Around 7,000 people have now reached the highest point on the planet, the top of Mt Everest since it was first scaled by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. But only one bottle of whisky has ever made it to the top, and that was on 23 May this year. And not just any whisky, but a unique bottle of Royal Salute Coronation of King Charles III Edition, one of only 500 crystal decanters specially created to mark the new British King’s crowning in Westminster Abbey.&nbsp; Priced at a whopping US$25,000, the amber spirit is ‘a luxurious blend of 53 rare malt and grain whiskies’. A limited edition reflecting the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne, the birth of the Royal Salute brand and the year of Everest’s historic first ascent. And not just for any trivial reason, but as a contribution to the 70th anniversary celebration events the flagon number 61 of the precious Scotch donated by Chivas Bros will be auctioned to benefit the people of the Himalaya at a charity fundraising event in London hosted by Bear Grylls, Peter Hillary and Jamling Norgay, sons of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230615060636_0e53489e3de477205f41a44e221ae430a97b8d51f751ec0fbaa9fa8e32c02af5.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20230615060636_0e53489e3de477205f41a44e221ae430a97b8d51f751ec0fbaa9fa8e32c02af5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1192" height="976" loading="lazy" alt="First Scotch on the summit of Everest"> <figcaption>Representing their parents on the 70th anniversary, Sue Leyden, Peter Hillary and Jamling Norgay are received by King Charles III in Buckingham Palace.</figcaption> </figure>  The first ever bottle of Scotch to reach the top has notched up yet another record on Sagarmatha, to be added to the list of wondrous, admirable, astonishing and sometimes frankly bizarre summit successes.&nbsp; To great relief all round, the bottle survived the gruelling ascent, not in its elaborate presentation box but carefully packed in bubble wrap and duct-tape by Adventure Consultants' expedition leader and Khumbu afficionado, Guy Cotter. The expensive content remained intact in the skilled, courageous and capable care of Nepali mountain guide Ang Dorjee Sherpa on his 22nd Everest summit.&nbsp; The story of how the bottle got to the top started 20 years ago at the 50th anniversary when Sir Ed Hillary himself was presented with a 50-year-old bottle of Chivas Regal by brand leader Peter Prentice and the Duke of Argyll in full highland dress. Bearing the bottle aloft in tartan kilts, the music of massed bagpipes stunned the audience in the <a href="http://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/past-everest-anniversaries">Hyatt Ballroom on 29 May 2003</a>.&nbsp; I suggested to Peter Prentice that Royal Salute might like to follow this up by donating a bottle to the Everest70 auction along with an escorted tour of Speyside distilleries. The French owners were reluctant and slow to respond, distracted by the London promotion. Peter and I persisted, and their interest piqued when I rashly proposed added value with an attempted Everest summit.&nbsp; You never know what is going to happen on any expedition, and it was with some trepidation one warm spring afternoon at lunch in a Kathmandu courtyard that I requested Guy Cotter to arrange for this very special bottle to be carried to the summit with one of his Adventure Consultant’s guides.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230615060632_820b9af0353ae9eb0f26d72764fbc0780a82d63111317c9c04f9a995fab5d800.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20230615060632_820b9af0353ae9eb0f26d72764fbc0780a82d63111317c9c04f9a995fab5d800" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="First Scotch on the summit of Everest"> <figcaption>With relief and triumph, Guy Cotter and I return to Royal Salute whisky safely back from the summit of Everest to be auctioned by Sir Graham Wrigley, Chair of Himalayan Trust UK Photo: Suze Kelley Adventure Consultants</figcaption> </figure>  A consummate professional mountaineer and Himalayan Trust member, Guy did not hesitate. It would obviously be an additional burden to his team and no unnecessary risks would be taken, but in essence: ‘Yes, but no guarantees.’&nbsp; Peter was jubilant, and a Royal Salute bottle was delivered to me by courier in London in late April. Not daring to mess with the packaging, it reached Kathmandu carefully wedged in my suitcase. Still wrapped, I handed over the Scotch to Iswari Paudel of Himalayan Guides Nepal, Guy’s long-time partner agency.