I'm now over 600 miles into my 1000 mile journey, and it has been nearly nine months since I was in Nepal with Impact Marathons. Whilst I was there I had a day visiting Global Action Nepal projects. I'd chosen the charity before leaving for Nepal and knew them for their excellent work rebuilding schools after the earthquake in April 2015. As I have a young daughter myself this charity really resonated with me. As you'll know from this blog already I speak highly of the charity, and helping them gave me (and donors!) the lovely warm fuzzy feeling of helping children less well off than our own. On our project day we visited one of schools, met the wonderful children (and even danced with them!), and spoke to the grateful and informative teachers. All was as I might have expected; a beautiful time for we privileged Westerners seeing the heart-warming product of our generosity. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was clear that the money I've raised was having a positive impact on the school, but the experience didn't change anything for me, or for the children. I was a tourist still. However, I didn't just visit the school. And it transpires that the money doesn't just go to the school either. The marathon runners, and the money we raised, also ventured into the local community. You see, investing in the school is brilliant, and it means that the children attending have a much better education, but what about the children who don't make it there? Poverty is rife in Nepal, and the April 2015 earthquake made it all the more pronounced with families losing homes, husbands and livelihoods. This all meant that many families couldn't send their children to school no matter how good the school was. The children were needed for working or fetching water, or the families couldn't afford shoes for the children to walk to school. Global Action Nepal has addressed this by giving small grants to mothers in the local area. This has enabled them to buy goats, or seeds. To rebuild homes or greenhouse tunnels. These small grants, only £5-10, a few trips to Starbucks or Costa to us, meant the world to the community. It has enabled them to lift themselves out of poverty, to be independent and strong, and to send their children to school to get an education. The thing it has also given them is pride and happiness. Coming from a place of privilege I have always lived with guilt. The guilt of knowing I have more than others, but that I'm not willing to give it all up and share it out fairly and equally. I've always assumed that these "charity cases" will be downtrodden and depressed, and if I'm honest, depressing. I've not done a great deal of charitable tourism for exactly these reasons. What I discovered on project day that these women were amazing. They were inspiring. They had lived through hell and with only a tiny amount of assistance they had come through the other side smiling, and giving. These women refused to allow us to leave without sharing their meagre food & drink with us, and it was delicious, a meal I will never forget. Impact Marathons & Global Action Nepal have had a huge impact on the lives of these communities, and these communities have in turn had a huge impact on me. Children are receiving a quality education, women are living independent lives, and I have become a much more generous soul. I'm also living guilt free, both proud and grateful for everything I have, and very much looking forward to my next bit of responsible, charitable, travel. The impact has extended even further than that though. My experiences have changed me, and since my return I have been evaluating my life choices much more closely. With that in mind I have now left the construction industry to become a lecturer. As Mandela said, "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world".
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AuthorChloe is running 1000 miles to raise money for Global Action Nepal. She's also an engineer and a Mum. Archives
August 2017
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