Health & Education
The Nepal Aid Association is a nationwide organization in Germany that operates locally in Nepal. The association operates a jeep in the Tamang Heritage Region with its Nepali partner organization "Himalayan Cooperation Society (HiCoS)", which transports patients from remote mountain villages to so-called "Health Posts" or the nearest hospital. In addition, the association supports these health facilities with investments and the funding of emergency transports to the capital, Kathmandu.
Who we are
We are a doctor and a physician and have gotten to know and love Nepal through multiple trips. Personal contacts have been maintained over the years and the friendly people have been supported privately.
Detailed information
Many people in Nepal are psychologically traumatized by the earthquake. The worst consequences, such as the death of a family member or injury, are not even the main focus. Worse is the loss of the house as a place of refuge. Even many houses that still stand in the villages are at risk of collapse due to the typical construction, which only provides for layers of stones without concrete, and must be completely dismantled and rebuilt.
Nepalese civil engineers have traveled to the villages and inspected the houses. However, since the people do not have money for concrete, the house ruins remain standing and the people live in front of them in tents or metal shacks. Even intact stone houses are avoided; many Nepalese no longer want to live in houses with more than two floors, and many are moving from the destroyed villages to the capital city of Kathmandu.
The poor people from the mountainous region will hardly be able to establish themselves meaningfully in the expensive urban environment. As a result, whole slum quarters of tents and corrugated iron huts emerge there.
Dhanjabad
We want to thank all those who have financially supported us. Many warm wishes have accompanied and supported us in our work. Thanks to many generous donations, we were able to purchase plenty of medicines and bandages and treat a large number of patients. In the villages of Gatlang, Gonggang, Thuman, Briddhim, and Khangjim, we conducted multi-day outpatient clinics under the simplest conditions. These were very exhausting. The dialect and mentality change from village to village. The people were very grateful. Our Nepalese friend (and interpreter) and we were completely exhausted after each day of treatment. Despite the many tasks, we enjoyed it.
Many people live in temporary shelters near their destroyed homes. The rainy season and winter were very harsh. There is no prospect of improvement. The main illnesses ultimately stem from the poor conditions. Most commonly, there were pulmonary diseases, gastrointestinal infections, parasitic diseases, but also all forms of joint diseases, from arthrosis to rheumatic diseases. Many people suffered from the impending loss of their eyesight. No local residents wear sunglasses there, despite the relatively high altitude (2000-3000 m). Due to increased UV radiation, the gray discoloration of the lens (cataracts) could already be seen in middle-aged 45-year-olds.
We thought a lot about what will happen to the people when we pack up and leave again. Will they be waiting for the next trekking doctors?
Was our commitment just the famous drop in the bucket?
During our medical trek, we have developed new ideas and are now pursuing a project on how to sustainably connect existing medical resources with each other. The people in the villages are hoping for the Western “miracle pill” that will heal all their ailments.
This will never exist. Sustainable help from outside can only be help for self-help. The local Health posts in Briddhim and Syarphrubesi are hardly perceived by the population, although we could convince ourselves of the good education of the Paramedics. Additionally, many people are not aware of this aid. A hospital is about 2 hours away by Jeep in Dhunche. The examination there would also be free of charge. However, the journey there is unaffordable for the people.
One should try to coordinate the existing Nepalese medical facilities. So we decided to visit the district hospital in Dhunche. Although it was also greatly destroyed during the earthquake, it still offers a good care structure. The doctors, whose medical reports we had already been able to read during our medical trek, made a competent impression. The doctors in Nepal have also studied at the university. Their training is equivalent to our Western medicine. There is a good foundation in general medical care and general clinical treatment. However, many medical devices are outdated or have been destroyed. During our short visit to the clinic, we were able to establish a good connection with the doctors, which was later deepened with many email contacts. In collaboration with the hospital's doctors, we planned our next steps and already set some parts of our project in motion. To ensure medical care for the people, the hospital had to be supported in a first step. Dawa, on our behalf, purchased an oxygen machine and an EKG device in Kathmandu for the hospital, using the remaining donation funds. The devices were joyfully received at the hospital with a small celebration. This will enable better patient care in the future.
As a second step, we want to finance a weekly transport of patients from the mountain villages to the hospital in Dhunche. In doing so, we plan to rent already available jeeps from the region. Dawa will organize the transports and promote our project on site. In the meantime, the Nepalhilfe Straubenhardt e.V. (Nepal Aid e.V.) has been established to realize our project. Friends, relatives, and acquaintances have supported us in this. Further goals of the association are to implement measures to promote health and education in the region. We are considering, for example, to arrange sponsorships for critically ill, poor patients to finance their treatment costs. Furthermore, for children from poor families or orphans, to finance their school attendance or training costs. Despite all the destruction, we want to encourage them to visit Nepal. The destruction of some cultural monuments will not bother the "first visitor" anymore. The trekking routes are all passable again. The trek in the Langtang Valley is also possible again. The income from tourists secured the survival of many Nepalis, which has been and still is interrupted after the earthquake. To help Nepal, it is important that tourism gets back on track. If you want to help but are not considering a trip to Nepal, we would like to ask you to support our association through monetary donations. Please contact us. Even small amounts can make a big difference in Nepal.
Our thanks go to everyone who has supported us in our project. Thanks to all who fed our donation box in Conweiler and also supported us with clothing and shoe donations. Thank you for your trust that we will handle your donations well. Thanks to all colleagues who supported us financially. Many thanks to the people who embraced our project and collected for us, for example at birthdays and other celebrations or events. A very special thanks goes to the Siloah St. Trudpert Hospital in Pforzheim and to the Schwarzwaldapotheke in Schwann, who supported us very generously.
