Nepal- Week Three

Nepal- Week Three

Kathmandu, Nepal

November 13, 2017 to January 9, 2018

I am in Nepal for 8 weeks, teaching for the World Academy for the Future of Women.  I will be teaching college women how to be global leaders with the focus on the UN Sustainable Goals.  I am going to travel a little bit during this time.  This should be an enjoyable 8 weeks.

Monday, Nov 27- it’s my first day of teaching and I am excited to start.  That emotion is followed by self-doubt and a panic in thinking I am underprepared. When class starts I find that the students are just as excited to know me as I am to know them. I tell them a little bit about me and then ask them to write something about themselves. They are reluctant to respond but one girl does and she begins to cry.  She talked about the death of her father and brother and now it is just her mom and her and she wants to dedicate her life to this woman who has suffered too much.

Tuesday, Nov 28  I asked my students to respond to the questions, “Who am I?”

“I am blessed woman who have loving mother, caring father, understanding brother and helpful sisters. So I think I am the most fortunate all over the world coz I have all possibility to change all over the world.”

Wednesday, Nov 29- For class today, I have them make vision boards.  I think they are not quite understanding what I want them to do and I don’t really have any supplies so I anticipate some pretty dull boards.  But I am surprised.  They sat down on the floor and got to work and created some very good representations of themselves.  I asked them to envision themselves as 30 years old.  Where will they be?  Who will they serve?  What will they do to make the world a better place. Most want to help orphanages and poor women.  One students, obviously not understanding the assignment, said she wanted to travel around the world with her husband.

Thursday, Nov30-  I asked my students, “What is the most important lesson you have ever learned?”

“The greatest lesson I have learned by myself taking stand for yourself and other.  Because I had taken stand for many times.  Like I still remember that day when I was in class and my best friend and guy my classmate was kidding with each other and my girlfriend said him a thing that made him angry and he hited her on her breast. She was feeling really pain even couldn’t speak her face was too red.  She was feeling really I couldn’t see that her situation. I beat him to in that way and my class teacher came and asked what happened? I told he hited her on her chest. You can see still she isn’t able to stand and again my class teacher slapped him taken to principal room. I told him all the situation.  He says that well done because mostly we didn’t take action what others will do us.  So from that he speaks with girls very politely.”

Friday, Dec 1- I have a lab class which will focus on the student’s service projects.  Rita, an escaped child bride, is the project leader.  She is young and lacks confidence and leadership but her classmates are committed to her project.  So, others step up and take charge as needed.  Together, they brainstorm, question, pose and answer all sorts of thoughts and a coordinated project emerges.

Saturday, Dec 2- I have a 9AM leadership team meeting.  Only 4 of the 9 leaders show up and I am a bit discouraged.  Regardless, the meeting was productive and I got to see Jasmine take on her role of student leader with a confidence for a young person that is admirable. After the meeting, I am off to Thamel.  I am spending two nights there as an opportunity to explore more of Katmandu.  Where I am living now, it’s about 30 minutes away and isolated from the mainstream.  I plan on going to Thamel every weekend as a retreat.

Sunday, Dec 3- A rickshaw hauled my sorry ass to Dunbar Square.  I was here 20 years ago but it is so different now.  The earthquake of 2014 did substantial damage to this historical site.  And the crowds seem ten-fold.

My goal for today is to see the Living Goddess, a three-year-old who serves as a spiritual link to the Hindu gods.  She will retain this tile until she begins to menstruate and then someone else will be appointed to this position.  She lives in Dunbar Square and twice a day, she pops her head out the window for all of us to see and receive her blessing.  Watching the Nepalese fill with delight in seeing her reminded me of my encounter with the Pope just two years ago.  We all clapped and cheered when we saw her.