Far West Nepal ADRA Trip

ADRA Nepal currently have a project funded by ECHO through UNFPA running Reproductive Health Camps in the Far west of Nepal. The mobile camps spend 5 days in remote areas and treat all types of conditions but the main function is to refer women who have Uterine Prolapse to Nepalgunj Medical Teaching College Hospital for surgery.
I went with a team from UNFPA and ECHO to do a monitoring trip to Bhajang.
The 'boys' on the trip...L-R: Myself, Dr Satya (UNFPA), Luc (ECHO), Ian (UNFPA), Dipendra (ADRA Project Manager) The girls are obviously laughing at us from behind the camera.
It took 2 and a half days to get there and then 2 and a half days back to Kathmandu.
The road actually goes over the far ridge of 'hills', you can see the line of the road where they have been building it up through a 'food for work' WFP program.
One of the mountains you can see out of the RHS of the plane if you are going west.
Not a real lot of threat of hijacking on these planes obviously.

Quality control is one of the things that is lacking in many areas of life in Nepal... here is the chair I had to use at the meal on the first night.

Do whatever you have to do to get inside... push or pull... up to you.This is the village where we slept for two nights.

Some of the pictures taken of the scenery over the couple of days travelling to Bhajang.
The elevation difference from top to bottom was 1100m.
Nearly all of the houses have a slate roof. Notice the cactus in the pot on the roof... (? you ask) It is to keep the lightning away. Hard to prove them wrong I would say!
The mobile camps are often held at the local health post or a school.
They also do awareness campaigns with the young people.

These ladies have been referred to a hospital 3 days drive away for Uterine Prolapse surgery.Street drama is a real hit. This one covered about 6 major topics and went for nearly 90 minutes... everyone was enthralled as it was in the local language.
Last group meeting for those chosen for UP surgery on this day. Discussing myths is a big one... No - they will not take your organs, No - you will not be drained of blood, No - the food is like you have here, No - buses are OK to ride in... many of these women will go out of the local area for the first time.