SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 30

Excerpts from The Himalayan Swing . . . Golfing for Good.

The journey began at a tournament in Bangladesh, where The Rotary Club of Dhaka introduced Sleeping Children to participating golfers from Nepal. Recognizing the potential, Rtn. Bhai Raja Panday and Rtn. Prabesh Phuyal took the lead to gather quotes from local vendors and identify suitable bedkit items.  They visited sites in Dhunbeshi and identified nine schools and 1500 children. The project was finalized via several Zoom conversations and emails.

"This project exemplifies the power of collaboration and the positive impact that Rotary and SCAW can have on communities in need. Together we are providing essential resources to children, enabling them to pursue their education and dreams with greater hope and confidence."

Following are some scenes from our last dinner together.

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Namaste,

Team Nepal, 2024

Rotary Club of Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 30

The last distribution day is always bitter sweet.  There are mixed emotions of exhilaration and sadness as we complete our mission with our new-found SCAW Nepal family. We will miss the beautiful scenery, the energy of the Rotaractors, the support of senior Rotarians and most of all, the children.

As we were having breakfast, we noticed a stream of heads going by the window. To our amazement, we realized that sand was being moved from the front of our inn, up several flights of steps, across the compound and down a steep slope to the terrace below our dining area.

As we headed back to gather our equipment for the day, one gentleman effortlessly carrying a heavy load, got off his cell phone to wish us "Namaste".

Assembly

A hillside view

Getting organized

Rotaractors bundling bedkit contents

Landslide of 2015 destroyed water supply to school washroom

Bedkit on its way home

Rotaractors celebrating the completion of the bundling of the bedkits.

Now we await the arrival of the very last group of children.

And so concludes the 2024 distribution of 1500 bedkits.

The list of those who contributed to the success of the mission is extensive, but it starts with our caring and generous donors ... they make it all possible. 

Namaste,

Team Nepal, 2024

Rotary Club of Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 28

The first question you are asked as a foreigner is, "Where are you trekking?" That gives us an opportunity to share the SCAW story.  There is always interest and gratitude in response.

We are having a wonderful time! The people are warm and hospitable, the children are beautiful, the scenery is spectacular.

Packing equipment.

The team that made it happen. We are in a place called Lyakhlungfedi - gorgeous spot but hard to spell.

A bedkit on its way home.

Moving bedkits from storage to exit! Worked like a charm!

There is no doubt we reached children experiencing poverty today.

There are often gaps during the distribution as we understand some of them are walking as many as 3 hours on rocky paths to reach the site.  Rotary has tried to find centrally located schools.  We marvel at what they have accomplished in this terrain.  

Namaste,

Team Nepal, 2024

Rotary Club of Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 25

Today’s distribution was at a picture postcard site! 

Children walked 2 - 3 hours down the mountains to reach the school located just behind the mill about a 2 minute walk further up the path to the left.

There was very little space, but with many bright and energetic Rotoractors to keep a now practiced eye on the various steps of the distribution, it all worked out!

Bedkits are stored in the yellow building. 

The entire distribution process had to be completed in this space with the families arriving and departing on the path to the left of the mill.

Faster than using stairs!

Tracking station

Registration Station

Finishing touches

All set up and the fun begins.

Ready for photos.

Yay! In spite of the challenges, the children made it back up that stony path.

After another 2 -3 hour hike to their homes tonight they will be tucked in on a mattress under a fluffy comforter and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Namaste,

Team Nepal, 2024

Rotary Club of Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 24

Today is our first ever distribution in Nepal!

We began with a hearty breakfast at 7 a.m.

We hit the road at 8 a.m.

Bedkits ready for their new homes.

Rotoractors in action.

We are supported by a brilliant group of young people who quickly grasped the flow of a distribution day.

Registration desk with clothing arranged by size to be handed to the child upon entry.

From the 3rd floor of the school building we could view lush terrace farming.  Look closely and you will see a bedkit working its way home to the top of the hill.

We were a very happy group celebrating a historical first distribution day in Nepal.

We can't say enough about the bright and energetic Rotoractors who supported the process from start to finish and our new Rotarian partners who pitched in and kept a sharp eye ready to resolve any challenges.

A truly wonderful day!

Namaste,

Team Nepal, 2024

Rotary Club Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 22

Over the past few months as we collaborated with, and guided Rotary towards this pilot distribution, we were concerned whether or not $40 CAD would be sufficient to produce all the items that constitute a bedkit. 

Due to brilliant negotiating, Rotary has managed to get huge discounts on items of high quality:

• A heavy-duty foam mattress

• Comforter

• Sheet/pillowcase

• Mosquito net

• Backpack

• Top quality track suit 

We ended a perfect day treated to dinner by our new Rotary friends high in the mountains with the promise of viewing Mount Everest in the sunset.  Unfortunately, Mt Everest, locally called Chomolungma, meaning "Goddess Mother of the World", was blanketed in mist. But the dinner did not disappoint!

Namaste

Team Nepal, 2024

Rotary Club Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 21

Yesterday we met our team in Nepal, the Rotary Club Himalayan Golfers.

The meeting was led by their President Mr Bijay Badadur Shrestha. We were all introduced as well as all the club members present.  We discussed the upcoming distribution and answered questions back and forth.

We then went for coffee and ended our meeting with Linda and Carol going on a site-seeing tour of Kathmandu, and Michael and myself playing a round of golf with Bijay and his golf teammate Daman Bahadur Ghale, next year’s Rotary club president. 

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The golf was fun but the Himalayan team trounced our Canadian golfers. Fun was had by all.

Team Nepal, 2024

Rotary Club Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Nepal, 2024: November 19

We are literally and mentally on top of the world for the first distribution in Nepal. Bhairaj Panday  (Rotarian) and Piku (Rotoractor) welcomed us warmly at the airport.

We begin at 8 tomorrow morning with our pre-distribution meeting when we will meet members of Rotary, see the bedkit items and learn more about the distribution sites. We have been bombarded by “namastes” since arrival. Here it means, “The divine in me honours the divine in you.”

Namaste from Team Nepal

Rotary Club of Himalayan Golfers🇳🇵+ SCAW 🇨🇦