Art on the wall - the unseen healing

Photo and wall paint by Sajes Tamang

I have been to Manichuood on 3rd of July. I was there as a quake volunteers  with a team of Youth  Motivation Camp. A local school have been reduced to rubble after the quake and youth action Nepal have help them build school through crowd funding on social networking sites which helped them to build one shelter TLC - Temporary Learning Center - with three classrooms. Mr. Punya Bhandari, Programme Coordinator, who took active part in this project from the very beginning starting from raising funds to involved in this work as a volunteer to do everything, so that the school gets its shelter fast and children get a chance to go to school sooner was invited by the school management for a function. It was also the day schedule for TLC handover ceremony to the school management.

It was a beautiful shelter from outside, and when I looked inside the plain wall looked just stared blankly from all sides. I thought, this would have looked better if it was painted. Back home I quietly, searched for some artist ready to volunteer for such work. Facebook made this work really easy. Couple of  young artist instantly responded. Quake hit nation, so everyone is ready to do anything for this country. Then, I shared this thought with Bhawana Bhatta, general secretary, Youth Action Nepal. She instantly liked the idea and said we can start it soon with Basu Higher Secondary School, Bhaktapur.

In the first meeting, the artist was little bit unsure of doing it, all alone, even though; he had done similar type of painting work before. We have little time to handover the completed [zink sheet] TLC, to the school management. Therefore, we started painting wall very next day of our meeting. Before that, the artist had gone to see the classroom, size of wall and also to get some idea from the school management to discuss about what kind of paintings would be better inside the classroom of young children.  

That helped artist a lot to get clear idea about the paintings, so he worked accordingly, selecting some good pictures or children.  Most of us shared first days wall painting on our post on facebook. The response from people was overwhelming. Arpan Bhuju, civil engineer, who is leading this particular project from the very beginning, visited to see the work. When we reach almost the final work of a wall, then he shared with me, I was not convinced about it when I heard about it in the beginning but after seeing it, I have to  admit I was wrong about it. Its so good and unlike other rebuild and reconstruction this a lot different yet it has lasting impact in the mind of child. Hearing that made me feel good about it.

Bhuju, the engineer is involved in many other construction works as a leader that is going on under the banner of Youth Action Nepal, which primarily focus on TLC. So, I asked him, will you make this a prime part of all your construction from now on when you build schools  ? Yes, was his answer. That approval meant a lot for me to come up a new solution to heal young children of quake hit nation, in a way; that do not necessarily mean to spent lots of money on it.

One of the team member was telling me that, with this cost which we spend on this painting could have allowed  to buy one bundle of zink sheet that would have been more useful for other projects. Do you also think this painting just added ‘extra expenses’ on this budget TLC ? what is your take on that comment, I asked this to Bhawana Bhatta. I was really curious to know her opinion on it. Of Course, we need shelter as primary need, she said  and further added, but; there should be no comparison between the cost of shelter over our head and the art on wall. Music, art and sports have different and unseen way of connecting and healing people in every society. Everyone need mental shelter as much as roof over our head. One does not diminish the importance of other in anyway, because these are absolutely different things.

 from left the artist - Sajes Tamang, Sunita Giri, Kanchan Bhattarai, Arpan Bhuju and Roshan Nepal

There is no doubt, we all seem to be agreeing on one point, that this art on the wall, can do more than what meets eyes. It can do more than a group of adult counselors visiting  school and running a counselling session or telling them to paint the thought on a blank paper. When they see it daily in their classroom, they will go home after school and then they will do it without being told. This art piece will inspire them, encourage them and entertain them that too without using a single word. There is this famous saying, a picture speaks a thousand language. If that is true, then a wall painting can tell a story that is possible after using ten thousands words.

When the wall got finishing touch from the artist, it was not what I could have envisioned in my mind, staring at blank and boring walls. It was a hundred times better than what I have thought after seeing the plain walls of a school in Manichood. The programme coordinator was telling me all the way about its lovely scenes and fresh air and the power it can have in our mind. Maybe he is right about that fresh air, but I think its the blank walls that was inviting anyone [not just me] to write something, paint something on it. So, this way I must say my visit to manhood have been fruitful to get an idea that may help a society.

One single organisation can't do this work alone, to paint all the school walls of young children. If, lots of other people get inspired to paint art on blank walls, then it will be a way to help a bigger society through art.  Because, this is an invisible way of healing and educating children.  Therefore, I would like to urge more people to get inspired from this. How lovely it would be if everyone who are in rebuild and reconstruction paints the wall for school children.

