Containers + Dugar Office + Intense Taxi Ride

Today was a really labor intensive day!

Storage volunteers came to pick up all the storage boxes at the Yak & Yeti Hotel. 

Sitting in the front of the big truck! Up so high on the road, you really see the roads a lot different than they are with a small car. 

The traffic police here in Nepal are just amazing and the people are even more amazing for always abiding the traffic control laws. Most intersections do not have traffic lights, all they have are these traffic police posts! Whenever the traffic police holds out his hands in a specific direction, that direction's car would just all stop! It really is an amazing system! Hats off to all the abiding citizens! 

The semi-temporary office next to the Dugar office. Thanks to Mr. Dugar's generosity, Tzu Chi is going to have a semi-temporary office all set up to go in the coming days! Super grateful!

Before unloading the truck, the new office space needs to be cleared and cleaned. Thanks to Shrijana for sweeping all the dust and styrofoam pieces outside. 

I divided the office into five different sections for temporary storage purposes: medical, food, kitchen, relief goods, and office supplies. 

It's time to unload now! 

Tzu Chi style: human chain for faster and lighter moving. 

It started pouring down rain, but the unloading still needs to continue! Look at how creative and inventive our storage volunteers are with the umbrellas! What an amazing group of volunteers with super fast thinking in problem solving! 

Tzu Chi Nepalese volunteers! You guys are awesome! So grateful to have you guys in my life! 

Finally all done and sorted according to each category! All the work done a week ago, all the labeling and sorting at Yak & Yeti, definitely paid off today! It definitely made things sooo much easier! 

Tea time at Dugar's office! Yummy!

Unloading at the containers! 

Tzu Chi has a total of 10 big containers to store mostly relief goods! 

Thanks to all the local volunteers, our inventory is always super accurate! It is all thanks to their hard work and diligence in keeping all the records so organized. 

The truck left to go to the next storage unit and I sat in the 2nd container to wait for our driver. I had the pleasure of meeting one of our daytime container security guards. She was so cool, we jammed out to music in the container. The 2nd container is pretty much a make-shift security guard office. We jammed out to all types of Indian music that was playing off of her cell phone. It was really awesome!

So it turns out the driver never got the message to come pick me up at the containers haha. After about an hour of waiting, Shrijana helped me bargained for a taxi to take me back to the hotel. It was my first Taxi ride in Nepal and boy was it an adventure. 

We negotiated for 700 rupees ($7 USD) from the container place back to the Yak & Yeti Hotel, which is a fair price. Thank goodness we have local volunteers, because if it was just me heading off to hail a taxi, the price would be doubled! Super lucky!

The front part of the taxi! I love how they always put small carpeted seat covers in the cars here in Nepal. They are super comfortable and it is heavy enough not to be moved, so it is a super genius idea. The whole taxi just looked like a toy car, it really brought a big smile to my face. 

It was pouring down rain outside and massive floods immediately started to form. One of the roads was completely shut down due to flooding! Welcome to Nepal's Monsoon Season! 

The motorcycle raincoats here in Nepal are super cool, because they are good for both the rider and the passenger. How convenient! 

Traffic police changes into bright orange rain suits during the monsoon season. 

It has been a long day! The taxi driver stopped twice at a gas station to fill up gas! It was quite an adventure. Finally got back to the hotel in one piece! Meeting time!

Semi-Temporary Shelters Cash-for-Work Program (1st day)

Today is the first day of the Semi-temporary Cash-for-work Program. Yu-Ping and I will be the ones in charge of this whole program and it is quite different than anything else that we have done so far. Our local volunteers have come from all over the country and now they vow to help out everyday in their lives! What a great thing! It is very touching this cycle of Great Love.

