Nankala is 37 years old and from Sunchhahari Rural Municipality in Rolpa. She lives with her mother-in-law and son. In her family home, Nankala grew up with five siblings; two sisters and three brothers. The family was poor, and none of her brothers and sisters could attend school. There was often not enough food for the family or warm clothes for the children.

By the age of sixteen, Nankala had enlisted in the People’s War with the People’s Liberation Army [PLA].

“I was too young and ignorant to understand politics and the revolution going on. I joined the PLA, not by my choice but because I could not stay at home during those times.”,” Nankala recalls”

During her stay in the PLA’s camps, Nankala noticed that most of the people she met knew how to read and write. But Nankala had never been to school. She worked hard to improve her literacy, teaching herself to read and write. During the war, she also found love and married a man inside the rebel camp at 18.

“Even after the marriage, we did not get to sit together,” Nankala says. “We were only able to meet occasionally, and I accepted my fate as a combatant.”

A year later, a son was born to Nankala and her husband.

“We had exchanged our vows, accepting that our life was uncertain,” Nankala remembers. “We promised whoever among us survived would raise our child.”

Less than a year after the birth of her son, Nankala’s husband died in the war. The sky, Nankala says, fell on her. Still, she courageously raised her only child, honouring her vow to her husband.

She couldn’t, however, foresee the discrimination she was to face at the hands of her own family.

“My in-laws cursed me, they looked at me with disgust, and I was treated as an untouchable,” Nankala says.

“They thought I was responsible for the death of their only son, so I didn’t get any help from them. I was asked to stay away from home. I took shelter in the cowshed. There was no light or food in the barn. There were no clothes to wear. I spent many days and nights in the forest, crying with frustration. Negative thoughts held me back, but for the sake of my son, I tried my best to make ends meet. Even though I was scolded, I still cared for my in-laws and looked after them. I took them to the health post whenever they felt ill.”

It was only when her son was studying in grade seven that they were invited to live inside the home. As time went by, slowly, things started changing. Nankala had waited patiently for years for the moment her in-laws would accept her. She bore all kinds of pain in her heart yet never left their side through thick and thin.

Then, in 2017, there was a local election. Nankala was asked to contest the position of Ward Member. She agreed, but her mother-in-law was not happy about her decision. She made her feelings known and again blamed Nankala for her son’s death. However, this time Nankala’s father-in-law spoke up to support her.

Nankala went on to win the election as a Ward Member, but soon, things started to unravel. She felt that, even though she had a position, she had no voice to create change.

“I was part of the local structure but could not meaningfully participate. I didn’t know much,” Nankala says. “I didn’t know how to speak well, so speaking on the issues was difficult. Even when I dared to speak out sometimes, they would silence me. I often wondered how I would learn all this, how I could empower myself and how I was supposed to bring change.”

In 2018, INF Nepal implemented the EDUCATE project in Sunchhahari Rural Municipality in Rolpa District. The project created groups of single women, families of people with disabilities, low-income families and disadvantaged groups to help empower them within the community. Nankala became a member of one of the Self Help Groups, taking an active part in the group’s life.

“We were facilitated to identify our problems and find solutions by ourselves. We discussed issues such as sanitation, waste management, and gender-based violence and were provided with training in livelihood-related activities. In the meeting itself, every member had to take turns as Chair. It was a struggle initially, but eventually, all members started to speak out, to lead. We were learning the art of speaking and voicing our issues.”

Nankala took advantage of the unique opportunity through the project’s regular Self Help Group meetings and training. She developed her leadership skills by interacting with group members and the wider community. She began participating in discussions of various social issues that improved her social presence.

“There was no discrimination. Everyone treated me with respect,” Nankala remembers. “During group activities, they encouraged me to speak and give presentations. I felt valued and heard for the first time in my life.”

Nankala was also selected as the Gender Focal Person in her Self-Help Group. She took the lead in identifying and monitoring women’s issues and cases of domestic violence against women in her group. As a part of livelihood support, Nankala also received training and was provided with NPR 20,000 [around AUD 250] from the project for poultry farming.

Nankala’s quest for empowerment started with the training provided by INF Nepal on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, which imprinted upon her the valuable lesson that “empowerment begins with me.” She had a strong desire not only to strengthen herself but to be the voice of many other women like her.

Reflecting on the abuse and social stigma that she experienced, Nankala says, “My journey has been lonely and full of struggle, but things have now changed for me. I realised that keeping quiet was not an option. We must exercise our voice and share our thoughts to demand positive change. I want to stand for all those women like me through my involvement in groups and as a representative of the ward office.”

The training and exposure not only built Nankala’s confidence but encouraged her to make a positive change. Just as Nankala’s tenure as a Ward Member was about to end, she had a deep sense that she still had much more to do and that this was just the beginning.

