Nomad at the desk!

“……………विद्यालयको सेरोफेरोमा रहि मैले आफुलाई पनि समाज र देशको निम्ती योगदान दिन सक्ने गरी फुलाउन र फक्राउने निकै प्रयास गरे तर जति गरे जति सोचे पनि न त फुल्न सके न त फक्रीन नै…… सानो कक्षामा पढ्दा देखि नै मैले आफ्नो मनमा अनेक सपनाहरु बुन्थे….. पाठ्य पुस्तकमा वर्णन  गरिएका गगनचुम्बि महल, अस्पताल, फोन, कम्प्युटर, बस, रेल आदि बारे थाहा पाउँदा किन हो किन एक खालको उत्साह जागृत हुन्थ्यो अनि कक्षामा गुरुहरुलाई सोध्थे हाम्रो विद्यालय र गाउँमा तिनहरु किन छैनन् सर अनि जवाफमा हाँस्दै गुरुहरुले भन्नुहुन्थ्यो तिम्रो चाहना एकदिन पुरा हुनेछन् किन कि ति सबै मानव निर्माण र आविस्कार हुन् । समयको माग र सम्पुर्ण मानबको सम्पुर्ण साझा आवश्यकताहरु ढिलो चाँडो आफ्नो गाउँठाउँ सम्म आइपुग्ने आश्वासनबाट प्रफुलित भए पनि मलाई भने त्यो प्रतिक्षा लामो होला जस्तो लागिरहन्छ…………। कहिले काही सपनामा देशको राजधानी काठमाण्डौ पुग्छु बसमा चढ्छु त कहिले जहाजमा उड्छु, कम्प्युटर र इन्टरनेट चलाउँछु त कहिले चन्द्रमामा डुलिरहेको हुन्छु……. विहान विउँझिदा आफुलाई विछ्याउनमा भेट्दा नरमाइलो लाग्छ । के पुस्तकमा मैले पढेका अनि विकसित देश र सहरबासिले उपभोग गरिरहेका व्योहिररहेका ती सबै कुराहरु मेरो निम्ती भने रहरमा मात्र सिमित हुनेछन ?……………”
 
यी शब्दहरु हुन् डोल्पा जिल्लाका अंकलाल चलाउनेको । विविसी नेपाली सेवाले गरेको मैले सोचे जस्तो हुने भए नामक स्तभमा सहभागी भएर चलाउनेले यी भावविह्वल शब्दहरु कोरेका थिए । जब मैले यी शब्दहरु पढे अनायसै नेपाल र हामी शहरी परिवेशमा हुर्केकाहरुको बारेमा सोच्न पुगे । भर्खर जुम्ला जिल्लामा सडक पुगेको छ । करिब ३० वर्षदेखी हरेक नेताको प्रिय आश्वासनको शब्द बनेको जुम्ला सडक बल्ल बल्ल बन्यो । गाडिलाई पहिलो पटक देखेर कति जुम्लीहरु डराए भने कतिले गाडि त यस्तो पो हुँदो रहेछ भनेर अचम्म मानेर हेरिरहे (नेपाल टेलिभिजनको कार्यक्रम दिशानिर्देशमा यस्तै दृश्य देखिएको थियो) । सडकको निर्माणसँगै जुम्लामा परिवर्तन देखिन थालिसकेको छ । खाद्यान्नको भाउ घटेको छ भने हवाई भाडा पनि घटेको छ । विकासको एक नयाँ क्रम सुरु भएको छ तर अझै पनि धेरै जिल्लाका धेरै ठाउँका मानिसहरुले चलाउने झैँ सपना बुन्न बाध्य छन् । धेरै टाढा जानु पर्दैन काठमाण्डौँ बाट ३०-४० किलोमिटर टाढा गए पनि स्थिति कस्तो छ भनेर छर्लङ्ग देखिन्छ ।काठमाण्डौ जस्ता शहरी क्षेत्रमा रहेका हामीले उपलब्ध प्राय सबै सुविधाहरु उपभोग गरिरहेका छौँ । न्युर्योकमा जुन फेसन आउँछ काठमाण्डौमा भोली नै देखिन्छ, गुगलले घोषणा गरेको सुविधा तत्कालै प्रयोग गर्ने समाज पनि छ यहाँ । स्पाइडरम्यान लसएन्जलस सँगसँगै काठमाण्डौमा पनि एकै साथ चल्छ । तर पनि हामी किन धेरै गुनासाहरु गर्छौँ  सबैलाई सोध्नुस् हरेकसँग केही न केही गुनासो छ । सरकारले यो गरेन त्यो गरेन तर हामी कहिले अघि बढ्दैनौँ आफ्नो समस्या आफै समाधान गर्न । पेट्रोलको लामो लाईन बसेर पनि पेट्रोल नपाएपछि मेरो साथीले मज्जाले सरकारलाई गाली गर्यो । नेपाल टेलिकमको नेटवर्कमा समस्या आएर केही नसुनेपछि टेलिकमलाई सराप्ने समुह पनि ठुलै छ । मेलम्ची आउने कि नआउने भन्ने कुरामा काठमाण्डौ अल्झिरहेको धेरै भयो । पानी आएन भनेर कसैलाई नसोधि सडक खन्ने र पछि सडक विग्रयो भनेर सडक विभागलाई गाली गर्नेहरु पनि धेरै छन् । तर यो सबै झमेलामा काठमाण्डौबासीले देशका अरु भाग प्रतिको आफ्नो जिम्मेवारी बोध गर्न बिर्सेंको छ । हामी जबसम्म समस्याले आफुलाई छुदैन तबसम्म वास्ता गर्दैनौँ । मेलम्ची नआए यहाँ खानेपानी हुँदैन भन्ने काठमाण्डौलाई थाहा छ त्यही भएर यो बारेमा मानिसहरु के हुन्छ भनेर चासो राखिरहेका छन् तर हुम्लामा भोकमरि भयो भन्दा यहाँ विचरा भन्नेसम्म कोही निक्लदैनन् । जनआन्दोलन भाग २ को क्रममा पनि काठमाण्डौ सुतेर बस्यो किनकी उसलाई यो सँग मतलब नै थिएन । तर जब दमनले आफैलाई छोयो २४-२५ घण्टाको लगातार कफ्र्युले गाँज्यो तब मात्र काठमाण्डौ सडकमा आयो त्यो पनि आधा मन लिएर ।