Tzu Chi's Cash-for-work is a program aiming to help the survivors move on from the tragedy by providing them the means to start anew. It is not about the amount of work done vs. the amount of money given, it is more about creating positive affinities and gathering love and kindness. At the time of the disaster, the cash-for-work program is precisely the kind of assistance that victims require. Tzu Chi simply provides the catalyst to prompt volunteerism, and then encourages the disaster victims themselves to rebuild their own communities. It is this type of support that changes mind-sets and prompts people to stop feeling sorry for themselves and to start looking for solutions to their problems. This program gives disaster survivors the opportunity to rebuild their homes and rediscover hope through their own strength. Tzu Chi volunteers have brought support and blessings from all around the world to help Nepal disaster survivors rebuild. The Cash-for-Work program is carried out with a spirit of gratitude, respect and love. When handing cash to participants, they do so directly with a 90 degree bow that lets the recipients experience the warmth of true caring. This unique humanistic touch in turn has moved and inspired many locals to keep their heads up and stand strong for the future.

Venerable Master Matteyyva sharing the reasons why we are all here today: to help in build 7 semi-temporary shelters for the 60+ nuns from Bigu, Dolakha. 

Yu-Ping conducting the Cash-for-Work orientation session! Sharing with the local participants the meaning behind the program = spreading the seeds of great love and sowing more blessings. 

Watching Master's Teachings before the construction work start! The video is in Mandarin with English Subtitles. After watching the video, we have two volunteer to do the translation work for the people that do not understand these two languages. So one volunteer translates from Mandarin to Tibetan, and the other volunteer translates from Tibetan to Nepali. This way, all the participants can understand the teachings of Master Cheng Yen. All the participants listened very carefully throughout the teachings and we invited all the construction workers, as well. It was really a time to calm our hearts and just absorb wisdom and knowledge. What a great way to start off the day!

Putting the Tzu Chi logo stickers on the construction hard hats. 

Everything is treated with gratitude, respect and love in Tzu Chi!

Work has officially started! The construction workers are explaining every single detail about the construction project! So grateful to have them to show us how to do everything and being so patient with our learning curves!

Team work at its finest!

The nice family that provides us lunch. Three brothers whom have own the restaurant for 10 years now.  * Lauman (32)  * Maohav (28) - Nepalese Army Police  * Suresh (26) and their two children. They are so kind hearted and when they heard that we were an international foundation that was doing relief work in Nepal, they gave us a giant discount for the food. They said that they were so grateful that foreigners all the way from Taiwan came to Nepal to help them, so they need to help their own people, as well. So once again, the cycle of great love and giving is being shown over and over again! Nepal really is a blessed place! Embedded in the culture are the notions of unconditional love and giving without asking anything in return. People are really naturally rooted with compassion and pure kindness. We have much to learn from their way of life! 

They even helped us carry our food to the construction ground. It really is true that positive energy is contagious and like-minded people attract one another! We are so happy that we get to eat food that is made with love everyday! So blessed! 

The participants were very good about being orderly and everyone quickly helped out in each task that was needed to be completed. Everyone received one set of reusable eating ware, which includes: bowl, cup, utensils, and a personal eating ware bag that holds everything together. This is part of the recycling education in Tzu Chi and it also links to good hygiene practice, because everyone has their own reusable items and will not cross share with anyone else. 

Drishika Dugar – 16 year old daughter of Kumode Dugar. She has attended one of our earlier relief distributions and was really impressed at how thoughtful Tzu Chi is with everything. She loved being a part of the Tzu Chi family, so she was eager to volunteer some more when she heard we were doing shelter projects. As a child, Drishika’s grandmother (Kumode Dugar’s Mother) would always bring her to do charity work. Especially on her birthdays, they would go to the homeless shelter to help with their hot meal programs. Her grandmother would always guide Drishika’s hands to serve directly for the homeless people. When she was 9 years old, she said that all of a sudden she had an epiphany, where she realized that instead of having a party, she could donate her party money to those who are in need. So she decided to use her party money to buy school supplies for a near-by orphanage. Since then, she has not had a birthday party, but has continued to give school supplies to both orphanages and schools all over Nepal. She has a huge heart and loves to be able to help. She is still studying at the moment, but whenever she has time, she would always make the effort to join in any kind of volunteer work. She says that she is very grateful for everything Tzu Chi has done for Nepal and she is proud to be able to call herself a Tzu Chi volunteer.

Eating time! Dal, Bhat, Tarkari (Traditional Nepali Food) Yummy!

