There's no denying it, these bloggers are bound to make you jealous. Whether it's their guts, their energy or their tan you admire, overseas volunteers have got plenty to share with you about their remarkable work in fascinating countries. Read on to find out what you could be missing.

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Friday Jul 28, 2006

Still in the land of the living

It has been a while since I have had both the time and the patience to venture into the world of the Nepali internet cafe with its snail paced connection and dodgy computers. Yet today I have found the good fortune of stu,bling in to a -wait for it- broadband internet cafe in Pokhara! That means it takes only ten minutes for an Email to send, not fifteen!

Pokhara is a tourist-esque city that is located somewhere up in the mountains with a scenic lake and round-faced Tibetans who follow you down the streets trying to sell you their bracelets and necklaces, many of which are made of yak bone or dark wood or old-looking metal objects which you can find in those New Age incense-scented shops in England. It is hard to believe that only a few days ago we were in Hetauda, again a city but one where we only witnessed around two other white people outside our group.
 
In Hetauda you share the streets with goats, chickens, stray dogs, rickshaws, several species of fly that insist on landing on you and bicycles. In Pokhara the streets are illuminated by shop signs and bars and resteraunts with names like "the Santana Cafe" or "the Moondance" making it feel far less adventurous and less genuine than the more primitive town we had previously been staying in.

So about the refuge, I am aware that I previously hadn't written much about the place where our group had been volunteering all those weeks and where we met some incredible people. The refuge is run both by the Esther benjamins Trust and the Nepal Child Welfare Foundation and focusses on rescuing girls from the circus and trying the best they can to educate and prepare the girls to go back in to society and live a normal life. What you are about to read is upsetting.  

When the new girls arrived we saw a collection of faces from different castes and backgrounds and some who I think may have been from India. They were children who had been rescued by some of the most noble and brave men we have ever met (who used to work in the circuses themselves), from conditions that would be considered appauling, even if it were animals kept in their place instead. Yet funnily enough, whilst it is unacceptable to keep a wild animal in an Indian circus families are tricked in to having their children trafficked in to bonded labour with false contracts, designed to deceive some of the most uneducated and vulnerable families in the country.

What follows is a life where the child is beaten in to performing circus tricks, many of which are dangerous and I was informed that some of the children are converted to Christianity so that the ringleaders can take advantage of them further, telling them how God will protect them during their stunts according to another lady who was working there. On top of the severe beatings many of the girls have experienced sexual violence and psychological abuse... Just to make a buck for a greedy ringmaster and his agents.
 
What would startle anybody on meeting these amazing young ladies however is how accomodating and loving they are, despite the cruelty inflicted on them which I always tried not to think about when working with them and on those nights where you lie awake with your mind working like a CD on repeat. Yet they are some of the friendliest and sweetest people I have ever encountered and they delighted in giving both myself and Danni Nepali hairstyles (I was told I look just like a Nepali bride!), painting our nails and our palms with henna so that we might find ourselves a good husband. Despite the language barrier we somehow managed to maintain a good relationship with them and leaving them sadenned us greatly.

Volunteering overseas is harder than I ever thought it would be and whilst you can read several Amnesty International publications on certain topics, or watch Bob Geldoff on television talking about poverty there is no real kick in the jaw than experiencing things with your very own eyes. To me at least I know where I stand now, I know that I want to dedicate my life to human rights and that this is probably the making of me... But at the same time when you see rickshaws driving past or men walking with children you know that there's a possibility that those children could be going to a place where they will be hurt badly. You ask yourself overr and over "what can I do to make things right?" after all how many of these traffickers are convicted and serve a full sentence? The world is a very cruel and unfair place, the papers tell us this every day. Travelling and volunteering in Nepal has made me realise this more than ever. At the same time nobody can inspire you like people who have seen hardship. And the fact that people like those we have met both in Hetauda and Kathmandu exist makes saving the human race worth a shot. 
 
On a lighter note Pokhara is a very welcoming place too, although it is becoming apparent now that a Nepali's penchant for friendliness here seems to flow strongest when he or she is trying to sell you something. It is strange not being the strange white celebrities we appeared to be in Hetauda, but then it is really nice to be able to kick back and relax for a couple of days before an eight hour journey on a rickety bus back to Kathmandu.    Sooooooo... See ya later!

Posted by Selina ( 2:22 PM )
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