Nepal Ideas

I have always found that trying to set up technology projects in Nepal before I get there is both frustrating and futile. My Nepalese--and it can also be said, my North Indian--contacts like to discuss this sort of thing face to face.

Which is why I'm on my Summer 2008 Worlds Touch trip to the Himalaya with only one project in my pocket, the health camp with the Darjeeling Rotary Club. We've had that one in our pocket since I came back from my Rotary scholarship in late 2006. That's a great opportunity-- the local doctors in the city donate one or two days of their time and Worlds Touch pays for medicine, travel expenses, and some follow-up visits to specialists in town for those with serious illnesses. We will be working with Prolad Roka, the Darjeeling Rotarian with the most techie interest in documentation, to get the whole event in photos and videos this time. Many people saw the video that Prolad produced last year and were quite moved by the help these local doctors provide to folks who live too far away from medical facilities.

What else are we planning?

Our first stop is at Resource Center for Rehabilitation and Development/Community Based Rehabilitation (RCRD/CBR for short) in Bhaktapur, Nepal. This is an organization with a healthy interest in using technology to further its mission. Surya and Ramesh, the two guys who lead this organization, are what we call "early adopters." They are ready and willing to learn about the capabilities of the software and hardware they've already got and to use it. These folks were putting videos into their PowerPoint presentations before I knew how to go about it.

They have been talking about social enterprise solutions to the funding dilemma since the beginning. They had the foresight to built guest accommodations in their office building, and this is where we'll stay when we land in Nepal  tomorrow.

We don't have a plan yet about what techie stuff I'll be doing with them...As I said, all my Nepalese friends like to do business face to face. But I've got several tricks up my sleeve and it could be that one or several of them will appeal to my friends.

The other idea I've got came in the mail today. FIT Nepal, Forum for Information Technology Nepal, is putting together a conference for late June on the topic of Rural Telecentres. Since I created a "telecenter" at West End Ministries where I've been serving as a technology and marketing capacity builder sponsored by the Volunteers in Service to America program.

Maybe FIT Nepal would like some help with their web site. Or maybe we could visit some of the telecenters around the countryside and take photos and videos for a promotional or fund raising campaign. Or perhaps I could present at this conference. Or do some training at some of the centers.

I emailed their director, Allen Bailochan Tuladhar, and we've got an appointment on Monday morning to talk about what we might want to do.

I am also in contact with my other Nepali friends and colleagues at Lumanti, Support Group for Shelter. I created a database for them while I was still a back-to-school-mom student. I have a whole batch of beautiful knit puppets that one of our West End Ministries supporters gave me to take to the children of Nepal. I have been thinking the Child Groups at Lumanti would maybe be a good place for these puppets.
So there's stuff to do, and some contacts. And nothing signed on any dotted line. Your basic Worlds Touch trip.

Here are some photos of Community-Based Rehab, where we'll start:

This is the building where we'll stay.