Ravi's Nepal earthquake relief trip
Donation protected
10/29/15
In just over two weeks, we will be heading off on our Big Trip! Thanks to so many generous-hearted friends and family we only have about $2000 more to raise. Please donate now if you are able to support this venture. Any amount is truly welcome.
Some more detailed information if you’re interested:
As many of you have heard, Nepal is currently experiencing major fuel shortages because of the turmoil and violence that’s erupted in response to Nepal’s new Constitution, ratified last month. For a number of political and geographic reasons, the ethnic groups who live in southern Nepal (the fertile Terai region) are ethnically more similar to Indians than to other ethnic groups who live in northern Nepal (including Kathmandu). From the perspective of those in the Terai, Nepal’s new Constitution once again privileges ethnic groups in the north, while diminishing the rights of those in the south. In reaction, some who live near the Indian border in southern Nepal have blocked fuel trucks driving north. This has created massive back-ups, meaning that northern Nepal is being deprived of much needed fuel, particularly as the winter returns. We’re not sure yet how that will affect our travel, but our contacts in Nepal have said that “yes, you must still come” – so we are packing our bags….
To give you a sense of the work we’ll be doing in Nepal, a volunteer who was in Chandani village earlier this month wrote:
“It would be our work for a week to remove what felt like a thousand tons of dirt from the space to make room for a new classroom. While plaster and cement work took place above us, we shoveled dirt onto makeshift baskets made of burlap cement sacks and hauled them from the school space to a field where it would be used to make a flat play space.
We worked like persistent ants in line, one bag after another all
the while dodging small children and the occasional downpour of liquid cement. As we worked alongside the school staff, students, and folks who would come through to help from the village, we forgot about the ache in our backs and only remember the bonds we made. A true example of a cooperative effort and one we are proud to have been a part of….”
Dan, Ravi & I looking forward to sharing our experiences with you as well and will set up a blog for those who want to stay abreast of our adventures. In the meanwhile, know we’re forever grateful to all of you who have already donated – and encourage those of you, who have the means, to do so soon. We would be delighted to complete our fundraising before we travel on Nov. 15th!
Thank you, thank you!!
Elise
10/16/15
Update from Dan:
What we are doing to prepare:
Our living room is strewn with the beginnings of packing: duffel bags, various coats, sleeping bags, and our growing stockpile of things we will bring to give away, such as the inflatable solar lights.
Ravi is also attending to preparations. Over the last several years Ravi’s strong interest in origami has grown into a desire to teach other people folding techniques. His classes have ranged from a mini-Origami Convention at his after-school program to a room full of grannies at his grandparent’s community in California.
When we go to Nepal, we will be using origami as a way to connect with those we meet and as gifts for new friends. Ravi is selecting a list of origami models from very simple to complex, and we are making our own "Ravigami Favorites” book to give away. Last night we ordered several sizes of origami paper in bulk and we will be dividing this into smaller packets. Ravi plans on sharing origami both with individuals and possibly in groups, such as with the school children in Chandani, the village where we will be. He has suggested that we look to teachers as a link to more kids and leave extra paper with them so that they may distribute things in an equitable way to their students.
In addition to origami, Ravi’s facility with Rubik’s cubes of varying facets and complexity seems another wonderful vehicle for human exchange that transcends language. We are bringing several types of cubes and tetrahedrons. Ravi hadn’t worked with the cubes for a while and so this week he has been brushing up on his skills. Ravi would like to offer the cubes as an expression of friendship and as a way to engage through learning and teaching. And when we leave, a new friend or teacher will have a puzzle that they can work with and share.
Of course we’re also preparing by making lots of logistical arrangements, getting visas, ensuring we’re up to date on vaccinations (plus some, like typhoid, that are not usually on the list), etc.
In our next missive we’ll give you an update on the latest rebuilding efforts in Chandani. In the meanwhile, please know how deeply touched we continue to be by the generous donations so many of you have made.
