Nepal Project Report March 2008
More than one year has passed since our last trip to Nepal but meanwhile some one of our good friends, Amresh first in June 2007, and then Ravi, came to visit us in Verona. Their visit has certainly interrupted the nostalgic distance between us and Nepal from one mission to another, but, above all, it has brightened up our days and made stronger our relationship with this land and its people. One more time preparations are going on. The group is composed by ten volunteers of Hanuman Onlus.
They are all excited because of the idea of leaving. For some of them it is a coming back, for some others this is a first time.
The time will fly because we will have only a week to dedicate to all humanitarian activities. At our arrival at Katmandu airport the meeting with our friends is always warm and intense. They make us emotional.
This year there is also a new surprise: the presence of Rajesh, the media co-ordinator, who will record with his professional camera all our humanitarian activities. He is a volunteer who joins the group to witness our projects, each time we go back to Nepal. Hanuman Onlus and Ravi, Co.yo.n’s president, have planned everything attentively to let us spend the time in the best way. The way to Benighat village is free of road blocks and soldiers who patrolled the way until a few months ago.Thoughts go back to that February 2005 when king Gyanendra dominated the people with an iron fist. We were there besides our friends, in those difficult days.
Today at the eve of the election day, March 2008, the situation is now completely different.
From the van window we can see the light blue of children school uniforms who are waiting for us in single file for the usual welcome, at the first school built by us. All the village welcomes us warmly. The authorities, less formal than usual, talk with us telling what has happened in the twelve months from our last visit. Meanwhile, children of “Educating Children” long distance support, are waiting to meet us. We take them smiles, hugs and a small gift as a reward for their scholastic success. Ravi’s relatives, our special guests, welcome us as usual with great enthusiasm.
Their faces are smiling and grateful for the care we took of their son, considered our brother, during his stay in Italy. How many words, projects, laughs, dances and handshakes! All the people, at the village, queue to greet us and the children with an expression on curiosity, hidden behind the adults, come to us to play.
The ceremony for the opening of the computer room has planned for the afternoon at the Shree Chandrodaya Higher Secondary School. It is very touching! This school hosts older students from the college who are studying to go to university and to build the future of their country. We fell a part of this great success. This class room is tidy and with 21 pc seats. The students show us proudly the first graphic experiments, Word, Excell and some other programmes.The teacher is very grateful for what we were able to do helping them to fit out the classroom. We welcome with pleasure a new challenge: only 2 years ago we worked to turn the Benighat school into a college and now, with the enlargement of more rooms of the same scholastic building, we would be able to apply for the status of a university. The most important university and the only outside the capital.
We will dedicate it to our President.