Baglung

This blog thing is harder to do than I thought. Days seem to fly by and then suddenly I remember I have a zillion things I want to write down, but by then there's so much to say and I struggle knowing where to start.
So, where do I start? I think I'll finish off my first field visit with ADWAN, although that was (already!!!) two weeks ago!

Buddha's Birthplace! 

Lower Terai

We left Arghakhanchi early in the morning and reached Pokhara late that night. It was a crazy day of travel, as we had intended to take what all the villagers assured us would be a “maximuium thirty minute” detour to see Buddha’s birthplace. Having studied Buddhism in Ladakh, I was particularly keen on the idea and it didn’t seem like such a hassel. WRONG! It included some crazy bus rides, wayyy too reminiscent of India or Bangladesh. It was great to see the lower Terai, with its flat green patty fields, but the attitude and energy of the people and culture was different – a more charged, less friendly vibe. We managed though, and soon we were headed back into the mountains with the gutsiest (reckless??) bus driver I have had, and that’s saying a lot!

Bindu receives an mala 

We woke up the next morning ready for the final stretch to reach Baglung, and I felt a calm and positive energy return. I could tell it would be a good day, and it certainly was! After a wonderfully uneventful jeep ride (by Nepal standards), Sarasoti, the regional field worker, met us and we started out on the upward hike to her village. Much to our luck, a local jeep driver let us climb into the caged back with his rice bags and baby chickens, saving us about two hours of uphill walking. After reaching her home and settling in for a bit, we headed back down the hillside to meet with ADWAN sponsored girls and two women’s groups.

We visited a house where a young girl began receiving sponsorship starting three years ago. Her father suffers from paralysis on one side of his body, making it very difficult for him to walk or be hired for work. As a result, his wife ran away, leaving her daughter behind. The two were struggling to find meals each day, and, at the time, school was not even a remote possibility. The village’s women group tipped off ADWAN’s head office, and the young girl began to receive sponsorship. The women’s group invited her and her father to become special members, and they now have a small loan for chickens, which should be able to provide a little income. It was gut wrenching to be face-to-face with such an intense poverty level, but the girl’s clear confidence and pride in attending school was a bright light. Together we went to the women’s group meeting in town to start collecting information and more stories.

I learned quickly that guests are expected to dance! 

These two groups were “twin sisters,” as they started as one group but grew in numbers and so they broke apart to be more manageable. The women were eager to talk, and shared about their policies and accomplishments. I was struck by how ADWAN is really flexible and allows the groups the independence to self-monitor and develop. Each group I met with has installed different policies to make the programs work for themselves. For example, the seed money/internal loan and saving program runs differently for every group. Some groups have faced problems with repayment and have instituted policies to address this issue. However, each group, being an independent and autonomous entity, has different rules. One shared how they double the interest rate if it is not paid on time, while another charges 20 NR for every 1,000 NR for every month that the loan is late. It’s amazing to see how naturally these developments have occurred and reinforces that ADWAN/EDWON is a grassroots organization. It allows for effective programs, reflecting a positive feedback loop! Furthermore, I think these policies are one way to measure the impact of the training that ADWAN provides, as it shows the women are becoming leaders and working together as community to problem solve.

View of rice field overlooking valley

The last day of meeting groups had more intense hiking. Again, we met some incredible women leaders. The day brought forth highs and lows, like a mom who has successfully fought caste discrimination that originally denied her a job to a young girl who really needs a sponsorship to continue her education. There have been many times different potential I.S. topics which have crossed my mind, and I’m definitely drawn to the idea of exploring something about leadership. I think that ADWAN’s women’s groups provide those who have innate leadership skills a platform to develop and initiate change that benefits the community. I was drawn to microcredit due to the women’s empowerment aspect, but I think I’ve discovered that it is really the structure of the women’s group that is so crucial. 

Women's Group Member, Health Worker & Community Leader 

I’ve also been thinking a lot about privilege. One of the most memorable moments at my first environmental action training I attended was a discussion about the privilege of protest. Those who are naturally given power within a system are often the ones that are given the most luxury for speaking out. We were discussing the ability to attend a protest on climate change, an issue that impacts us all, but the person suffering from sea level rises in Bangladesh can’t make changes in American oil policy or person struggling financially may not be able to take a day off, even if they care about the issue. In talking with women’s groups about caste discrimination, they reiterated the same sentiment, but from the opposite side. They discussed the importance of including other castes in human rights education, as higher castes must also become aware of the discrimination they are encouraging or partaking in. It links right into the race riots in the USA this past week. I guess I’ve been surprised to find these connections of  universal human themes, although I shouldn't really be. Those in power must become educated, and they must stand up alongside those who have been disempowered to try and create change.