&nbsp; The instructions were to send the package by helicopter directly to Everest Base Camp, but Guy later told me there were some anxious days when the bottle went missing having been despatched by mistake via Lukla. Luckily it turned up at the Adventure Consultants camp with a client who had no idea of its importance.&nbsp; Although a cold and difficult year on Everest, the Adventure Consultants team achieved their goals. Originally from Pangboche, Ang Dorjee’s famous father Nima Tenzing climbed new routes with Chris Bonington in the 1970s. By chance, Sir Chris will be present when the bottle is auctioned by Himalayan Trust in London, with all proceeds <a href="http://www.himalayantrust.co.uk">benefiting health, education and women’s projects</a> throughout the Everest and Kangchenchunga regions.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230615060640_99d9aed63e404d3fc2b09383bc0578a094f3b1f56cb73ec93090965598b03cb5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230615060640_99d9aed63e404d3fc2b09383bc0578a094f3b1f56cb73ec93090965598b03cb5" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="First Scotch on the summit of Everest"> <figcaption>Guy Cotter expedition leader and Ang Dorgee Sherpa with the Royal Salute Coronation of King Charles III Edition whisky back from the summit of Everest Photo: Suze Kelly Adventure Consultants</figcaption> </figure>  In a Lazimpat garden, Guy and I returned the Royal Salute bottle with triumph to Sir Graham Wrigley, Chairman of Himalayan Trust UK and former Chair of British International Investment PLC -- still in its summit packaging. It was Graham who had first conceived the <a href="http://www.everest70.com">Everest70 celebration</a> programme, arranging with Tenzing, Hillary and Hunt’s descendants to trace the journey of the original expedition from Khumbu to Kathmandu, Delhi and London. He had co-opted me to help him coordinate in Nepal. Seventieth memorials to honour the anniversary with the families included Khumbu treks, curated films, talk programmes, lauding summiteers, lectures, processions, openings, unveilings, speeches, receptions and parties. Everest70 celebrations culminate this week in London with the fundraising auction, a Nepal Embassy party and program at the Royal Geographical Society with Kenton Cool, Stephen Venables and Hari Budha Magar. The families have had audiences with Nepal President Ram Chandra Poudel in Kathmandu and King Charles III in Buckingham Palace.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230615060644_7747d60cdd316822189faf66cd7a81eee316f1af90363958d36d930b614434bd.png" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230615060644_7747d60cdd316822189faf66cd7a81eee316f1af90363958d36d930b614434bd" data-rendition-name="original" width="1538" height="1152" loading="lazy" alt="First Scotch on the summit of Everest"> <figcaption>Jamling Norgay speaking at the Royal Geographic Society Everest celebration in London this week Photo: Sir Graham Wrigley</figcaption> </figure>  I was in Khumbu on 29 May this year for events to mark the 70 years. It included the opening of Sir Edmund Hillary Visitor Centre in Khumjung’s refitted ‘schoolhouse in the clouds’ by New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Helen Clark, and the Tenzing Norgay Heritage Centre with Kanchha Sherpa, the only surviving member of the 1953 expedition.&nbsp; Helen Clark used the global media attention for a powerful call to action on climate change and its Himalayan impacts. A new 70 km loop was added to the Everest Marathon as an ultra-extreme option, rhododendrons were planted by distinguished guests, the music of local instruments reverberated around the white peaks, Sherpa dancers stomped and swirled, and a couple of skydivers filled the sky with a huge Nepali flag above Syangboche.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230615060644_df54e2fd22ff654dad30f04a2d254ad058ceeea5162515cb33054d6f54ced6e4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230615060644_df54e2fd22ff654dad30f04a2d254ad058ceeea5162515cb33054d6f54ced6e4" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="2268" loading="lazy" alt="First Scotch on the summit of Everest"> <figcaption>Peter Hillary, son of Sir Ed with Rt Hon Helen Clark at the Lukla celebrations.</figcaption> </figure>  The weather was kind and as Everest slipped behind the clouds Sue Leyden, daughter of expedition leader John Hunt, reminded me that Tenzing and Hillary were ‘the right people’ to have made the first ascent, two humble men who both gave so much back to the people of Nepal. She remembered the moment when the news reached London, &nbsp;the day that changed their lives forever. She was 12 years old and sharing a bath with her sisters.&nbsp;

