TRIFC Trekking Group Visits Deaf Women’s Empowerment Group

Our TRIFC Volunteer Trekking Group

Our 2013 TRIFC trekking group had two half-days of sightseeing and two half-days of volunteer projects. After a morning trip to the historic city of Bhaktapur, we visited the Kavre-Banepa School for the Deaf.  Principal Krishna gave our volunteers a comprehensive tour of the school, visiting all of the classrooms and introducing the kids.

Rose Stevens With Her Embroidery Team

The students were very excited to have us there and all remembered our donation of a table tennis (ping pong) table last year.  In previous years TRIFC has donated computers, kitchen equipment, balls, games and educational supplies.

Rose With Team Leaders - Bondana (L) and Rose (R)

After the tour and a tasty boxed lunch our Deaf Women’s Empowerment Group introduced their greeting card embroidery project to our group of volunteers.  Our volunteer group had learned a bit of Nepali sign language so they each introduced themselves via sign language!

I think everyone bonded quite nicely as you can see in the final photo with our group signing with a heart-sign as they prepared to leave.

Reporting from Kavre-Banepa

-Rob Rose

TRIFC Annapurna Circuit Trekkers Arrive in Kathmandu!

Led by trek coordinator- Stephanie Moe, our intrepid 2013 group of volunteer trekkers arrived in Kathmandu on October 21st (along with TRIFC board member, Rose Stevens).

This group has done a spectacular job of raising funds with over $20,000 in donations coming in as a result of their efforts!!!  TRIFC will utilize these funds for the greatest needs at our many projects sites in Nepal, helping to inspire, empower and educate children and adults with disabilities!

The day after the group arrived included sightseeing at UNESCO heritage sites- Kathmandu Durbar Square (palace square) and Swyambunath, or “monkey temple”.

Is Angie Guiding Sita, or Vice-Versa?

Following that, the group visited another world heritage site- Bodhanath Stupa where they had a ‘roof-top restaurant’ lunch with a beautiful view of Boudha Stupa.

Tika Time at Kasthamandap Temple

Kid and Pigeons 

I’m sure the highlight of the day for our group was our afternoon visit to DNC (Disabled Newlife Center), home to 35 children with disability.  Although many of the children had gone home for the Dashain holidays, there was a great group of about 15 excited kids left to interact with our group.  After a brief tour of the DNC facilities we divided both the children and the volunteers into groups and did various activities.  Quiet ones like coloring, artwork and puzzles, along with more active, outside games.  Our volunteers did a fantastic job of engaging the kids and making up games and activities.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos yet because I was so busy prepping for my first ever, DNC puppet show extravaganza!  I took some of the older kids aside and together we read a few short children’s stories that I had written.  We chose one of those stories to bring to life via puppets and the portable puppet theater I had brought with me from home.  We chose the story, ‘Seema and the Brown Bear’ to re-enact with the puppets.  We practiced a few times and then ‘debuted’ the production for the entire group.  What fun!!!

Lastly, we had some more snacks and handed out the ‘gift bags’ we had packed prior to our departure with a ‘Beanie Baby’, candy, toothbrush, toothpaste, a glider, pencil, etc.  The kids LOVE these gifts.  As always, it is difficult to leave this wonderful group of kids, but as darkness encompassed us, we boarded our bus and headed back to Kathmandu Guest House, home for the group until the trek begins.

It was a busy but inspiring day for the entire group.....we all slept well after our special day!

-Rob Rose

TRIFC at the Kathmandu Zoo

We all stopped outside the crocodile pen. Sita and Seema, both born with blindness, were eager to hear us describe just what a crocodile looks like. Then, Renuka used sign language to show them.

It made perfect sense as I saw it, Sita and Seema feeling Renuka's arms as she straightened them in front of her, opened them up like jaws, and snapped them shut. That's certainly a better description than I could do with words. 

The trip to the zoo came by way of request from Rakesh, who has brittle bone disease and hasn't seen the zoo since he was a young boy. We then looped in Seema and Sita, Renuka and Balram, who both work within the deaf community, a young man named Basantha, and our driver, Harka, who generously helped Rakesh around the zoo in his wheelchair. 