I am very hopeful there will be days, painting wall of school children's classroom will be a prime focus of education board Members, school principals and educators around the nation and all of them will come up with bigger and better ideas to get the attention of children, when it comes to connect them through art and creativity.

My special thanks to artist, Sajes Tamang for giving me more than what I could see with my eyes. All you needed is five days and four helping hands to show us how the mind of artist works. That's why artists are needed to include  in rebuild and reconstruction of the  quake hit nation.

Creative Healing

And, I was hypnotized.

This was my first experience of being hypnotized. No, they did not use pendulum to hypnotize me, they played music to send me in my deep consciousness. Let me put it clear about this art of hypnotism, for some reason I am not much sure of it. Oh, should I be more precise here ? the Indian way of hypnotism is what I have

Hypnotism is the knowledge to tap our subconscious mind. Very few can practice it on their own and most needs to be helped by others. It's understood that we need to be helped by others, even though we our self can be in touch with our deeper self by gaining some knowledge about the subconscious mind and autosuggestion.  I have had some reservations for eastern way of practicing the art of hypnotizing to reach our inner self. I agree, not all are misusing it, but majority are not using it properly either. Thus my deep inhibition about it. Indians are practicing it as  secret art, when other Asians and westerns are sharing it by writing good books to tap your inner power. My best pick on this is, The Fourth Dimension by Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho. I don't like dark side of it which I keep seeing, being the topic of top Indian TV show CID or other crime shows. I always thought why such dark art was not censored as it gives really bad idea to the wide circle of viewers.

Its interesting to know thought that how easy it is to some who have gained knowledge about it and how easily it can be practiced without we even knowing about it. well that's what happened in my case.

Hypnotism through music : To be honest, I am not much of a music lover like so many of you. But, last Sunday at Youth Action Nepal office, we, a group of Quake Volunteers got a chance to experience a creative healing - through music. It was kind of channeling our energy for better result in our everyday life and work. For that, relaxing our mind was as vital as eating food for life. Relaxing is not always meant taking a good night sleep, as some get it. Relaxing also means getting rid of all the negative forces from our head which is keep bothering us even when we are sleeping. Its not that easy to do it in real life as it may sound to read in words. But, that healing through music seemed too easy to do this work, and that is really seemed a magical art. Sunni from Australia and her local team was there to give us this experience and they were telling us that a healer from Philippine was here after the quake to heal the country after the earthquake.

When I was being hypnotized, I did not even know what the music had such strong effect on me [and others]. first, we were told to lie down on floor, letting our hands and legs in free flow. close our eyes. Breath slowly. A member of the healers team said it's for relaxing your mind and body. In the beginning one member of the creative healing group was saying us to breath in and breath out, go deep in your body and trust in ourselves; when we look us from within. The music was played very slow and almost no existing. It did not even sounded like music for couple of minutes. But slowly it became louder and lower and mostly it contained the natural sound like the waterfall or the sound of wind and other such sounds that soothes our mind in a matter of moment, without we consciously realizing it.

If I am not mistaken, this must be the music composed by Enigma, as it has some signature mark on it. As I was under the hypnotism so, wont be able to give you much about the music in detail, one thing for sure it has mixed eastern musical instruments with natural sounds that was played well to soothe our mind and body at the same time. Members of the team were speaking in rotation in calm and low voice, guiding us to visit our inner self. When we were lying there, like that and music was playing; the healers slowly put their hands on our body parts sometimes it could be head with a finger softly pressed on the center of forehead where women put tika. Some times they pressed our belly, chest and touched legs at the gap of about 10 minutes from each body parts they worked on. At one moment, one of the healer raised my hand and moved it slowly in round motion.. He/she had done it so slowly that I don't even figure it out fast, it's been touched and moved.

I paid close attention to this move of my hand that was moving. I appointed my conscious mind to pay attention to my unconscious mind, what is my hand is doing ?  When it was moved in round motion and left after couple of slow motion moves by the healer. It just kept moving in round motion for more than two minutes or may be more. It was amazing, how it was moving on its own, without the consent of my conscious mind; even if I was fully conscious and paying close attention to that move, thinking should I stop it now or let it move and watch how long it keeps moving.

When I wanted to stop it, I found out I can.

However it was not the same case with Sujita, a fresh pass out nurse from college, whose hand kept moving until it was slowly left by the Healing member. What is interesting to pay attention here is, she was not the only one whose hands was moving in the same direction which they would not have been able to continue, if their conscious mind was alert. Had that been done in their conscious state, they would have felt the pain in their hands but as they were in unconscious mind so they did not felt pain, even if, it was moving for more than 20 minutes as shared by the healers later on with us.