__________________
9/30/15
Namaste, Everyone ~
Many, many thanks for the very generous donations a number of you have already made -- and for some unexpected gifts from those who chose to donate off line and use good ol' fashioned checks instead. In fact, we are now lowering our on-line goal to $6800 given how magnanimous some friends and family have been. This means we now only have about $6000 more to raise....!
We also had a chance earlier this week to meet with Chris Mackay, the founder of Crooked Trails, who went last July to the village where we plan to work later this fall. She provided an update on the situation and the many tasks that still need to be done to reconstruct the villagers' homes, school, milk shed, water system, and terraced agricultural fields.
In addition, we met Pema Sherpa, who was born in a village not too far from Changani, where we'll be. When Pema was 17-years-old, he went to a market a couple days walk from his village where he had never gone before. Until that time, he had never worn shoes, seen money nor white people. That day, he experienced all of these things and his world dramatically changed. Against his parents will, he became a sherpa, and through his hard work and the support of some American friends, he now has a visa for 5 years to come and go between the US and Nepal. His story is, of course, very, very rare. The vast majority of Nepalis never have a chance to travel much beyond where they're born. But he continues to regularly return to his village, particularly in the wake of the earthquake, to help his friends and family. We will have the great good fortune of seeing him again when we're doing our village service work.
That's some of the latest. Please do make a donation of any size if you are able to do so!
With gratitude,
Elise (Dan and Ravi)
____________________________
9/20/15
Dear Friends and Family,
As all of you know, two devastating earthquakes hit Nepal last spring on April 25 and May 12. Almost 9,000 people were killed and 5.6 million have been significantly affected. In addition, 32,000 schools were destroyed and hundreds of thousands homes and hospitals were flattened. Millions continue to live in temporary shelters with little access to clean water and enough food. On top of this, the corruption in the government has meant that much of the money intended to provide earthquake relief has never made it to those most in need.
It is in this context, we want you to know about our plans to spend 4-5 weeks in Nepal later this fall. Our son, Ravi (now age 10), was born in Kathmandu. We have thought for some time about returning to his birth country when he was 10- or 11-years-old, and now is that time. This will be his first trip there since he was about 16-months-old and his adoption process was (finally!!) completed.
We obviously don’t know yet how he’ll respond to walking in a sea of faces that mirror his own, seeing his early caretakers in person, and experiencing the extreme poverty first hand. No doubt, though, this will be a trip he’ll never forget – and one that will impact all three of us in momentous ways.
Our primary intention for this trip has always been to provide some sort of service. In the wake of the earthquakes, this kind of work is all the more important and urgent. To facilitate our plans, we are participating in a program offered by Crooked Trails, a nonprofit organizing relief work. We will stay in a remote village east of Kathmandu with a family either in their home if it has been rebuilt (likely one room with a dirt floor) or under a makeshift tarp or tent. Our days will be spent helping to rebuild a school and a milk shed (selling milk is notably the main source of income for the village).
We are leaving in mid-November and would like to start fundraising now. Donations we receive will go towards:
· A cash donation to the village
· Payment to organizers and local relief workers helping with this particular project
· Solar lamps (small, inflatable lights), chargers, medical and food supplies, and anything else deemed useful to the villagers
· Art supplies such as origami paper (Ravi wants to teach origami to the kids in the village and anyone else who would like to learn, something he has now done several times for both children and elders in the US)
· A portion of our travel expenses related the village work and support for other Nepalis whose livelihoods have been vastly diminished by the earthquakes
Many of you have likely already given to earthquake relief efforts in Nepal, but we would be very grateful for any kind of donation you might make to support our endeavors later this fall. Our goal is to raise $10,000, but even if you can only make a gift of $5-10, your contribution will make a difference to those in Nepal who have lost so much.
Also know we plan to send updates and pictures during our time in Nepal and will send a fuller report after we return to the U.S. around New Year’s.
Our deepest gratitude for any support you might be able to offer.
Namaste!
