Archive for February 2012
Tawal Eye Camp
Dr Detlev Gueck and his patient
Location: Tawal
Date: 24 November – 1 December 2011
Partner: Dr Detlev Gueck, a German eye doctor, Sangye, Manager of the Medicine Buddha Health Clinic and another monk from the Kopan Monastery
Beneficiaries: 12 schools and 13 villages (Tawal, Tawal Besi, Duchene, Ladap, Kichet, Richet, Tajumrang, Ri, Gumba, Choke, Kutal, Salleri and Syaktali) in the Ri VDC.
Objective: To assess a person’s vision, treat infection and prescribe/fit glasses brought by Dr Gueck from Germany. Details: NAFA supported Dr Gueck by providing him and his assistants from Kopan monastery free transport, accommodation and meals for the 8 day camp (including 2.5 travel days). Apart from the invitations sent out to the 12 schools a community service announcement on the Dhading FM radio station attracted others from other VDCs, some of who walked over 6 hours to get to the camps.
Trying out spectacles
Outcomes: Nearly 1,100 people registered and seen by Dr Gueck, with 250-300 sets of glasses issued free of charge. Eye drops provided to all who attended the camp. Dr Gueck reported a higher incidence of cataracts than he had previously experienced in his camps in Asia and India. This is largely due to the smoke in the homes, from the wood fires / stoves used.
Tawal Hearing Clinic 2011
Keshab checking a child's ear
Location : Tawal
Date: 24 November – 1 December 2011
Partner: Keshab Dangol from the Nepalese Association of Hard of Hearing (NAHOH), Lew and Sue Tuck from Whitsunday Hearing (HearingNepal Program) and two monks Kopan Monastery
Beneficiaries: 12 schools and 13 villages (Tawal, Tawal Besi, Duchene, Ladap, Kichet, Richet, Tajumrang, Ri, Gumba, Choke, Kutal, Salleri and Syaktali) in the Ri VDC. Apart from the invitations sent out to the 12 schools a community service announcement on the Dhading FM radio station attracted others from other VDCs, some of who walked over 6 hours to get to the camps.
Objective: To assess a person’s hearing, clean out wax treat infections and provide hearing aids where needed. Details: NAFA supported NAHOH by providing Keshab and an assistant from Kopan free transport, accommodation and meals for the 8 day camp (including 2.5 travel days).
Serenading in lieu of payment
Outcomes: Nearly 1,100 people registered and seen by Keshab. Many foreign bodies in ears found, including cockroaches, other insects, feathers, seeds and straw. Many ear infections and perforated ear drums.2 who attended ear camp subsequently had follow-up treatment in Kathmandu in February 2012, one requiring surgery and the other treated with medicine. One older gentleman from over 6 hours walk away ended up serenading everyone as appreciation for receiving a hearing aid from the HearingNepal Program in lieu of the $3 – $15 that is usually asked as a contribution towards the cost of the aid.
Tawal micro-hydro system officially opened!
Carrying the generator
NAFA’s President, Rod Setterlund officially opened (as “Chief Guest”) the 20 kw micro-hydro system on 13 February 2012 in front of the Tawal/Tawal Besi community, Ross Hazelwood (NAFA’s Project Coordinator), Chandra Tamang (Tawal Coordinator) and other distinguished guests, including Mr Suresh Shrestha, REDP engineer from the Nepalese Government who oversaw the 9 month project.
Volunteer labour from individual families was a major factor in the success of the project over the 8 month construction period. Every family carried an allocated number of kgs of sand, stones, cement, wire, wooden/metal poles and pipes, electrical-mechanical equipment and other materials to the site from the riverbed and road-head.
Inside the powerhouse
During construction in November, we witnessed women carrying 45 kg bags of sand from the river (a 2 hour down and 4-5 hour up trip) and 22 men carrying the generator that weighed nearly 300 kgs from the road-head. They said it took them 4 days to carry it to the site and this was after a 3 day trip to carry the 320 kg turbine.
240-250 houses will be connected by the end of February for electricity as well as two schools and a health clinic. In addition, small businesses will be established with applications for electricity connection for a furniture business and a grain mill already in process. The two operators of the system (Ashok and Kipa) have both received NAFA sponsored 6 month electric wiring training and will receive further micro-hydro specific training organised by REDP.
Inauguration ceremony
At the opening ceremony Mr Shrestha said in his speech that projects of this size (20 KW) often take 2-3 years to complete and are often more than two times over budget due to problems at the community level with volunteer labor, local expertise etc. He said it was a credit to the Tawal community that they completed the project in line with the originally projected timeline and very close (within 3%) of the original budget. Thank you to all those who contributed to both the Tawal and Lumsa projects and congratulations to both communities for achieving such a significant development goal.
Lumsa Micro Hydro Project
Lumsa micro hydro worksite
Location: Lower Solu Khumbu district, 2 days walk from Salleri village
Date: January 2012
Partner: Lumsa village and Lumsa Micro Hydro Steering Committee
Beneficiaries: 109 households/ appx 500 residents
Objective: To complete a micro hydro system to bring electricity to all houses in the village.
Wiring up the village
Details: This project was funded by the Nepalese rural development NGO REMREC, their local VDC, the Lumsa community and a loan from a Kathmandu business and NAFA. This business loan of NPR 800,000 was almost repaid by NAFA and NAFA supporters in two payments of AUD $5,000 and AUD $4,600. Due to the good exchange rate this the total repayment came to NPR 752,497 which left approximately $500 for the community to repay. Once all monies were available the community engaged a technical firm (Multiservice) to construct the generator and turbine.
The water pressure drives the turbine in the powerhouse
The community began the process of laying pipe, constructing the powerhouse and water channels under supervision of 2 sub-engineers from Multiservice and visits from REMREC engineer based in Salleri. The channels from the main water source was over 500 mtrs in length and the pipe from the top of the water supply down to the power house was approximately 300 mtrs.These metal pipes had to be supported by stone pillars built by the community The community erected electricity poles and assisted 2 other sub-engineers with the transmission wires from the powerhouse to all sections of the village.
Local villagers trained by the engineers then wired up each house and installed light and power fittings. The community worked continuously for 7 months and through the monsoon, to finish the project and are to be congratulated on the completion of this huge project.
Lighting makes all the difference
Outcomes: This electricity will allow each household up to 7 CFL lights and small appliances like mobile chargers and radio. The lights will allow the villagers to carry out tasks at night in their homes, the students will be able to complete their homework and study and each household will have an improved lifestyle. In the future the community can apply for funds from a seeding grant of NPR100,000 from REMREC to establish new businesses which will further enhance their area. The village has suggested they could consider businesses such as paper making, apple drying and packaging, wood mill and carpentry and a central grinding mill for flour.