Maureen and Michael Hawksworth, Mission Partners, Nepal, November 2006
Dear Friends
The monsoon season ends early in October in Nepal and is followed by the very best weather of the year. Over the next few weeks we have virtually cloudless days with the maximum temperature still rising to around 25C in Kathmandu. The nights are increasingly cool but are a welcome relief after the heat of the previous six months. This is the peak season for trekkers and because of the present peaceful state of the country, 2006 has seen more tourists than for many years. It is also a popular time for visitors from UMN’s supporters and this year we have welcomed many friends including John Nutt and Tim Dunwoody from the Methodist Church in Britain. It is always a pleasure to be able to share our home and experiences with those who visit Nepal and show an interest in our reason for being here.
Last month we took advantage of the Dashain and Tihar holidays to visit places we wanted to see before we leave Nepal. First we had a very enjoyable eight-day trek in the Everest area in mainly glorious weather. The views were stunning and we constantly marvelled at the majesty and beauty of God’s creation. On one occasion, our party of eight spontaneously began to sing ‘How great Thou art’, the line ‘When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur’ being particularly apt. The trek began after our flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2,800m) and over the next few days we ascended to just over 4,000 metres. For most of the time we were in and around Namche Bazar (3,450m), a Sherpa town from where the views of Everest and several other Himalayan mountains are excellent. Nearby is Khumjung, a village that has strong ties with Sir Edmund Hillary and where we were able to visit the impressive school which he was responsible for establishing. The trek was very ably led by our friend Judith Ellis, a veteran of many Himalayan treks. A couple of weeks later we flew to Delhi and did the ‘Golden Triangle’ incorporating visits to Agra and Jaipur. The main attraction at Agra was, of course, the Taj Mahal, reputed to be the most beautiful building in the world and we would not argue with that description. Again, as with looking at Mount Everest, it was awe inspiring to experience a sight we never imagined it would be our privilege to see at first hand. Other wonderful buildings in Agra, Fathephur Sikri and Jaipur were only slightly less impressive and we stood amazed as we realised how advanced civilisation was in parts of India four hundred years ago. We also had the opportunity to see some of the main tourist attractions in Delhi including the government buildings and India Gate.
Our trek took us to one of the more than 20 districts of Nepal (out of 75) with no motorable roads whatsoever and it made us aware of some of the problems faced by people living in these areas. UMN works in two such districts (Mugu and Rukum) and one of its priorities is to support the implementation of the Ministry of Health’s ‘Safe Motherhood’ programme. This is being funded by DFID (UK’s Department for International Development). It has been estimated that in Nepal, a woman dies every two hours from pregnancy related causes and that for every maternal death another 30-40 women suffer from disabilities. The major reasons are lack of quality maternal healthcare services, the overall poor health of women, the difficult terrain and poor communication systems. Rati Buda, aged 24, lives in Rukum and her story is typical. Her husband left for India a couple of years ago to find work and has not returned. Rati gets up at 4.00 a.m. to do the household chores before attending to the family’s animals. Her only income comes from the sale of their products. Married at 14, she gave birth to her first child at 16, her second at 19 and her third at 20. At the age of 22, she had a stillbirth because she fell while grazing the livestock. She was 9 months pregnant at the time. For all four births she was alone in the house with no-one to assist her during delivery. UMN is working closely with Rukum District Health Office to envisage ways of improving access to quality healthcare services for women such as Rati in remote and difficult areas. By contrast, Kathmandu has good maternity services, although the cost is beyond many people’s means! Patan Hospital, founded by UMN, has a new birthing unit and we are very thankful to report that Tim and Julie, Rachel and Murdo’s Irish colleagues at Anandaban, had safe delivery of a son there this week.
It is quite common for rural hospitals not to have a resident doctor and for a health assistant to be in charge. Such was the case when our doctor friend, Linda, from Scotland, visited us recently. She felt God was telling her to go to Jumla (another district without roads) and on arrival, discovered that neither the hospital nor the health clinic there had a doctor. The health clinic is run by International Nepal Fellowship (INF) and they had been praying for help. Linda was literally a godsend and was able to spend the next week seeing patients and giving advice to the health assistants.
The ladies at Hosanna Crafts are busy with Christmas orders. They decided they wanted a ‘uniform’ and now come to work every day in smart purple and beige saris! It is wonderful to look back over the past eighteen months and realise how much Hosanna Crafts has changed their lives. They have become very skilled and the products we turn out are of such a high quality that one of our necklaces is now being sold in a Fenwick’s store! They have grown, too, in confidence and self-esteem. All profits are ploughed back into Nepal and it is amazing to think that these women, once themselves desperately poor, are now able to help others less fortunate than themselves. They are looking forward to their Christmas outing and party!
Thank you for your support and prayers. Please continue to pray for the ongoing peace process here and for all involved in decision-making.
We wish you all an enjoyable Christmas and every blessing in the New Year.
With love and best wishes from Maureen and Michael.