One of our team leaders demonstrating to all the participants on how to properly hold the reusable bowl. In Tzu Chi, we learn about eating etiquette and how to properly conduct ourselves during meal times. This is also a type of spiritual cultivation!

Thanks to this Aji (grandmother), we can have a clean bathroom to use everyday at the Cash-for-Work program site. Isn't she just the cutest thing ever??? 

Being able to work together with all of you is one of the greatest blessings ever! I am so grateful for each and everyone of you! Every one of you has your own life story to tell and each and every detail is what makes life worth living for! I am so proud of you all! Keep up the great work! What you guys do everyday is making a huge difference for those who are in need! 

On behalf of humanity, I thank you! 

Packing Storage Room

Today was super storage cleaning and packing day! The storage room was a giant disaster after two months of multiple rotations! No one knew exactly what each box was holding inside, because it has been written on and re-used so many times. On top of all of that, there were shelter group and hotel things all mixed in. Ravi (our driver) and I spent 7 hours total to re-pack and reorganize every single thing that was in the storage room. Everything was taken out and every box was marked with the right things inside. 

I am like Spiderwoman, climbing all over the metal structures! 

*Each box is clearly labeled with what is inside and which warehouse it is going to!

TA-DA! THE END RESULT! 

READY TO MOVE NOW! 

United Nations Thematic Clusters

This morning we headed back to Chuchepati to see how the residents were doing. It has been a long while since I've stepped foot in Chuchepati. The last time was the four day period of relief aid, where we conducted free clinics and relief goods distributions. This time, we have teamed up with both NCV (Noble Compassionate Volunteer) and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) to help build latrines (toilets/communal trenches) for the IDP camp. We are very happy to be able to team up with such great partners and to help make the 6,000 plus residents lives a little bit more manageable.

We also took this opportunity to go check out the distributed multi-purpose beds! To see just how well they were holding up and how the residents were feeling about it! They were all so happy to have the beds and told us that the beds are their life savers at the moment, because with the raining season, flash floods happen in an instant, and with these beds, the water can go right through. So we see residents putting all their belongings onto the bed and it can stay dry. What a great relief! 

In the afternoon, we went to the UNICEF office to find out more about the Education, WASH, and Health Clusters. Clusters are groups of humanitarian organizations (UN and non-UN) working in the main sectors of humanitarian action. They are created when clear humanitarian needs exist within a sector, when there are numerous actors within sectors and when national authorities need coordination support. Clusters provide a clear point of contact and are accountable for adequate and appropriate humanitarian assistance. They also create partnerships between international humanitarian actors, national and local authorities, and civil society. 

In response to uncertain capacity and unpredictable response gaps, the UN has introduced nine thematic clusters for better coordination at both the field and global levels. Each field-level cluster is led by an UN agency functioning as "provider of last resort" and is accountable to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator. 

The nine clusters with their lead agencies are: 

1. Nutrition (UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund)

2. Health (WHO - World Health Organization)

3. Water/Sanitation (UNICEF)

4. Emergency Shelter (UNHCR- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees / IFRC-International Federation of Red Cross)

5. Camp Coordination/Management (UNHCR/IOM - International Organization for Migration)

6. Protection (UNHCR/OHCHR - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights / UNICEF)

7. Early Recovery (UNDP - United Nations Development Program)

8. Logistics (WFP - World Food Program)

9. Emergency Telecommunications (OCHA - Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs /UNICEF/WFP)

Clusters can be activated in response to both sudden emergencies as well as on-going emergencies. 

*I was super happy to walk into the United Nations House! Even more excited to walk into the UNICEF part! So we meet again.....

Mr. Basanta Kumar Chaudhary (the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step)

Today the last immediate disaster relief volunteer team left. We had a total of nine volunteer rotations for the Nepal earthquake relief efforts. It has been over two months and the relief efforts are coming to a close. Now it is the start of the mid to long term plans for all NGO/INGOs operating in Nepal.

