the story please!!!!

Second input to Sikre was far more official and less creative than I would have liked. I felt a little swamped by men and particularly uncomfortable at times........................ Actually - I will rephrase that;

I felt completely overwhelmed by dominating men who churned my stomach. This gave me the opportunity to see and feel to a small degree what some wives experience, but just a few days of it, and I am exhausted. I now know a little more about the strength women need in these villages to hold independence of any sort. By no means do I have any dislike to men in general, but I am here to work with women and therefore education and community development. This is the time I step up and act according to my priorities.

I have been pondering on how I could share these stories of lonliness, oppression and strength with you. Instead, please consider how naive you or I could possibly be at times. Try and imagine the stories behind every single thing that crosses your life, and please don't take that off your priority list as your thoughts and considerations may cross the paths of these stories in some way, some day...

...

Sikre can make paper. There are plenty of resources here, with very good farming practices and some very strong leading women. Meeting them for a second time was a delight. I felt mannerisms change within this time, from a simple feminine touch, to a far easier, less foreign greeting.

We shared ideas, and are seeking clarity on the potential costs involved in restarting their paper machine. Their enthusiasm was flattering to me, as I do not expect anybody to even attend a meeting with someone as foreign and hard to understand as me and my Nepali language at times.

We had some more official-like meetings which were not really noteable.

There is a plan to harvest, and make paper, colour and kites if they want to. But I do not feel it will work until the balance is present and the direction given by men is not necessary or expected.

The challenges in this short trip, have absolutely made headstrong of my motivation. There is a strange weight taken off my shoulders as I learn the heartbreaking stories that actually make it easier for me to work here.