हामी किन यस्तो स्वार्थी भएका छौँ  ? के हाम्रो अरु देशका भागप्रति कुनै जिम्मेवारी छैन ? एउटा गल्लीको सडक सरकारले बनाएन भनेर दबाब दिन भनेर सिंहदरबार घेर्न  जाने हामी किन जुम्लामा सरकारले सडक पुर्याएन, किन हुम्लामा विमानस्थल राम्रो बनाएन, किन ताप्लेजुङ्गमा सरकारले विजुली पुर्याएन भनेर सिंहदरबार घेर्न जाँदैनौँ  ? किन डोल्पामा भोकमरी चल्दा त्यसको लागि आवाज उठाउँदैनौँ ?  के हामी निकै स्वार्थी भएका हौँ ? सायद हामी निकै स्वार्थी छौँ । जब तराईमा मुत्तिको लागि आन्दोलन चल्छ तब उनीहरुलाई नै गाली गर्छौं  । तर हाम्रो यस्तै व्यवहारले गर्दा उनीहरु उठ्न विवश भएका हौँ भन्ने कुरा बुझ्ने प्रयत्न नै गर्दैनौ । सायद यो क्रम चलिरहने छ । सायद यो स्वार्थीपनाले एकदिन हामीलाई नमिठो उपहार दिएर जानेछ ।

Today there are 20.8 million refugees across the world. Even in Nepal there are more than 538,638 (Source: UNHCR). Among 20.8 million refugees, 9 million are children. Accidentally I visited their site ninemillion.org and learnt how we can support them.

We might not change world for them but we can at least try to change which can led to change in life of a refugee child. Their rights have been curtailed, are forced to flee their home, have lost friends, families. We might not bring wholesome change, but at least we tried. Come join hands with UNHCR and support them.There are various ways to support them and showing sign of solidarity. You can display the sign I’M beside your MSN Live Messenger or you can simply blog at nine-million.spaces.live.com. You can buy T-shirt or donate. There are other ways to, why don’t you go to ninemillion.org and check out yourself on what you can do???

May 24, 2007

The best part of working in filed based work is visiting field. Today I got chance to visit Changu VDC of Bhaktapur. My aim was to meet micro credit group there and interact with them. I went to Social Action Volunteer’s (SAV) of Godawari Alumnae Association which was executing the micro credit project. With the mobile health team of SAV, altogether 7 of us headed to our destination Changu, Bhaktapur.

The road was bumpy and very narrow. The sun was very scorching and temperature was rapidly rising. Because of UEFA Champion’s League final previous night, I hadn’t got chance to sleep well. I was feeling heavy and scorching sun was adding spices. We faced traffic jam of Kathmandu and reached our destination at around 11 am. Mobile health team and we departed and we went to the homes of people who have success stories to tell. We reached the house of Bishnu Bahadur Budhathoki. While talking, he told that because of credit from micro credit group and SAV, he started poultry farming and now this has been major source of income for them.

