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Life as Nepali haru knew it is over .... of all the people I have known during my time on this planet, no one ever deserved this tragedy less than, "Hamro Nepali". This earthquake tragedy comes on top of decades of misfortune, one blow after another. The population explosion, deforestation, sex trafficking of the most vulnerable, massacre of the royal family, the Maoist War, and now the past ten years, the competing political factions, unable to even agree on a new constitution. All this has left Nepal without any effective government. People, lets say it, Nepal was a failed state before the earthquake-- exploited by those who claim to lead it, for their personal benefit. Its the people of Nepal who kept Nepal "functioning" in spite of their government, or lack there of...
Its been getting worse for a long time. Even in KTM, the big city of Nepal, people were only getting, at most, 6 hours of electricity a day BEFORE the earthquake. Yet 20 years ago KTM got electricity, 24 x 7... with interruptions of only a few hours now and then... so what is international aid going to try to help reset Nepal to? What is the "restore point"? 6 Hours of Electricity a day? Nepal faces incredible challenges.. and the failure of its political system, its complete collapse, is at the root of many of these. Nepal has more hydroelectrical potential than all of Mexico, the US and Canada, combined. But after the Maoists started attacking hydroelectric projects during the war... all foreign investment pulled out of that sector... and lack of any government since then means no one is willing to invest. Take that story and multiply it by 10. Same Same, every sector in Nepal: health, education.... without an effective government its challenging to get much done there. Of course there have been victories-- like community forestry-- but how did those happen? Not from the government. Every success in Nepal has come from the heart breaking smiles, persistence, and hard work of the average Nepali. So... lets keep them in mind now, in this toughest hour. Lets work for them.
Its only the astounding attitude, the heart, the "mun", of the Nepali that have let them bear their many burdens.. before the earthquake... Now I see them standing in the streets reeling from this latest blow, faces bloodied. Still standing. Unbowed. With those heartbreaking smiles, even when facing the worst that life can throw at them.
I am devastated to think what faces them now. Knowing all this, those of us outside Nepal today, our focus must be on encouraging fund raising... Insuring we get those funds into the best hands there... paying close attention to where that funding goes, and how it is used...Aid must go to the ground, to those with bare feet, to those with muddy hands. To the skilled Nepali doctors and nurses who are working so hard even as we talk about this... to the policemen and soldiers who are out digging through the ruins. This is not going to be easy. It depends in part on us. Check carefully before you write a check. But still, write a check. Now.
Maya Na Mardnos-- Dont Let the Love Die
Meeto nai baiyabuni, meeto justai chanos-- If it doesn't taste good, eat it as though it does.
They have much to teach us... lets get busy folks.