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Belle's Tales.
So today we eventually had the meeting. My head hurts slightly from banging it off the wall but hopefully it will die down later!
To start off, Laxman, the chairman who needed to attend this meeting for several reasons, i.e. his lack of contributions, actions and rumours of his resignation were some of the main issues that needed to be resolved. The women were on time, the meeting was scheduled for 11.30am and Jyoti, Gita and Kabita turned up. The vice-chairman (who I have little time for) was considerate enough to keep us waiting 45minutes and Laxman, even more thoughtful never turned up until nearly 2 hours later, after waiting for him for over an hour we decided to go ahead without him and roughly 10minutes after we finished he appeared and was sitting waiting.
I couldn't even tell him we had finished as I was quite annoyed (I can think of a stronger phrase) at his rudeness and blatent lack of manners. We had arranged this meeting in a bid to help the board and he turns up when he feels like it, I'm sorry but that is just lazy, inconsiderate and plain rude. So if someone else explained to him that the meeting was over and we weren't going through it all again he's a lucky man as I'm still fuming a little!
Basically at the meeting VSN and the volunteers had to explain to the board that they need long-term funding as at the minute they are not sustainable. The recieve roughly 75% help form outside agencies such as VSN, volunteers paying for other things and so they have a relatively little to provide yet they are struggling so much to meet these needs such as school fees, rice, cooking oil, dal etc. To get the exam results of the boys it will cost 750Rs which in pounds is about 5pounds, but Jyoti I think actually suggested that Joe and I pay this, which of course we refused as we are not here to pay school fees, exam fees etc.
Part of the problem is that the board are still in alot of debt from the previous school, which the vice-chairman of the board is the principle of and I have a problem with the fact he isn't paying anything towards this debt but is enforcing it.
Another problem is that we never actually managed to discuss what will happen with Rupesh (who has subsequently disappeared again but may return) as the board kept repeating itself with the same problems, Emma and I kept trying to move on and change the subject, hence the reason I was banging my head off the wall!
We may also have a problem if the didi leaves and doesn't return so Emma and I had to suggest to the board that they have a meeting between themselves to find out if Laxman is leaving, what the didi's plans are as they (the board) will have to find a new didi (oh, to which Jyoti said, 'hopefully one with a baby so that we just give food and board and don't have to pay her' in most orphanages the didi'd aren't paid, they get their room and board and if they have children they get immunised, schooling etc. but the current didi at GPPM doesn't have a child and is wanting payment now). We had to explain that it is essential that they have a meeting themselves before we can help them with the next step which would be to atempt to get some donors, organise a budget for the home etc as they are a little clueless and like we said the home is not sustainable the way it is going with the board, sorry the women of the board, paying for things out of their own pockets as they have their own families to care for as well.
So in reality I feel no further forward, but things in Nepal take a very looooooooooooooonnnnnnnng time to actually get going so it is very much a case of baby steps. Afterwards Emma said to me that she remembers being here roughly same time last year with the board having almost the exact same meeting with them, i.e. what are your plans for the children, how are you going to sustain the home etc except with a different chairman (the infamous Ram) and we just looked at each other as if to say ke garne?
So Its time for me to head off to the orphanage, if you got the last entry my virus, we have decided isn't food poisening as its been 4 days but more likely a bacterial virus probably from water (and my amaa I reckon) so I have my supply of anti-biotics and a paracetemol/ibuprofen suspension for the pain.... just how you want to be for the orphanage, drugged up, dulled responses and out of it haha!
Lesley Anne, thanks for the photos, they are very cute I've printed them off and taking with me to the orphanage which should keep the boys occupied for the rest of the night and probably the week as well!!
So take care everyone hope you're all healthy, happy and well,
Much Love,
Lauren
xxxxxx
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