Lisa Choegyal

original

674x448

610x380

500x500

400x266

400x240

400x203

301x200

1250x600

1084x550

First Scotch on the summit of Everest

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218b89c7e80680e0baa5ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1032" height="720"/><figcaption>Photos: Pedro Queirós</figcaption></figure>On 8 May 2022, <a href="https://pedroqueiros.com/en/homepage-english/">Pedro Queirós</a> gazed up from the South Summit of Mt Everest and spotted the top of the world, a short distance along a wind-swept ridge.For the past 12 days, he had been in Camps 2 and 3, at 6,500-7,500m elevation, to avoid summit traffic and the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/on-thin-ice-in-the-khumbu/">deadly, fragile Khumbu Icefall</a> they would have to cross on their return.Queirós and Mingma Sherpa of 14summit set out with ropes to the top after calculating an optimal 48-hour window. At 9:39AM on 9 May, Queirós became the first non-Nepali climber this season and the sixth Portuguese overall to summit the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-building-a-highway-to-everest/">world’s highest peak</a>.Queirós, 40, grew up near the sea, playing football with his friends and exploring forests. Unlike many climbers, he was not exposed to the mountains, but wanted to explore the world, which ultimately brought him to faraway Nepal.The climb was brutal. Queirós had set out with an unshakable iron will, but the hunger, numbness in hands and legs, the 100mph winds, -40°C, loneliness up in the mountains, and the dead bodies on the slopes took their toll. It made him question his decision to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/um-hong-gils-project-impossible/">climb Everest</a>, and fear for his life.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218ba9c7e80680e0baa5bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="932" height="1344"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218bd9c7e80680e0baa5cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="842" height="720"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“Everything stayed the same, and yet, everything changed,” reflects Queirós. “I was reborn with Everest. There, you find out who you really are.”It took them about ten hours from the South Col to reach the Hillary Step. But each new struggle pushed him to continue, recounts Queirós, as the peak ahead was juxtaposed against the harrowing frozen body of an Indian climber who had died there last year. Queirós wanted to live, and he would.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218bf9c7e80680e0baa5djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1216"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Everest was not just to satisfy Queirós’s passion for adventure, but also to fundraise for the education of 25 children in Nepal that he supports.He had previously come to Nepal in 2015 to trek to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/letters-from-everest-base-camp-1/">Everest Base Camp</a>, after backpacking through Vietnam, only to experience the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/lessons-not-learned-from-2015/">7.8M earthquake</a>. He then spent a year providing food, building houses and running Camp Hope, a refugee camp, for more than 350 people.“It was a life-changing event for me,” he says. “After living through the earthquake, seeing all the destruction, my life was never the same. Since then, I have been helping Nepal, my second home. It has given a lot to me, and I want to give back.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218c29c7e80680e0baa5ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="631" height="489"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>This was the beginning of <a href="https://dreamsofkathmandu.blogspot.com/">Dreams of Kathmandu</a> to help children and those in need of education, housing, nutrition and health. Under his <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-epidemic-of-hunger/">#nohunger</a> initiative, Queirós has also helped provide food to 100 families in Sindhupalchok and continues to feed 200 meals a day to children and adults in the slum areas of Mulpani.Through Dreams of Kathmandu, Queirós raises funds for building homes, providing meals or scholarships through adventures such as climbing, running and walking.On 10 January 2017, he walked from <a href="https://pedroqueiros.com/en/old-adventures/">Taj Mahal to Kathmandu</a> to raise €17,000 for earthquake victims and in April 2018 climbed Island Peak to raise funds to build the Sharadas orphanage in Kathmandu.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218c49c7e80680e0baa5fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="853"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Further, with the Dwarika’s Foundation, he has built 96 houses in Sindhupalchok and 25 in Chapagaun, provided 100 scholarships, sponsored more than 50,000 meals after the earthquake, and fed over 3,000 families across Nepal.The climber has also been able to raise funds for dental appointments, financially assisted surgeries, ophthalmology appointments, and clothing and blankets for families.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218c69c7e80680e0baa60jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="478"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The 2022 Everest expedition was part of <a href="https://pedroqueiros.com/en/project-x/">Project X</a>, a humanitarian adventure initiative. With them Queirós has climbed <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/what-is-it-about-ama-dablam/">Ama Dablam</a> and run a marathon to build a house for the family of a young Nepali boy. The team has also raise €10,000 to support the education of 25 children.All of the proceeds go directly to charity. “Every cent,” adds Queirós. “The travelling costs, hotel costs and food expenses come from my own pocket.”<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111128/637218c89c7e80680e0baa61jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1136" height="1052">Now, after the expedition, Queirós looks forward to some rest to recover from his injuries and spend time with family. “But in the future, perhaps I will swim the English Channel from France to England,” he says “or go to Antarctica to summit Vinson Massif.”It is nevertheless difficult to raise funds these days, he laments, and to convince foreigners to donate for people of another country.“A lot has to be done to get resources,” he says. “But the first time I saw Everest, I thought it would be impossible to climb it. Like every dream, if you believe it, you can do it. I want to continue helping, and I am not stopping.”Read more: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/um-hong-gils-project-impossible/">Um Hong-Gil’s Project Impossible</a>, Sonia Awale

