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Kathie and I have been discussing why we are writing this blog and what we should write. There seem to be three main reasons for the blog.
1. To help the St Peters' fundraisers to get to know the DNC children so they fully appreciate how worthy a cause they are.
2. Without wanting to preach, to help the young people at St Peter's realise how lucky they are and how most other children live in this world. Perhaps, when you are older you may consider doing something like this because it is so worthwhile and far better than a gap year bumming round Australia.
3. To tell family and friends of our adventure.
How much of a balanced picture can we give in our blogs? Life is tough, physically and emotionally for DNC children but we must consider the dignity of the children in how we describe their lives on a semi-public blog. The younger ones, in particular, must struggle to come to terms with the practical side of their disabilities; things that you and I take for granted such as going to the toilet, eating, dressing, simply moving about. They never complain. These are the sorts of things that we feel we shouldn't mention in detail. The medical and hygiene aspects of life in Nepal are basic. In England, even disabled children rejected by their parents, orphaned and in an institution, would perhaps get one-to-one care and all the technical back-up of medical equipment, physio etc. It is not like that in Nepal. The 29 children at DNC are cared for by Shanti with a few helpers. Even the smallest children have to look after themselves for most of the day. Shanti is an absolute saint. She has done this work 24 hours a day, 6½ days a week, 52 weeks a year for 11 years. (Perhaps a typical Nepali work schedule!) She stays calm at all times. There are 29 children here now. Would you like her job? The aim of the Nepali Children's Trust has been to set up a centre of excellence as a beacon in Nepal. The fantastic new building is here and the children are much better off in it and as funds are raised the NCT's ideal will be realised but these things must happen step by step; medical room, library, physio room, more helpers, etc. In the meantime life is still tough. Just keep raising the money!
Now for that eventful day.
There was talk of another strike today, but nothing official. So Krishna, the taxi driver, set off on a different route to DNC. The queues for petrol were worse than normal and blocked the road in places. (Krishna once queued for 27 hours for petrol) A policeman stopped us and sent us off the route down side streets. We were shouted at by a band of students. Soon even Krishna, who has been driving in Nepal for 46 years, was lost. He asked several people but nobody seemed to care. Suddenly we emerged onto the main road through Boudha and we knew where we were. Big grin on Krishna's face.
It was very quiet at DNC with the few young children playing by themselves. Shanti was out getting medicines and a new phone. Sarmilla, Shanti's No.2, was up on the roof with Pramisha who had been ill with an ear infection on Tuesday. Pramisha was having her hair cut off with a pair of scissors because she had nits. She was then going to have a bath with anti-scabes liquid and then cream rubbed in around her ear. Pramisha was taking all her afflictions calmly, as all the children always do.
Buijana is very ill. She has a curved spine which affects her breathing and oxygen intake. She has an enlarged heart. She is too weak to have the planned operation to straighten her spine. I'd spent a lot of time with her on Tuesday because she didn't seem well and was very miserable. Sheseems to be very much left alone by the other children because she's so inactive. I'd read Noddy with her. Today she was very ill and in bed, Shanti's No.3 was with her and we didn't like to disturb them. Shanti was trying to get her to the doctor's but couldn't get a taxi to take her and she had so much else to do. We were all very concerned as time went by.
As it was quiet I took the opportunity to mend the sign by the main entrance. I mended it but the hooks on the wall were so crooked that I took it down again. The Gateman was trying again to get a PVC Rotary Club banner to stay on the wall by banging bent nails into concrete with a kilo weight.
All was sunny and quiet until the first wave of children got back from school.
During snack time the earthquake sensor in the dining room began to make a few squeaks as if it was faulty. This created great excitement and the children in the kitchen began a full evacuation - of themselves. Word got upstairs eventually that we were all doomed and after a couple of minutes Kath looked over the top of the balcony to see what was going on. Small immobile children were, by this time, being unceremoniously carried downstairs. Poor Buijana had been dragged from her bed somehow and appeared in a metal chair being dragged and jolted across the yard and left in the middle of everything. Kath and I went and gently lifted her to the side furthest from the building, in the shade of an oil drum. No quake ensued. Apparently a large lorry bouncing down the road above the building can set off the alarm. We need to speak to somebody about more practice evacuations in case of a real emergency.
There are several bikes at DNC but none work. I had taken it upon myself to get the broken chain of one fixed and Kumar was the man to put it all together on the grass at the front. I had also bought an adjustable spanner, a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. Having taught Kumar how to use the spanner he eventually got the bike back together, ably assisted by six other boys who all knew best and by Subash who toppled onto the bike in mid repair sending bike and repair team flying. The answer to every problem was to whack it with the kilo weight which was the nearest that could be found to a hammer. Having sent all the others away Kumar and I quietly thought the problem through and I explained that a plan was better than a hammer. We reluctantly came to the conclusion that the bike was beyond repair, the chain was removed and it reverted to its use as a hobby horse upon which two children at a time could be pushed round the yard - an activity which created excitement in the children and exhaustion in the pusher in equal, increasing quantities.
Shanti returned to the spectacle of every child outside, doing homework, playing, mending bikes etc. How she keeps her cool amongst all this I do not know. More discussion ensued about the condition of Buijana who was still sat on her chair, limp and quiet. She was bundled into Krishna's tiny Suzuki taxi and went off to the doctor.
Abi and I settled down next to each other to help two children with similar homework. Young children in Nepal are taught purely by rote and with little understanding. Kathie has been taught some clapping chants they use to learn the alphabet. Older children do have understanding so there must be a middle stage when they are taught to think. The homework of these children was entitled "Think and Write" One had to retell a simple story of a foolish donkey and the other had to answer a simple Yes/No question and say why this was their answer. Neither were anywhere near comprehension of what was being asked and both boys agreed that without our help they would just copy out the question and hand it in as their answer. With the departure of Buijana we were distracted from this and I assume that's what they did.
At last Kath and I left but Laxmi rushed after us shouting at Krishna. Shanti's No.3 climbed in too, clutching a bowl of rice. Buijana had been admitted to hospital so we had to take her meal along for her. I presume the hospital doesn't supply food. We heard the next day that Buijana had been admitted to intensive care.
So eventually back to Gaia where we had our meal in total darkness except for the light of one small candle on our table. Not every day is like this and this is written up because it is an exception. But we sat in the dark saying to ourselves, "What sort of day was that!"
Postscript: Buijana is still in hospital on Friday. Shanti has moved in with her because apparently 'hospital' does not include personal care such as washing, feeding, going to the toilet, etc. Each day clothes, bedclothes and food must be supplied by DNC staff who run a shuttle back and forth.
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