Elise, Dan & Ravi
In just over two weeks, we will be heading off on our Big Trip! Thanks to so many generous-hearted friends and family we only have about $2000 more to raise. Please donate now if you are able to support this venture. Any amount is truly welcome.
Some more detailed information if you’re interested:
As many of you have heard, Nepal is currently experiencing major fuel shortages because of the turmoil and violence that’s erupted in response to Nepal’s new Constitution, ratified last month. For a number of political and geographic reasons, the ethnic groups who live in southern Nepal (the fertile Terai region) are ethnically more similar to Indians than to other ethnic groups who live in northern Nepal (including Kathmandu). From the perspective of those in the Terai, Nepal’s new Constitution once again privileges ethnic groups in the north, while diminishing the rights of those in the south. In reaction, some who live near the Indian border in southern Nepal have blocked fuel trucks driving north. This has created massive back-ups, meaning that northern Nepal is being deprived of much needed fuel, particularly as the winter returns. We’re not sure yet how that will affect our travel, but our contacts in Nepal have said that “yes, you must still come” – so we are packing our bags….
To give you a sense of the work we’ll be doing in Nepal, a volunteer who was in Chandani village earlier this month wrote:
“It would be our work for a week to remove what felt like a thousand tons of dirt from the space to make room for a new classroom. While plaster and cement work took place above us, we shoveled dirt onto makeshift baskets made of burlap cement sacks and hauled them from the school space to a field where it would be used to make a flat play space.
We worked like persistent ants in line, one bag after another all
the while dodging small children and the occasional downpour of liquid cement. As we worked alongside the school staff, students, and folks who would come through to help from the village, we forgot about the ache in our backs and only remember the bonds we made. A true example of a cooperative effort and one we are proud to have been a part of….”
Dan, Ravi & I looking forward to sharing our experiences with you as well and will set up a blog for those who want to stay abreast of our adventures. In the meanwhile, know we’re forever grateful to all of you who have already donated – and encourage those of you, who have the means, to do so soon. We would be delighted to complete our fundraising before we travel on Nov. 15th!
Thank you, thank you!!
Elise
10/16/15
Update from Dan:
What we are doing to prepare:
Our living room is strewn with the beginnings of packing: duffel bags, various coats, sleeping bags, and our growing stockpile of things we will bring to give away, such as the inflatable solar lights.
Ravi is also attending to preparations. Over the last several years Ravi’s strong interest in origami has grown into a desire to teach other people folding techniques. His classes have ranged from a mini-Origami Convention at his after-school program to a room full of grannies at his grandparent’s community in California.
When we go to Nepal, we will be using origami as a way to connect with those we meet and as gifts for new friends. Ravi is selecting a list of origami models from very simple to complex, and we are making our own "Ravigami Favorites” book to give away. Last night we ordered several sizes of origami paper in bulk and we will be dividing this into smaller packets. Ravi plans on sharing origami both with individuals and possibly in groups, such as with the school children in Chandani, the village where we will be. He has suggested that we look to teachers as a link to more kids and leave extra paper with them so that they may distribute things in an equitable way to their students.
In addition to origami, Ravi’s facility with Rubik’s cubes of varying facets and complexity seems another wonderful vehicle for human exchange that transcends language. We are bringing several types of cubes and tetrahedrons. Ravi hadn’t worked with the cubes for a while and so this week he has been brushing up on his skills. Ravi would like to offer the cubes as an expression of friendship and as a way to engage through learning and teaching. And when we leave, a new friend or teacher will have a puzzle that they can work with and share.
Of course we’re also preparing by making lots of logistical arrangements, getting visas, ensuring we’re up to date on vaccinations (plus some, like typhoid, that are not usually on the list), etc.
In our next missive we’ll give you an update on the latest rebuilding efforts in Chandani. In the meanwhile, please know how deeply touched we continue to be by the generous donations so many of you have made.