The music was slow in the beginning,  it was loud in between and the healers were moving the sound from one end of the room to other end and one side to other. Sound was traveling on all directions, so it had the same effect in our mind. When we were called back from the spellbound of music, it came to the same sound as it was started in the beginning for about five minutes may be more and slowly we were told to come back to our conscious self.

Once the session was finished we were given a blank sheet of white paper and a crayons to draw on it. We were also encouraged to share our thought on this. A couple of participants said they were feeling so heavy on head. Deepa wanted to know why she felt she was feeling the tremor on earth and felt her whole body was moving like she felt during earthquake.

As far as I am concerned this creative healing energized me and recharged all my energy thoroughly and I felt relaxed. I knew, it was the music that did tremendous work  one me than the healers, that's what I told them when my turn came. Needless to tell you,  I told them give me that music.

It was such a refreshing meditation - if we can use the word meditation here - that, now; I want to learn everything about it and more than that I want that music in my computer, mobile and pen drive. I really want to be the bundle of energy to move everywhere to infect everyone with good vibe that flows from me.

I would like to thank The Hub and Sunni Dawson, the main organizer of this one hour session.

Five statistics that blew my mind

Around 2013 Rakchya Nepal, an NGO did some survey in many dance bars, cabin restaurants, Dohori restaurant guesthouse and massage parlors. Here in Nepal, these places are regarded as ‘entertainment sector’. Menuka Thapa, Chairwoman Rakshya Nepal estimates there are about 40,000 young girls and women and who are working in 1000 restaurants in Kathmandu. The focus group of this survey was 500 girls and women. The data of this report is included in the a that was published on its 10th anniversary.

1. 98.5% them responded that flesh trade should not be legalized. This contradicts of notion which believes, they want to be in this profession because they can earn fast cash in this profession than other work area. Its learned that, many of them are doing this job due to lack of other job opportunities, which helps them to pick their bill. This is also revealed that this number was increased due to the maobadi war in country.

2. 92% visitors in this entertainment sectors are from Police and Army, whose age range from 31 to 50. People talk in hushed tone in this country they have no trust and respect for our army and police; this survey reveals exactly why. There are people who try to reason, police and army personnel are separated from their partners for long time, which makes them sexually starved all the time. No wonder, they visit Thamel area for their physical needs. This has other side effect, if some girls who are forced in this sector want to move out they can't expect help from these men in power. In case, of exploitation they can't think of going to police stations to complain about the same. Insider talks its army personnel, who are running many such restaurants in Kathmandu. No, wonder client can visit the place without fear of raid from police because they know who are there to protect them.  They don't  earn better in this work, because of the nature of their client. They force them to have relationship with them and if they refuse police will threaten them to raid the particular restaurant. Its a tug of war between power houses and she is in the middle to suffer.

3. 90.5% girls and women are doing this work because there is no single earning member in their family. Had there been an earning member they would not have landed up in flesh trade. Male member of the family were forced to join Maobadi or leave country in search of job if they did not wanted to join Maobadi and this left only female and children in home. So she is the sole breadwinner of her family.

4. 87.5% girls and women who are in this sector do not tell their family members they are in this profession or what is the nature of their work. Most of these girls and women are from other cities of Kathmandu, who landed here in search of job. Because, she keeps her job secret from her family members; so her health issue is at big risk. With little knowledge of AIDS and STD and other related health issues.

5. 86% girls and women responded they stay in Thamel area and only 14% in other areas, surrounding thamel.

Its not that nothing have been done and no steps have been taken to help these vulnerable group of girls and women who are in this work force. Many have been trained in many work and  resettled back in society. Rakshya Nepal is doing lots to help in this area. Providing many types of skill development training to help those who were forced in flesh trade.

Hard time and poverty is what pushing our girls in this flesh trade, to stop huge number to go in and reduce the number of girls/women from so called entertainment sector in the years to come. Let's say about 1000 girls out from this sector every year and doubling that number every year. Lets put it this way, in the first year 1000 girls/woman will be out from entertainment sector and then in second year 2000, next there will be 3000, 4000 and  in 5th year 5000 girls will be out and resettled in society. By the end of 5th year, 15,000 will be out and resettled in society in five years time. And the biggest challenge for us is to stop the same number of girls/woman to enter that work force, unless they chose to be there with all her conscience. That's her right.

No doubt for that we have to have something big to think and work on it. What can we do to stop more girls and women from internal trafficking that will put them in more vulnerable condition to be displaced in other countries ? As news sources tells us many of the restaurant owners and manpower agencies are also involved in human trafficking, having link to Kenya and other countries.

They should start a business that will keep them together for a sole motto to self help and help each other.  So what can be that product ?

