Intermediate report of my trip to Nepal

March 2017 @Dr. Bianca-Maria Exl-Preysch

 

I am now already for the second time on the way to Nepal. So many things happened during the last year. I have founded the Snowland Children Foundation and the foundation really seems to fly. I am aware that this is mainly due to the village community of Bichelsee-Balterswil as well as to the ecumenical working group around Daniela Albus. With this in mind and thinking about what has happened since last year -and last but not least – with a lot of money on me, I am on my way.
A cordial welcome from my friends and partners in Nepal, Lhakpa Sherpa and Urkin Sherpa is awaiting me. And already on the next day, we are on our way to «our» village, Timbu, which we already call by now «Snowland Children Village».
It consists of actually three villages:

  • the Lower Timbu itself, relatively easy reachable in a 6 to 7 hours drive from Kathmandu
  • Middle Timbu, reachable only on foot from Timbu and the main temple.
  • Embalama, the Upper Village, another gruesome 2 hours drive upwards.

Embala has become our main center of activity. Approximately 600 people live there in 120 houses. There were of course more houses before the earthquake 2 years ago. As there was practically no help from the governement, some families have moved away. But where to? There is nowhere help or support…

Well, the road to Timbu is definitely the worst I have ever seen – and I have seen a couple of very bad ones. One would be better off on horse back, but there are no more horses here. So we just hope our teeth will not fall out and carry on.
An additional problem are the sand trucks on the road which gather sand from the very fertile Helambu-Melamche valley. About 500 truck loads per day are being filled in the riverbed, thus destroying the beautiful landscape and leading to landslides .This sand mining was last year prohibited by the governement but meanwhile this ban has already been revoked…
In the late evening, we arrive in Timbu, having checked on the way the production of the Kakani School equipment, financed by the Sternsinger of Eschlikon and Wallenwil.

«Our» village Timbu, that we call already with the nickname “Snowland children village”

And – there are still so many tin-houses (hot in summer, cold in winter – and ugly) that should be replaced urgently

Urkin and Lhakpa with our driver, who did miracles when driving on the bad roads …

And again they have to clean the road from stones…

We are again stuck …but our driver managed again to get us out, with the help of my 2 partners