__________________
9/30/15
Namaste, Everyone ~
Many, many thanks for the very generous donations a number of you have already made -- and for some unexpected gifts from those who chose to donate off line and use good ol' fashioned checks instead. In fact, we are now lowering our on-line goal to $6800 given how magnanimous some friends and family have been. This means we now only have about $6000 more to raise....!
We also had a chance earlier this week to meet with Chris Mackay, the founder of Crooked Trails, who went last July to the village where we plan to work later this fall. She provided an update on the situation and the many tasks that still need to be done to reconstruct the villagers' homes, school, milk shed, water system, and terraced agricultural fields.
In addition, we met Pema Sherpa, who was born in a village not too far from Changani, where we'll be. When Pema was 17-years-old, he went to a market a couple days walk from his village where he had never gone before. Until that time, he had never worn shoes, seen money nor white people. That day, he experienced all of these things and his world dramatically changed. Against his parents will, he became a sherpa, and through his hard work and the support of some American friends, he now has a visa for 5 years to come and go between the US and Nepal. His story is, of course, very, very rare. The vast majority of Nepalis never have a chance to travel much beyond where they're born. But he continues to regularly return to his village, particularly in the wake of the earthquake, to help his friends and family. We will have the great good fortune of seeing him again when we're doing our village service work.
That's some of the latest. Please do make a donation of any size if you are able to do so!
With gratitude,
Elise (Dan and Ravi)
____________________________
9/20/15
Dear Friends and Family,
As all of you know, two devastating earthquakes hit Nepal last spring on April 25 and May 12. Almost 9,000 people were killed and 5.6 million have been significantly affected. In addition, 32,000 schools were destroyed and hundreds of thousands homes and hospitals were flattened. Millions continue to live in temporary shelters with little access to clean water and enough food. On top of this, the corruption in the government has meant that much of the money intended to provide earthquake relief has never made it to those most in need.
It is in this context, we want you to know about our plans to spend 4-5 weeks in Nepal later this fall. Our son, Ravi (now age 10), was born in Kathmandu. We have thought for some time about returning to his birth country when he was 10- or 11-years-old, and now is that time. This will be his first trip there since he was about 16-months-old and his adoption process was (finally!!) completed.
We obviously don’t know yet how he’ll respond to walking in a sea of faces that mirror his own, seeing his early caretakers in person, and experiencing the extreme poverty first hand. No doubt, though, this will be a trip he’ll never forget – and one that will impact all three of us in momentous ways.
Our primary intention for this trip has always been to provide some sort of service. In the wake of the earthquakes, this kind of work is all the more important and urgent. To facilitate our plans, we are participating in a program offered by Crooked Trails, a nonprofit organizing relief work. We will stay in a remote village east of Kathmandu with a family either in their home if it has been rebuilt (likely one room with a dirt floor) or under a makeshift tarp or tent. Our days will be spent helping to rebuild a school and a milk shed (selling milk is notably the main source of income for the village).
We are leaving in mid-November and would like to start fundraising now. Donations we receive will go towards:
· A cash donation to the village
· Payment to organizers and local relief workers helping with this particular project
· Solar lamps (small, inflatable lights), chargers, medical and food supplies, and anything else deemed useful to the villagers
· Art supplies such as origami paper (Ravi wants to teach origami to the kids in the village and anyone else who would like to learn, something he has now done several times for both children and elders in the US)
· A portion of our travel expenses related the village work and support for other Nepalis whose livelihoods have been vastly diminished by the earthquakes
Many of you have likely already given to earthquake relief efforts in Nepal, but we would be very grateful for any kind of donation you might make to support our endeavors later this fall. Our goal is to raise $10,000, but even if you can only make a gift of $5-10, your contribution will make a difference to those in Nepal who have lost so much.
Also know we plan to send updates and pictures during our time in Nepal and will send a fuller report after we return to the U.S. around New Year’s.
Our deepest gratitude for any support you might be able to offer.
Namaste!
Elise, Dan & Ravi
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Organizer
Elise G. Miller
Organizer
Freeland, WA
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