After a long pause due to Covid-19 we’re finally back to Chepel, to meet friends, but mainly to find out what the situation is about.
The micro-hydropowerplant is still working like it did from the first day on in November 2017. Karma Sherpa and Isabelle Buschulte got the prove together with the technician in Chepel`s powerhouse in April 2022.
This is our helicopter baby!
This woman from Chepel was pregnant and suffered from severe pain in September 2021. She was flown out to Kathmandu via helicopter. Most probably this action saved the live of the little boy and the mother. Both are fine now and the child is known as helicopter baby.
The scholl in Chepel has been upgraded to a secondary school up to class 8 and has been significantly enlarged. It is not possible anymore to get all buildings on one picture. Beside the original 2 oldest buildings there are now 2 new smaller buildings, a second toilet, the hostel, a kitchen, a small sanitary room, and the new two-story-building for classes 6 – 8 and the teachers. It is amazing that Chepel now even has a young head teacher who came from Kathmandu to work in this very remote area.
Here are recent pictures of 2 boys who were supported by Friends of Chepel e.V. for specific medical circumstances.
Nirku Rai almost lost his leg a few years ago due to a bone infection. He was treated in Kathmandu. Treatment started too late – one example why a health post in Chepel is so important – however, based on regular ongoing treatment Nirku can walk rather well.
The other boy is Pratap Rai (on the picture of April 2022 with his mum) who suffered from eye infection from the dust of a butterfly. He was about to lose his eye. With appropriate treatment in Kathmandu this could be avoided. Still he needs regular treatment, therefore, he lives in Kathmandu, and he has almost completely lost sight of his left eye. But he kept the eye itself and if you do not know his medical background you could hardly tell that he has this challenge.
How a bit of modelling clay can bring such a lot of joy tot he kids in Chepel can be seen on this picture.
Kiwi cultivation is extremely successful in Chepel. Karma was the first to grow some trees, now 8 other families have started smaller kiwi plantations. The next step will be to develop a good model fort he usage oft he fruit incl. a marketing concept for – for example – kiwi jam or kiwi juice from Chepel.