Rama Budhathoki, treasurer of the group came to meet us. She shared that their micro credit group consisting around 25 mothers have saved so far more than lakh (hundred thousand rupees). She told that because of loan she took from group, she has been able to look after her family. Her husband is unemployed and all income from poultry farming and buffalo rearing, they are managing all the expenses. She was really proud she could do this. We also met chairperson of the credit group Bindu Budhathoki. She told us that because fo credit group, all the villagers are able to continue their daily lives. Before this, she told that her family wasn’t economically well established. She has to go to take loan form other person but hardly people used to give them loan. Now after getting loan from group, her economic status has improved a lot. She now lends money to others.

We learnt that the credit group has formed mother’s group and eradicate the alcohol from their village. They have even stopped men from playing cards and renovated the temple. They have been actively campaigning against domestic violence. Seeing their success, many other mother’s group have been formed in other areas. Even youth group has been formed and they too have started their own micro credit group.

After this we headed to another home to collect the loan. There was another scene going on. The only son of that house had eloped with a girl. The problem was she was already married and mother of 2 girls. The boy was just 18 years old and studying at class 12. Finally after 3 months of futile search, family was able to locate them and bring them back. His mother nearly wept while describing what happened. We consoled her. I felt really good to see the personal touch among the credit group members and SAV.

SAV’s micro credit project is phasing out. Now SAV is only collecting loan it has given to community. People were really sad about it. They told us that they worked together for nearly 8 years and now SAV is leaving them. They wanted SAV to continue it’s project.

Meeting them and talking with them made me forgot my restlessness, scorching heat. Slowly we headed back to meet mobile health team and we returned back. On the way back a thought keep hunting me, though people there were poor in resources, they are so reach in honesty and hardworking. Organizations like SAV should promote it’s activities but why it’s taking out it’s project.

Imagine this is 2037 A.D. You get mail from yourself you have written at 2007. How would you feel reading mail sent by yourself in the past for future????

You would feel it’s weird and almost impossible. How can this be possible??? When someone sends email, it reaches to receiver within seconds.

But with futureme.org, it’s not that hard to imagine. Just go to futureme.org and click on create new entry, fill your email address and your message and send it. You have option of dates up to 2037 A.D. You can even create message making it public which others too can read it. I have included on letter which is as follows:

Dear FutureMe,

I hope that I will have found happiness by this time. I hope I have a job that pays well, and someone in my life that loves me as much as (i think) my cat does. I hope my son has passed 8th grade, and has decided not to play football anymore. I hope that he somehow has forgiven me for my dumb mistake of moving out of state when his dad and I divorced. Whether or not I am still with my BF of 3 years, I hope somehow he has found happiness as well, and not in a stinkin beer bottle. I hope I realize my weight loss goal and am a size 8 again and that my lungs are free of black tar…
Sincerely yours,
old me

(written Wed Dec 31, 1969, sent Wed Dec 31, 1969)

Till date more than 408,380 letters written to the future and counting… So why don’t you get started?? I have written for myself…now it’s your turn.

Young Innovations Pvt. Ltd., an IT-Social company is going to organize charity drama show of “Tara Baji Lai Lai” at Gurukul, school of theater to support Blood Point Nepal, a humanitarian organzation on Jestha 19 2064 (June 2, 2007).Blood Point Nepal (BPN) is an not-for-profit organization which is workinga actively in the field of in the field of Fresh Blood Donation (FBD) keeping Donors stand by positions. It’s main goal is to provide the adequate fresh blood as per the demand in the national level jointly with Voluntary non-remunerated Blood Donors. Till date, BPN has provided more than 1,200 units of fresh blood, all donated by it’s 500 volunteer members, to needy patients during emergencies.

Every year Nepal faces shortage of blood. According to WHO standard, if a total of 2% population donates blood, there will be no shortage but only around a percent donates blood in Nepal. Nepal needs around 1,60,000 units of blood every year but in 2006, only 102,530-units of blood have been collected far short of WHO standard and it’s own need. In such situation, BPN is acting as ray of hope for many needy patients. But being volunteering organization, it’s becoming hard for BPN to continue it’s social activities and donating blood to save many patients.

Tara Baji Lai Lai, an improvisational play directed by Morten Crough is based on challenges we faced as children. Moreover, one can say this plays shows the realistic as well as the fantasy life of each individual’s childhood dreams and desires. Personal stories of actors enriched the development of the play.

Young Innovations has initiated the step to support BPN and help it continue its activities. Lets come together to make this event a grand success and show our solidarity. For tickets please contact 9841530659/98510073533.