deer head mask Concert with the monks from Halji


Beguiling face mask – Halji Monastery

Documents

Nepal Trust newsletter2005nepaltrust.org/namaste/Namaste newsletter 2005.pdfNamaste - The Nepal Trust News Page 3 The Nepal Trust health camp of November 2004, which was held in Simikot,