Earthquake, Fear and Aftershocks

“I was at the first floor of my house, trying to make tea, it was after a week of first earthquake and when I hold the tea pan, my hand started shaking and I was so scared I threw the pan in the kitchen and then rushed down. From that day on I really have not entered inside my house.”Raju Shrestha, a gym instructor and  a quake volunteer from Thankot shared his experience with me.   

One of his friend who was sitting nearby him on a bench listening both of us, circled his hand on his big arm muscle, squeezed it slightly and told me, see his big muscle and yet his heart is so weak that he can't even sleep in his room. He has been sleeping in a shed even after two months of earthquake his friend revealed his secret with me. I could not hide the smile from my face.

“You must have been inside the room when first time it shook earth,” I remarked. Not surprisingly, he was inside his room when the 7.8 MI earthquake shook his home heavily. Not only that, due to excessive fear he could not even think of coming down from his house because his two children were with him.  Worse, from his room watched helplessly, buildings falling from both sides.  Later on he found out that one person was buried and died in one of that fallen house. The fear gripped him so much that he still can't think of going inside his home and sleep in his room.

What really made me amazed is, as gripped as he was in his own fear, he have been going out to pull damaged houses in his locality, helping people who are in need and also joining his group of volunteer friends to make small jink houses known as tunnel houses. He is an active volunteer from Thankot area. He may not be knowing how to cope his fear, but not even knowingly he found the cure for his fear. This is how he is keeping his mind busy that is  gripped by fear.

He is not the first person I have seen, who is gripped in fear after experiencing such mega shake. Anju lives in next door. When we all ran out, she was in her room and was there for about a minute, when everything in front of her was shaking like anything. She thought, she will die that day. Its not that, we all did not get that thought; when we experienced series of aftershocks in same day and after 72 hours also we were experiencing the continuous shakes. But some are more frightened than others. When she was in her room, she was praying and remembering gods but it did not stop shaking. When I entered the house to after a minutes or two, I called out her name, Anju and then she came out from her room. She was really frightened and that face of her, will be stamped in my mind forever to remind me how much people can be frighten when they are locked in a room, when the earth shakes with the force of 7.8 MI. Once, she was out from her room; she contacted her parents who lives in Kavre. She learned that their village house had collapsed. With that news, her fear of earthquake mounted. She was always the first to run out with every shake and then rush out in the open space.  It took Anju almost two months to feel completely relaxed and go in her room to sleep.

Like Anju, most of the people who were locked inside the room at the time the earth was shaking and heard the news of collapsed house or saw it like Raju Shrestha they are more scared of sleeping inside their room, that others. Its not that others are not scared. I was scared of the shake but my fear was gone, once I saw TV and learned I am safe and my place was safer than many other places. However, Raju Shrestha really made me more determined to go out and do volunteer work and help those who need. Therefore,  I will join various team of volunteers and be at different places then gather all kind of local volunteers experience after the quake. I will be on the field and know what they have seen and been through.

Four women who manipulated men with their sexuality

Satyavati

Mahabharat is a mythical story of our ancient history and fascination towards it never dies even the time pass by centuries. The question is why some characters in this literature  never dies ? This is the story of all generation that suit men and women of yesterday, today and tomorrow. But, here I would like to focus only on four women who are lead character of this mega story. We all know this, women are weakness of men and women are the strength of men. There are four types of women who pose challenge to feminist for her work  

Talk about gutless men in Mahabharat, men of this era jump to argue with you; as if, you just insulted the great grandparents, who were in the board member of creative team of this mythical story which  base is politics. I have completely failed to understand why men like this story ? What fascinates them ? Why some men react in defensive manner about coward bunch of men in story and find reasons to argue with you, rather that admitting, yeah men in that era did not know how to respect women. But, lets be honest and  realistic that will never happen, why ?

The Sex bomb : Ganga purely loved having sex, craved it, enjoyed it but; she did not like the result of it. She was successful manipulating her man to let the newborn child go every time she gave birth. I bet it was abortion whatever said in Mahabharat. But when this continued for seventh child  then the king realised, he wanted to have more than sex.  He needed her to make him father, the joy of being a father of child. Ganga did not like that idea, as agreed earlier, so she left him with his child. Here when we sit down to argue on the subject, it's her body let her decide if she would like to be mother or not it's her right to choose, what she want. See who oppose it and what she had to go through. may be her body her right is not the good idea all the time.

Ganga is portrayed as Goddess river in Mahabharat. Why she did used to let go every newborn child in sea is described in very idiotic way. It was because of a curse from her father Brahma - in her prior life -  for liking the attention from a man in her revealing sexy dress which was blown out by a cool breeze of air. The man who kept staring her bare breast without ‘shame’ and Ganga who enjoyed the attention she was getting from that person; must go through this phase in this life. Nothing can be insane and idiotic than this kind of answer to her abortion without asking her man. No sane person should believe this kind of insane answer.

