Daniela Schempp was in Nepal for humedica
En Route in Nepal
by Steffen Richter, 2007/09/20
The monsoon season this year was exceptionally heavy. Entire areas of southern Asia converted in to one large seascape. Daniela Schempp from Schwäbisch-Gmund was on assignment for humedica as coordinator for a month. She returned from Nepal a few weeks ago, but many experiences have not been forgotten.
Daniela, you were in Nepal for a month as coordinator. When you left, what was the situation like there?
Although the water has receded and the rain lessened, one cannot speak about there being any relief. There are still countless streets and bridges that are impassable or which have been washed away. In order to reach the outlying villages, long and difficult walks are often required. Many of the destroyed houses have also not yet been rebuilt. There are still many things that make daily life extremely difficult. But aside from these noticeable disadvantages, the flood was responsible for many other things. Many families lost their livestock and large parts of their rice fields - and with it their harvest. It will be a few months before the total extent of the damage is clear.
What was the situation like for the people when you arrived?
In the region surrounding Bathanaha we treated mostly people from the poorest of villages. These people were extremely poor before the flooding, and now are just fighting to survive. For many, the access to medical assistance is new. On many days, 200 – 300 people were already waiting for us as we arrived in the morning.
How did those affected by the flooding react?
From the outside, it appears as if the people took the situation very calmly. But this estimation is probably due to the fact that we have found the Nepalese to be a calm and friendly folk in general, who don’t usually display signs of negativity. Even when, for example, a child who was not so sick was passed over in order to treat a sicker child first, we never had any outbursts or problems.
Which diseases which were treated most frequently?
Since we worked in regions which have even during normal conditions - if at all - the most rudimentary of medical treatment available, in addition to the sicknesses caused by the flooding like dysentery and skin or respiratory diseases, we treated tropical diseases like malaria, TBC or leprosy as well.
What rooms could be used for examinations?
In order to medically treat the largest possible region, we stayed in one place for only two days before moving on to the next location. In the villages we visited, our examinations were usually in the school. With support from the teacher, we used one or two classrooms, which were always dark, warm and muggy. Bugs were always falling from the ceiling, and occasionally a confused snake would find its way in as well. We didn’t have the luxury of light and ventilation, since we were usually in areas with either no or extremely poor medical care.
How much local support did you receive?
The cooperation with the church and the local health care workers helped us out a lot. They supported us in so many ways, and did everything they could in order to make our jobs easier. On the other hand, the many hierarchies and bureaucratic formalities we had to go through were often very tedious and frustrating. Instructions were repeatedly issued from behind a desk, and so implementation proved to be either extremely complicated or, as was usually the case, unrealizable.
What will you remember the most about your time in Nepal?
Naturally there were challenges which made our work more difficult. Besides the environmental difficulties like flooded streets, washed away bridges and too-high water-levels during our river crossings, there were also disruptions due to the unstable political scene, which made long-term planning impossible and hour-long waiting common. But the positive emotions outweigh all these difficulties. I will always remember the wonderful team spirit and most of all, the gratitude of the villagers.
Thank you for the interview.