Nankala proposed to her party to be nominated for the post of Vice-Chairperson of Sunchhahari Rural Municipality in the local election of 2022. Initially, it was a struggle for her as no one believed in her, but she did not give up.

“I did not hesitate to put forward my proposal,” Nankala says. “The more they said I couldn’t, the stronger I became.”

Nankala contested the position and won! She is now the newly elected Vice-Chairperson of Sunchhahari Rural Municipality. In this role, she will be leading the local Judicial Committee. This is an important and challenging role which seeks to ensure that justice is delivered for everyone in the community. More than simply a legal body, the committee has the right to settle disputes through mediation. Nankala now lives with her mother-in-law and eighteen-year-old son, studying in 12th grade.

“The support provided by INF Nepal for my capacity building has been immense and invaluable to me,” the new leader says with a smile. “I am always grateful to INF Nepal and Bachhapo Self Help Group for bringing positive change in my life. The seed of women’s leadership has been planted in me, and I will ensure our voices are heard at all levels and that people like me are treated with respect and dignity.”

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I completed training in China, and also began working at TEAM Hospital Dadeldhura as a Medical Doctor and later as Medical Director. While there, I really understood the huge need for quality healthcare in poor and rural communities in Nepal and I wanted to continue to make a difference. As a Christian, I believe that the love of God can bring transformation in peoples’ physical, mental, and spiritual lives. After further training as a Surgeon, I worked at United Mission Hospital Tansen, Palpa as a General Surgeon and the Chief of the Department of General Surgery. This very much fit with my values and my sense of calling. As a surgeon, the whole world is an opportunity but Nepal, and especially the hill regions of Nepal’s west and far west were always on my heart. I went to Tansen as a single man, and now am married with three children.

During my time at Tansen, I also joined the INF Nepal Board, which was a very exciting opportunity. INF Nepal is one of the most important missions that God has ordained in Nepal over seventy years now. Joining now as INF’s Green Pastures Hospital [GPH] as the Hospital Director is an extension of this call. Leprosy care has always been an integral part of INF’s work and it has extended this care into other areas of disability. This combination, as well as GPH’s commitment to serving the poor and witnessing to God’s redemptive love really connected with my personal and professional background and drew me to the role after much prayer and discernment.

I am also excited about the prospect of comprehensive disability and chronic disease work through the hospital. I believe in the relevance of GPH as a mission hospital going into the future. The context is changing but INF is still here. One of our challenges is how to retain our identity and character while ensuring our relevance and effectiveness. I look forward to the coming years at GPH, helping the hospital become a centre of excellence in holistic treatment and care for disability, chronic disease and rehabilitation. I feel privileged to be one of GPH’s staff and vision bearers to carry forward its vision and mission. I do ask the whole family for your continuous prayers. INF Australia is a Christian mission serving the physical and spiritual needs of Nepali people

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People’s health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic go beyond infection prevention and treatment. People with disabilities are unable to access rehabilitation and therapy support. Children miss out on critical health and developmental milestones such as vaccinations, schooling or early childhood education. Families experience hunger and vulnerability as their incomes drop dramatically. People struggle with anxiety and depression in the face of disruption and uncertainty.

Essential Needs
Since measures to restrict the spread of COVID-19 were implemented, INF has worked with local and provincial governments to identify vulnerable and needy people in need of emergency food relief and other support. To date, INF has supported more than 1,000 households across ten districts with supplies of rice, pulses, salt, oil, sugar and soap.

In Surkhet, Mugu and Jumla, this relief effort for the most socially and economically vulnerable people has focused on supporting people with disabilities and people who are daily wage labourers and bonded agricultural workers. These groups have suffered particularly heavily. In Bajura, for example, INF helped purchase and deliver food to vulnerable families and supported the distribution efforts of the Local Government

One beneficiary, Jhimu, said, “My husband has been working for daily wages in the village and Kolti Bazar. It is all our family of six have to survive on. But during the lockdown, he can’t do daily labour work, and it has become challenging for us to survive. For more than a week, we have been living with just half a stomach because we have no food. Nobody in the village has provided us with food, even though we have worked for them because they also are afraid of a long lockdown. We are very happy with INF Nepal and give thanks to all who helped with the support.”

Promoting Health
INF has always sought to provide holistic health care through our hospitals and clinics, community-based rehabilitation, nutrition and maternal, neonatal and child health programs. During the pandemic, we are being challenged to find new ways to support vulnerable people and to promote physical, mental and emotional health across Western Nepal.

