June 16, 2022 – Click here for the pdf update
Oct/Nov 2021 – Travel Report and HEAR Nepal Project Update by Sten Linnander
Click here to view the pdf
Update October 2, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has, of course, also affected HEAR Nepal and our projects in Bajhang District. There is a nearly full lockdown in Nepal and the infection rates are currently increasing. Travel within Nepal, such as to Bajhang, is currently not possible, and no foreigners may currently enter Nepal. Also, all schools in Nepal have now been closed for the past 6 months.
This means that our two projects – the Water Filter Project and the Girls’ and Women’s Project – are on hold. Before the pandemic began, we had imported 10 PAUL filters and transported them to Bajhang. We managed to install two of them, one at a village along the river and one at the District Hospital of Bajhang in the capital Chainpur, before the lockdown began. But we have received word that they are both extremely pleased with the filters. The village inhabitants have told us that all illnesses that they had before installing the filters – especially abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc. – have stopped entirely. As soon as it becomes possible to travel to and in Bajhang, HEAR Nepal will install the remaining 8 filters.
As to the Girls’ and Women’s project, which was originally planned to start in April and was then postponed to September/October, is now postponed until it becomes possible to travel freely in Nepal and the schools reopen. But we are working full-time preparing for the project to begin. Together with experts from Kathmandu, we are developing a manual for the nurses to use when teaching the topics in the brochure Kishoree. Since nurses tend to know much about health and less about teaching methods for adolescent girls, once employed, they will travel to Kathmandu and will be trained for two days to use modern, age-appropriate teaching methods. The manual describes the various teaching techniques to be used as well as the time reserved for each section.
In addition, we are working to develop the questionnaires that will be used to conduct a baseline survey of the girls, their mothers, the school staff and Health Posts. The results of this survey will be compared with the results of further surveys that will be conducted after one and three years to determine the success of the project.
P.S. Should you wish to donate to our projects, we would most highly appreciate small regular donations. If we, for example, receive monthly donations of € 10 from 100 persons, we could thereby cover the monthly recurring costs for our Kathmandu Team. (https://hearnepal.org/donations/). Thank you.