The manipulator : Satyavati used beauty and sexuality as power to get what she wanted and when she wanted. Its same like men who misuse the power in politics there are always women waiting around the corner to take him in her arms, knowing he is the right person for this. By default, some women just like men who misuse their position in politics. Some women like to use it, all but for wrong reasons. Satyabati was one such character in Mahabharat. She was a beautiful daughter of a poor fisherman.  A king fell in love with her. She is beautiful, she knew it, when she is beautiful this means power in hand. How people use it depends on person to person. So when king wanted to marry her, she made her father speak what is in her head, only if; her son will get a chance to rule the kingdom. The short message was, she will not enter palace as mistress even if she was poor, but will rule the kingdom, because the king was in love in head over heels and she knew it and he could not say no to her demand.

In fact, Satyabati was a pure manipulator, who knew how to manipulate men using her beauty and sexuality and she did this purely for her own personal benefits. Whatever written in Mahabharat, she knew how to make men dance in her fingertips;  the poor father and her husband both  were the victim of her manipulating habit. This is how some women play politics. When women play politics like this, this pose threat to the stability in society; as well as feminist activist across the world. Because, men will come up with pungent questions that will silence the strong women.

Extra Marital Affairs : There is no doubt, Kunti  was the queen of extra marital affairs. Although, she is the wife of Pandu but nobody knows, the fathers name of her five sons. It is not hidden fact, Pandu is definitely not the father of her five sons. Again, Mahabharata tries to give you very idiotic answer of who is the father of her sons and how they were borned ? On top of it, there is Karna her first child, she had when she was only a teenager and she was not comfortable to talk about her first child to Pandu or to her five sons until before the war. 

What is interesting is, she is the mother of five powerful men of this mythology. She had not been shamed for this act of her nor she seem to feel ashamed of it.  It seems she indeed used it in her favor. In that case, why an illogical answer is given to name the father[s] of five ? Always insane, illogical and a face saving answer which is far far away from reality. And still there are people who believe this without asking a single question. What a blind faith in god ? and that scares me a lot Do we worship this kind of God ? God save me from nonsense.

Beauty with Foot in her mouth : Draupadi was young, indeed she was much younger than some of her husbands, about 25 -30. Sure, she was naive at times but more than that she had foot in her mouth  when egoistic men like Duryodhana was around her. I know, it's unnerving when a man  lusts us and treat us like nothing more than an ice cream pick and lick but there are a lot better ways to avoid men like him, so why tangle with them ? but this is not easy to tell every young girls  and like millions in their teen, she too did not know how to handle that lustful eyes with no respect for her. But how come Draupadi could  handle five gutless husband at a time is Draupadi and not one insecure Duryodhan ? How come Duryodhan insulted her and her husbands who lost her in a game of gamble did not insulted her being as their wife ?

To add my curiosity, instead of taking that episode as an eye opener, she ends of cursing Duryodhan - a sure sign of another war - rather than leaving her husband for better, who lost her and who did not have a word to say to save her lost dignity in the royal court ! had not she had foot in her mouth a sign of arrogance believe, she is the wife of five powerful men of the era so she can say anything to anyone and anywhere can be seen in this naivete.

This book tries to tell us in failed attempt,  she was respected by all in that era but she was not because she was gambled and lost without her knowledge and consent. How much insanity Mahabharat tires to infuse in our head is hard to believe but the truth is each five men had separate wives and then they had Draupadi a common wife to all five men. Kunti is blamed to be the main  behind this and Arjun could not utter a word to disagree with his mother to say that what she is telling them to share was not a toy or trophy but a human being. That is another failed attempt to answer irrational behavior from Mahabharat. There is no doubt that society was sexist like today and it did not respected women an inch.  Draupadi’s insult in royal court can be seen in this video.

What really makes me think is still Draupadi choose to stay with her five husband who are worshiped as god in our religion and she did not leave those men who were suppose to give her due respect. If you think this is love and devotion to her five husbands, then I have to tell you this, we are all taught very wrong way what is love and what is respect.

Sometimes I feel like burning this book, but when the perception is build inside the head, what's the use of burning things that is outside ? It sure created curiosity when Russians once burned Gita for corrupting the mind of young generations. Of course, that event angered the parliamentarians in India, and they created a brouhaha over this topic. That shocked me completely, because they have always given blind eyes and ears to rape, female foeticide and sexual harassment and loads of other women's issue including equal rights.