Last night, we were invited by Mr. Basanta Kumar Chaudhary for a thank you dinner. He was in Taiwan visiting Master Cheng Yen and said that "he had finally found the thing that fills his void in life." He had described his encounter with Master Cheng Yen as "divine" and "full of emotions." He stated that he could feel the pain Master Cheng Yen had felt for Nepal and he could literally feel "her heart was crying inside." He is such a spiritual soul and always goes by the motto " student of life, who is the best teacher."

Mr. Chaudhary gave such a heart felt speech. You could really feel him speaking from his heart, the utter most respectful emotion any human being possesses. He had conveyed his feelings so thoughtfully and completely let out his vulnerable side. It was so touching....it brought tears to my eyes....especially the part where he said "I could feel Master Cheng Yen's heart crying" that is exactly it. Her heart was crying and has been crying for a long time. She has been wanting people to see that and to understand just how urgent the matter of purifying people's minds, harmonizing society and in hopes of doing all of that, the whole world would have no more disasters. 

Two main points in his speech really touched me deeply: He talked about rebuilding Nepal and that "if we want to rebuild Nepal and really help Nepal, we need to stop thinking about "I" and "Me," but "We" and "Us." He also touched on the idea of how Nepal is the nation of Buddha and that "we need to use the Buddha way to rebuild this holy country". 

The thank you dinner included a very special session: the serving of the food! You saw it right, it wasn't the regular servers serving the dinner tonight, but it was our very own TIMA Nepal medical personnel and some of the top Nepalese entrepreneurs. This was to show Master's teaching about how we are all equal in status and must be humble in nature, no matter what our social status is. This is a great lesson for the upper class and highly educated people, because normally in society they are considered to be of a higher status than the rest of the people. Usually with higher status and a bigger bank account, the idea of power and control is very much attached. So that is why it is very important to always keep in mind that we all have something to offer and be humble in nature, because everyone has something special to offer and we can learn something new from each individual. 

Mr. Naresh Dugar: KL Dugar Group (International Business and Trade), appointed as honorary consul of Mexico in Nepal by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Executive Member of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Director of Kumari Bank, and the Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Sahdev honored Mr. Naresh Dugar with Nepal's most prestigious award "Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu" for his outstanding service in the field of trade and business. 

Mr. Dugar has been a huge part in our operations in Nepal since the very beginning. He is one of the key players on the construction side. We are very grateful for his on-going support and continued guidance in several construction projects. He has also made a trip back to Taiwan to visit Master Cheng Yen, and he was, too, super touched by the experience. Even though it was a very short trip (24 hours to be exact), he was very moved and inspired by Tzu Chi's work and the Tzu Chi spirit. 

Mr. Dugar's whole family are faithful followers of Jainism. Jainism, traditionally known as Jina Sashana or Jaindharma, is an Indian religion founded in the 6th century BC by the Jina Vardhamana Mahavira as a reaction against the teachings of orthodox Brahmanism, and still practiced there.  It prescribes a path of non-injury (ahimsa) towards all living beings (practices a vegetarian lifestyle). Practitioners believe non-injury and self-control are means to liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. The word "Jain" derives from the Sanskrit word Jina (meaning victor). A human being who has conquered all inner passions like attachment, desire, anger, pride, greed, etc. and therefore, possesses pure infinite knowledge (Kevala Jnana) is called Jina. Jainism belongs to the Sramana tradition and is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jains trace their history through a succession of twenty-four teachers and revivers of Jain teachings known as tirthankaras with Rishabha as the first and Mahavira as the last of the current era. Parasparopagraho Jivanam (Sanskrit) is a Jain aphorism from the Tattvartha Sutra. It is translated as "Souls render service to one another." It is also translated as, "All life is bound together by mutual support and interdependence. 

Dance session is ON!!!!! Such a fun time dancing with Ravi! Nepali style!

There were many hiccups during the actual thank you dinner ceremony, such as a 30 minute power outage, but Tzu Chi volunteers are experts in catching life's many curveballs. So we all sang together in the dark, while holding up our Tzu Chi LED light pens. It was such a special moment! That image was really like Master Cheng Yen had described: Tzu Chi volunteers are like the light that shines brightly in all the dark corners of the world. 

I will keep on shining on! Lighting the way for all the people who are still stuck in the shadows!