More photos to come, it was a great outing for everyone. 

I describe some animals to Seema

Harka with Rakesh, Renuka and Sita at the side

Balram, Basantha, Renuka and Sita on the Kathmandu paddle boats

Rakesh and I on our paddle boat

Back to Business

Now that we're back and fully recharged from our drenching trek, my dad and I are focusing on visiting TRIFC projects and people around Kathmandu.

In a few short days, I'll be back home and a spectacular group of trekkers who fundraised for TRIFC will fly in and begin the Annapurna Circuit Trek, before which they'll get to take part on some volunteer experiences we're currently setting up.

Below are some photos from the last couple days of seeing some of the fantastic people that TRIFC is honored to support.

Rob with Rakesh, a young man TRIFC supports. Rakesh has brittle bone disease and is currently doing well in classes and hopes to attend university after his current studies. 

Rajan Raut of the Nepal Association for the Welfare of the Blind guides Sima who is sponsored by TRIFC, around Boudhanath, a large temple in Kathmandu.

A scene from Boudhanath in Kathmandu. 

Our driver, Harka. 

Some of the children from DNC, or Disabled Newlife Center, a home and support center for children with disability that TRIFC supports. 

Kumar from DNC hijacks my spare camera. He took some fantastic photos, though, to come in a later post. 

Lolita from DNC.

A partial group shot of DNC kids and volunteers who remained during the holidays of Dashain.

Back to Kathmandu

Freshly armed with ponchos and "The North Face" rainproof gear, we set of from Namche Bazaar in the direction of Lukla, where we could catch a flight back to Kathmandu.

It only rained for half a day of our two day return. Damn again.

On the plus side, more beautiful sights awaited us, we were able to visit our friend Nima at The Beyul Hermitage and Farm one last time, and we watched our porter (the man who carried our heavy bags on the trek) dance like Michael Jackson at an Irish pub.

Enjoy the photos, next up, more of Kathmandu and TRIFC's projects.

-Carey

Angry Bird. 

The "almost there" victory photo! One problem: We weren't almost there. 

Quick snap from the Sherpa museum above Namche Bazaar. 

View from partway to the Everest View Hotel above Namche. 

Not Everest, but part of the limited view from the Everest View Hotel. The hotel is commonly used as an acclimatization point for later trekking, at 3,880 meters (nearly 13,000 feet). 

On the return from Namche.

School kids on vacation. 

Night shot of the view from The Beyul.

Morning shot from The Beyul.

One of the views from a meditation spot above The Beyul.

One of the views from a meditation spot above The Beyul.

Not cutting her nails with scissors. Checking out her nails while trimming plants with scissors. 

Our porter with the M.J. moves. 

Alongside the Lukla airport at dusk.

Mother casually chasing kids down the Lukla runway at dusk. 

The only one smiling is our guide, Tapan.

The Irish pub. And an authentic Starbucks. 

Morning view from Lukla. 

It's a small plane. No, I didn't need to use this.  

Before the rain

At first, it was kind of relaxing - the incessant drumming of Seattle-style rain on the aluminum roof of of our guest house in Namche Bazaar at an elevation of 3,440 meters. Then, there was a different dripping... Much closer. Yup, it was dripping onto the foot of my bed. Damn.

No fault of the guest house or the roof though. After all, it was raining for 24 hours already and wouldn't stop for another 36 hours. On the way back, I rediscovered the joy of ponchos. But enough words. Here's some photos from before the rains.


 Every restaurant / bar / guest house is well stocked with that most fortifying of beverages, beer.

Starting off from Lukla. 

Some friends we made from Bangladesh, our guide Tapan, and my dad. 

Large prayer wheels. Spin for good luck. 

All food, beverages and supplies are taken up on foot. Sometimes, naps are a necessity. 

Glamping. Glad to not be in a tent during the rains. 

Our chef at a brand new lodge, The Beyul. He once cooked for Mick Jagger. 

Old and new. Drying beans next to a satellite dish. 

Small farmers market. 

Trail checkpost. 

The rains began. 

One of the many, many bridges we crossed.