Draupadi

In every society there will be sex bomb like Ganga, manipulating women like Satyavati, women with extra marital affairs like Kunti, and beautiful girl with foot in the mouth like Draupadi. Just like that, there will be men who will run after Ganga and Satyavati and then blames women for ‘using them’ to get what they want . Sure, there will always be men like Pandu, who won't admit the physical flaws, yet would like to be father and then there will be  strong men who can face all the problem in the world, but only can nod their head in front of their mother - I call this politics women like to play as mother; oops, women. These are the men of all era and every society. These are the characters, specially designed in Mahabharat to silence feminist across the world, of all era not just that era, but it looks like; that was not the world where women were respected. No wonder, we have to keep fighting for this.

Letter to Jamie Mcgoldric

Dear Mr. Mcgoldrick :

The way earth trembled beneath our feet with 7.8 magnitude energy on April 25, was enough to send us in panic zone. But, what we saw on newspapers and television next day made us speechless, stunned and emotional. The loss of human lives and images of collapsed villages, temples and our monuments as well as damaged pillared high rise buildings were beyond imagination. While this made the world news headlines, our only international airport started having air traffic problems, and our cargo department was in serious problem to store and distribute with equal speed the relief materials which were coming-in in huge quantity. If we went by newspapers about the delayed response of our government to provide relief materials, it seemed TIA officials were incapable of handling the flooded support, that blocked air traffic as well.

When international news channels were talking about how many country acted fast to send Nepal their rescue teams, relief materials, and how people around the world were opening their purse and heart, our news channels were showing the faces of quake victims; saying they have yet to see the relief materials, or get a tent. Should then, we be surprised, if we read in newspapers during the following days, there was demonstration in front of Red Cross relief camp for tents ? Or the provocative interview on Kantipur TV of Home Minister by Dil Bhushan Pathak ? No, our media should not be blamed for such behaviour from mass.

The cost of massive devastation as a whole is incalculable, billions of dollar is needed to rebuild and reconstruct for long term. With this, fund collection is a must. We watched on our news sources, many nations started raising fund individually. Well known International humanitarian agencies were on the front row to raise fund to help Nepal, to help it rise from the rubble. Never before in my life, I have heard or seen so many people coming together to help Nepal and so much being raised in short time. Again, what is mere a hundred thousands dollar for US citizen or in European Nations is a million here in Nepal. Not surprisingly, that difference in thinking also remained the same in people just like the conversion of currency here and there. That just got collided, in a very bad way. In result, I/NGOs being lambasted in our social network or in many papers. It was interesting to read so many comments that would scare INGOs’ top heads, if they read in facebook post with links from prestigious sites in foreign land.

And just when I thought, generous people around the world have opened their hearts and purse to help Nepal, I read this on May 15th in UNIC, Nepal facebook post: The window of opportunity to provide vital relief to people in Nepal affected by the earthquakes is closing quickly, as urgent funding requirements remain unmet. To date, barely US$ 59.5 million, or 14 per cent, was received against the $423 million humanitarian appeal, launched by the United Nations and partners on 29 April. “If we don’t act quickly, the implications will be severe,” Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal said “We can only expect misery, a crippling loss of dignity and the real potential for more deaths especially in the rural and remote areas.”

Ever since I read your words ‘a crippling loss of dignity’ it's been hitting my head like anything. There is no doubt, UN and all other humanitarian organisation have all good intentions to help Nepal and Nepali to rise from the rubble as our already poor government can't face this kind of disaster. However, we must think hard at this very point is, has all such good intention help, helped us to rise from our unending poverty ?

At this point, I have a question to ask you, does UN wants to cultivate begging mentality, that is so deep rooted here yet people deny it outright ? Is this kind of huge donation is what  is needed to rebuild and reconstruct now when INGOs working in Nepal have doubts about channelling funds into our government account due to deep rooted corruption. Insiders know how our government works here in Nepal.

One burning question is, how long does it take for Nepal to rise from the rubble or how much money we need for this ? What do we have to do to raise funds, when we need vast money to address fast when we face this kind of natural devastation; sure is beyond our belief. But, when you were busy turning the West to raise funds for Nepal, see what our A grade journalists got in their head and wrote about it. Bijay Kumar, turned South to find answers.   Politics is not my strength nor I put my believe in it, it does not offer us all the answers. So, I wonder why we have intellects in my country who turn north and south for all kinds of problem we face, be it political or natural mega disaster ? Reading this article by Bijaya Kumar, confused me but even if, he is the journalist, I read despite my lack of interest in politics. Should I [all Nepali] not be excited then, they are - South and North - competing with each other, who can spend more to rebuild and reconstruct ?

