Travels in Nepal

A St Leonards lass in rural Nepal

A few months ago, you might have seen local girl Sidney Ewing selling her possessions outside Love Cafe, or organising a ‘Curry-oke’ night at The Roomz. It was all in aid of raising enough money to fly to Nepal on a Restless Development project.

Having been in and out of bar jobs in Hastings, I felt it was time to do something different, something a little bit adventurous. Volunteering is a great thing to do if you’re considering a gap year, or just want to experience something new. The programme I went with, Restless Development, was government funded. I had to raise some money before my departure, but this was a fantastic experience. Local businesses such as the Love Café and The Roomz supported me in putting on fundraising events and it was great fun too!

Sleeping on a wooden plank, eating rice and lentil (daal baht) three times a day, washing in the village spring daily, walking three hours to get to the local community group. These were just some of the personal challenges I had to face during my three month spent in Nepal. I stayed in the far west region of Nepal in a rural village close to Dadeldurah.

Although the culture shock and living conditions were hard to adjust to, what I found most shocking was the gender inequality.

Nepal is ranked one of the poorest countries and rural Nepal is harder hit by poverty, and it is the women who suffer the most. Women have little access or in some cases no access to primary health, education and sanitation. Arranged marriages are very common and as soon as girls hit puberty they are deemed ready to marry. Married life for young women means giving up their studies and goals and taking up the duties in her new husband’s home. The work expected of women is very tough; it is their responsibility to grow crops and feed the family. Nepal’s terrain is steep and mountainous, making this task physically strenuous.

Chaupadi is an old superstition; it is believed that during a women’s menstruation she is unclean. It is bad luck for men to be in contact with women during her menstruation and she is not allowed to enter the kitchen. Some more extreme cases of chaupadi include the woman having to sleep in the cow shed for six days. This is a worrying problem as women are unsafe sleeping in these conditions and in some cases die.

While in Nepal, myself and other volunteers set up women’s groups in the local communities and villages. We spoke to the women about these issues and about sanitation. For me these sessions were the highlight of my time in Nepal. The women spoke openly about their oppression and shared stories and feelings. The atmosphere was very special and although very sad stories were shared, there was also a lot of laughter and smiling. The women felt a sense of togetherness and community.

These few hours a week away from the daily chores made the women feel they were not alone in their problems and they felt empowered as females. My experience as a volunteer was invaluable and I have been told the women’s groups are still continuing self-sufficiently.

I would recommend spending time as a volunteer to anyone. It is important that we (as westerners) experience other walks of life and help address the important issues other people face.

Running women’s sessions in Nepal made me think about how great it would be to set up a similar thing in Hastings. To have a group of women from local communities to meet up and chat on a regular basis. After all, do you really know your neighbours? Food for thought!

Also in: The HOT Planet