INF’s communications team have been working with the provincial government and the World Health Organisation to develop communication resources to promote health and hygiene messages. We have developed a series of videos for people with disabilities focusing on personal care, rehabilitation and hygiene. Another video provides encouragement and support for families to share essential health lessons with children and to adopt play-based learning to support their children. A radio jingle currently airing in Gandaki Province encourages people with ways to manage stress and anxiety.

An exciting new program is a telehealth and tele-rehab program, developed by Green Pastures Hospital [GPH] with support from the World Health Organisation. In consultation with the relevant doctors, GPH’s nurses and peer counsellors are able to provide support and advice to people with disabilities who are former patients. This outreach provides not only practical care but also a much-needed experience of love and cares for vulnerable people in these challenging times.

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The three-day conference featured three themes each day; Working Together, Trekking Together and Celebrating Together.  The theme working together focused on the real partnership, trekking together on conflict management and celebrating together on inter-cultural partnership.  The keynote Speaker for the conference was Rev Dr Johannes Reimer, professor of Missions Studies and Intercultural Theology at Ewersbach University of Applied Arts in Germany and the University of South Africa.  Rev Dr Johannes made his presentation and QA session around the core theme.

During the first two days of the conference, representative from each organization were given an opportunity to present and give an overview of their work. This was aimed to support collaboration within and between the partners bringing them in closer coordination and understanding of each other’s work.

The conference was also structured to foster discussion between participants, and this was achieved by hosting small theme group discussion on the topic Disability, Gender, Climate Change, Developments in Development where each participant could sign up to attend any two-group discussion session.  The combined short presentations by specialists, with structured discussion made the session more interactive and fruitful. The outcomes of the discussions were then shared by the facilitators of each group on the final day. INF also presented the awards on the final day to the partners in recognition of their significant and outstanding support to INF in responding to the devastating earthquake of 2015. These awards acknowledged the collaboration and partnership during the critical time, bringing people together collaboratively and implement innovative solutions of responding and rebuilding.

The conference was well received by the INF national and international partners and INF Nepal staff members. This was achieved not only through conference proceedings, but also through the commitment and partnership over the years. The conference in itself was first of its kind and INF Nepal is looking forward to organise such conference in near future to build the partnership and provide platform for collaboration.

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The team spent a week in Kathmandu visiting various cultural, religious and tourist sites to get an idea about life and culture. They also had some training sessions about Nepali life and other faiths. They spent time interacting with Nepali students and getting to understand their world and Christian experience. The second week was spent in Pokhara where the team visited INF projects and visited a village project and a local church. They also spent time with INF personnel and visited Green Pastures hospital, farm and the Pokhara Study Centre

This was the first time that INF New Zealand have partnered with TSCF in running a short-term team to Nepal. It was a very worthwhile time and there was a lot for the students to take in, think through and be challenged about. This trip was also a recognition that for many young people today, to gain an understanding and heart for serving people overseas means that they need to physically create a context and a connection to people and places.

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The following activities have been designed to help teachers engage their students with this project. Included are a number of helpful websites, books and YouTube clips to investigate and understand these issues further. Empower your students to make a difference by creating a class action plan to fundraise for this worthwhile cause.

The premise for this project is that climate change is a big concern for Nepal, as it is threatening food security, human habitats, water resources and tourism. Climate change is seen to be making the monsoon rains in Nepal more unpredictable each year with catastrophic effects, such as landslides, flooding and water borne epidemics. Remote mountain villages are vulnerable to these events as they are dependent on agriculture and forest products to survive and are located on steep mountainous slopes.

Food is traditionally cooked on an open fire inside the one room home. It is also the main heat source in the cooler months of the year. A lot of the smoke and carbon monoxide fumes are trapped inside the one room house causing significant ear, eye, burns and respiratory problems for families and is considered the main cause of infant injury and fatalities.

To keep the home fires burning, it is generally the girls’ responsibility to spend many hours collecting firewood. This means they are often absent from school. They don’t have the same education opportunities as the boys. It is no easy feat to collect this wood and it is easy for serious injuries to occur while doing this task. The mountains where they live are very steep. Years and years of collecting firewood from the local surroundings have meant girls have to travel further and further away to collect this resource.

They have partnered with other Nepalese groups and the community to create the ‘Smokeless stoves project’. This one piece of innovative technology has the incredible ability to reduce deforestation and health related impacts. Girls have more time to attend school. These stoves are 60% more efficient than an open ‘cook’ fire. Because less firewood is required, girls spend less time collecting firewood and more time attending school.

Indoor smoke and fumes are significantly reduced by the clean burning system. Any smoke/harmful fumes escape via the chimney. The health-related impacts such as respiratory illnesses, heart disease, eye and ear infections, infant injuries and fatalities significantly decrease.

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