North and South are competing with each other and UN has raised more funds to help Nepal build back better but reading this post on BBC, might help you to get better idea about where the money goes in Nepal. Or why Nepal is still among the poor country in world sitting between economic giants ?

I have one more concern, when Bijay Kumar recommends the name of Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in his post, to be the head of rebuild and reconstruction department. Just because we are having hard time, does not mean we should go for Dr. Baburam. How can we forget this fast its “people war” that costed us billions of Rs and we have not even been able to recover from that ugly mess. No other party or event - other than our own low preparedness for every mega natural calamities including earthquakes like this- in this country, have costed this nation as much as Maobadi movement and its top heads selfish motive. If this country can do justice to its people, then these people should be punished for every bad deeds they did to this nation. But, politics is not my strength; so you might want to have a look on this post by Kanak Mani Dixit. Here, he gives us one of his very best analysis about the war. Still; he forgets to mention some very important informations in that analysis, which are : there are 40,000 young girls and women working as sex workers in many cabin restaurants, dance bars, dohori geet restaurants and massage parlours in Kathmandu alone. Reading a book published by Raksha Nepal on its tenth anniversary will let us know, majority of them are forced to be in flesh trade, because of maobadi war which created a civil war. Mr. Dixit may have forgotten to include it, in his analysis but you must be aware, why our children's homes are flooded ? why everyday 1500 Nepali leave this country, even after the war is over ten years ago ? Again, the answer is maobadi war and so Baburam’s name recommended, to head, rebuild and reconstruction ministry just because our prime minister is too old, too slow and too sick ? My point of mentioning all these is, when in need, please stand for the other option. Why I expect this from you ? Oh, I read in news paper UN requested our custom through government to be flexible to receive turks coming in with relief material.

When all media, agencies, organisations and government are talking about rebuild and reconstruct, I worry about absolutely other thing. Rebuild and reconstruction is possible by the help money coming from outside; is what scaring me most. I do not find my answer there also, because this too focuses all on physical construction not our mindset - there is UN or North or south who will take care of everything that goes wrong in this nation. Cant we find solution in between ?

This is the right time, we have to find new ways to create job opportunities in local market money.

Of all the donation money Nepal collects, minimum 10 percent of it, must go to separate account to be invested in, to create job opportunities and to generate income for our people. Each and every organisation be it government, [I/NGO], private or individual[s] whoever are collecting funds must contribute 10% of total fund collections diligently so that we see the progress in real sense in the years to come. This new policy must be made mandatory to all concerns. Otherwise, billions of donation funds will never see its full potential to bring needed change in this country. I have never seen Nepali joining hands to help each other to face the massive mega earthquake. This earthquake just opened the way for us. Can we continue work together for better result ?

We saw how international humanitarian organisation came forward to help and we appreciate it wholeheartedly. However, as much as we should appreciate what United Nation have been doing, I feel the need of coordination with all organisations that have been working in Nepal, be it small or big; local or international, government or non-government, because we are working for better Nepal, right ?

United Nations not being a business company, can work with our businessmen like, NRN's President - Shesh Ghale who is 99th richest person in Australia, Mr Upendra Mahato, richest Nepali in Russia and local businessmen like Binod Chaudhary, who is only Nepali listed in forbes Magazine. These three came forward to work with their own plan to rebuild and reconstruct. UN can also join hands with other small organisations which are collecting funds to rebuild and reconstruction like Help Nepal Network: One Dollar a Month Fund for Nepal, विवेकशील नेपाली BibekSheel Nepali, on close relation to make this concept work for build back better Nepal. New account for new concept and big or small the policy must work for all.

There should be couple of well thought and planned TV programs to be made, to help our people think beyond the urgent call and seek long term solutions; not just short term solution like shelter and food, when we will rise after the series of mega hits and hundreds of aftershocks. TV programs will bring many creative industries to work under one roof. For a television program to make, it generally requires a whole new creative team to work with; like songwriting, creating music, working on new concepts and ideas, photography, art, fashion designing, you name it. Creating new stars and new talent is also a must to keep the money rolling. Old and new talents can be mixed and new talents needs to be encouraged. Media in fact, is more powerful tool to bring changes in society and our media really haven't used that power in true sense, definitely not yet.

This will help keep rolling money in the market.  TV shows can be used to bring behavioral change in our society. Other plus points of using television is, it also can be used as a platform to creating market for the products that our village people make which partner agencies have micro funded in rural Nepal. once they see it on television our city people can use it.

One teleserial may cost about 10 million Rs a year [approx.], but it will help create more job or money, there will be need to advertise which is another creative industry, bank should be open to invest in new concept of programs or investment rather than freezing their bulk money in unproductive fields like land and home loans.

Television show on National channel[s] and UN ? How can it work ? who are the audience and what are the subjects to be focused on this program ? Well, all that can be discussed further. How can UN stay away from our hyper reactive media people from this ? Well, UN can circulate news among its  partner organisations 10% of its total fund [ in from of TVC advertisement, making those advertisement suitable to air at time like this and commit for whole year so that such programs runs smoothly and it will help individual company to make good program for the country.

Sunita Giri

Animal Instinct

"Do you hear the crow is crowing  ? now there will be another shake." "Do you hear that dog is barking ? this is a warning call.” Like me you must have heard it many times in last couple of weeks than ever before. I am hearing it, and sure it's not easy especially; when all of us are staying under the open sky and so worried; trying to figure out, what what is going on and what will happen next. Many around me, well they were college students, were screaming with every shake under our feet. And when it's not shaking all eyes and ears were over the head and on the sound of dog to take it as a clue for next shake. They observed, because, they have heard their elders saying it, 'they know about earthquake before us'. Let's agree, they know it better than us but how much their animal senses, will help us ?

It is said that the animals do have instinct to sense the earthquake before humans. We have read that even snake come out from its hibernation and goes to safe place long before the mega shake hits the earth. Mouse, dog, birds of many kind and elephants can sense it before high tech machines would alarm us. When you were running out of your shaky and wobbly home on April 25 at around 12, how many of you saw crow crowing or dog barking ? cat or mouse leaving houses ? Where as, I see all the people around me running to find safe place to save their lives. When we stopped they were shaking like a leaf and sharing the experience that they thought today all of us die.

We all know dog bark all the time, so crow crows all the time, yet I have to come across one single person who, was saved by the dog bark or crow's crow from mega earthquake. Lets believe they know it, before us, but, that knowledge is for themselves not for us.

Let's suppose, we keep taking clues from dog or crow, then, imagine what will happen next. we will find yourself running after the crow, when we wake up in the morning or when we are in the toilet, or taking shower or about to eat our meal. it could be anything you name it. If we run after the crow where will we find ourselves safe ?  They can fly up in the sky but wherever we run, we are going to find our feets firmly fitted on the shaky earth. Another truth is, we can't run like dog all the time. What was hard to believe was well educated people around me were also taking clues from them and prepare to run. Now, the geologists from US, Australia, Canada, France  have already predicted that there will be more aftershocks or even bigger than the first jolts which may go over a  month or some extend the time limit over six month or a year. Then, why do we need to take clues from dog or crow, with every shake ?

Therefore, I now have my serious doubt to follow their senses, during the mega jot or aftershocks that might save us. As we are experiencing series of major and minor shakes after the April 25th and then may 12th mega shake, I have also paid attention towards the, sound of dog bark and crow crowing. It keep going all the time, before, during and after the shake. We can also get it like this, because they are more sensitive than us, so they might have alarmed us about the shake that is less than four magnitude hit which we normally do not feel but perhaps they do. This way, if we entirely believe their instinct and try to take the clues, then we might run after the crow or dog almost every time we hear the sound of crow or a dog.

Then the question is, how much we  should listen to dog and crow when they were not helpful to warn us at the first big shake or its intensity  ? If they really could alarm us about the next shake why thousands of people died ? Why no one could save themselves from the first shake and then second and then the third blow ? Should not their sense be saving humans, if they can sense about the earthquake long before humans ?  I am thinking when they can not communicate to us in a clear language what is the use of all that knowledge and instinct ? Now, when I hear crow crowing my mind ask me a question, is it telling us about the another shake or its usual habit of crows crowing, which we hear all the time ? Can we run after crow all the time ?

Likewise when dog barks should we be alarmed that there will be another earthquake ? I think this knowledge of dog and birds sensing the earthquake is not good to common people, especially to those who have little knowledge about earthquake. Sadly, I have seen all this, during this mega shake time and most of them were not just educated but they were the students of MBA and BBA. They were more panicked with each sound of crow or bark.

It seems we can't refute this logic that animals have better sense than us because, they sure do, but what is the use of it, if it is not going to save one life ? We can't run after the crow fearing another disaster. Crow in its fear can fly high in the sky but however scared we are we can't fly up in the sky as our feet will be firmly fitted on ground. If animal instinct could be helpful, we don't need any help from science, human expertise and high tech instruments which can warn us about the next disaster. They sure can sense it, before us but now we know it it did not come handy before the disaster  nor it could save a single life. Now, it depends on us how much we can trust their instinct and take a clue from them.