Aria Shree Parasai

Scaling the mountain of humanity

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121116/636b8cd89c7e80680e06b31bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="958" height="1280"/><figcaption>Workers at Kavach who usually produce motorcycle clothing prepare personal protective gears as part of their COVID-19 fundraising. Photo: KAVACH</figcaption></figure><ul><li>  Raj Kumar Mahato launched the Covid-19 relief campaign of BHORE with Rs200,000 from his own pocket, but doesn’t know where the charity will find money to continue providing essential items for the ultra-poor.</li> <li> Nita Raut has spent all but Rs4,500 of the Rs78,000 she raised and says she will donate her own salary if necessary to provide food to Kathmandu’s poorest.</li> <li>Sano Paila, an NGO, is dipping into its savings to continue relief work in the eastern Terai.</li></ul>Budgets of small organisations providing relief to Nepal’s needy are being squeezed dry as the lockdown continues, but all of them say they are determined to keep working.Kathmandu-based <a href="https://give2asia.secure.force.com/pmtx/dn8n__SiteDonation?id=a1L16000007OETA" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://give2asia.secure.force.com/pmtx/dn8n__SiteDonation?id%3Da1L16000007OETA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587805291620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGNxo9qvQDwDYZqET7S7yzpaumfjQ">Sano Paila</a> has raised only US$1,000 of its $10,000-15,000 fundraising goal, Head of Operations Jai Sah says via email. “But we are getting immense support from our board members and the local community in continuing the activities,” Sah writes.With its team of 25-30, Sano Paila is responding mainly in Birganj, Janakpur and Parsa district: serving cooked meals to daily wage earners and other vulnerable people, running an integrated Help Desk in Parsa with Nepal Police, disinfecting hospitals, police stations and other public areas, and supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) and Covid-19 testing booths.<a href="https://www.hiteri.org/donation-options/?c=%26%232310%3B%26%232313%3B%26%232344%3B%26%232369%3B%26%232361%3B%26%232379%3B%26%232360%3B%26%232381%3B-%26%232360%3B%26%232348%3B%26%232376%3B-%26%232350%3B%26%232367%3B%26%232354%3B%26%232375%3B%26%232352%3B-%26%232332%3B%26%232381%3B%26%232351%3B%26%232366%3B%26%232354%3B&amp;i=2750" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hiteri.org/donation-options/?c%3D%2526%25232310%253B%2526%25232313%253B%2526%25232344%253B%2526%25232369%253B%2526%25232361%253B%2526%25232379%253B%2526%25232360%253B%2526%25232381%253B-%2526%25232360%253B%2526%25232348%253B%2526%25232376%253B-%2526%25232350%253B%2526%25232367%253B%2526%25232354%253B%2526%25232375%253B%2526%25232352%253B-%2526%25232332%253B%2526%25232381%253B%2526%25232351%253B%2526%25232366%253B%2526%25232354%253B%26i%3D2750&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587805291620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGPDjUFhQooABJXSGg5gj44sBvFFw">Hiteri Foundation’s</a> team of three has been providing hot meals and family food packs to daily wage workers and people living on the streets in Lalitpur in the Kathmandu Valley, Project Head Kusun Tamang explains. “This week we have started running out of funds, but there may be donors. As long as we have the resources we will keep going,” he says on the phone. “What we are doing is not even fulfilling a fraction of the need. The first week we thought ‘Ok, people don’t look desperate.’ But from this week more and more stories are coming out of people going hungry.”Mahato from Hetauda-based <a href="https://www.notion.so/BHORE-04e1afbb0ac649f8b7f44d28b599e833" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.notion.so/BHORE-04e1afbb0ac649f8b7f44d28b599e833&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587805291620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGEEXDlkc2J9gO4qhX4kW5VOm7SHw">BHORE</a> says demand has been growing since 21 March, the day the agency started providing essentials to over 400 ultra-poor families in Province 1, 2 and 3.It also raises awareness on Covid-19, providing technical support, and advocating with governments to provide services and technical support.“I am not blaming government but ultimately it is supposed to protect If it started to do very effective and transparent distribution of relief then there would be no need for organisations like ours,” Tamang says.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121116/636b8cdc9c7e80680e06b31cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="360"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Deepak Chapagain from <a href="https://www.notion.so/Volunteer-Corps-Nepal-VCN-e6cec9c5e1f046238b99de4ed251b1b3" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.notion.so/Volunteer-Corps-Nepal-VCN-e6cec9c5e1f046238b99de4ed251b1b3&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587805291620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEBHnkY8Pl6POByYKIH_sYOUbj_0g">Volunteer Corps Nepal</a> points out that many average Nepalis he encounters do not trust any level of government. They feel that those who lack access to political parties will be shut out of official relief distribution.VCN includes more than 3,000 trained local volunteers and a wider network of 8,000-plus people in 77 districts. It was on the ground in pre-lockdown days in Kathmandu, mooting the idea for traffic police to hold up small signs displaying Covid-19 information. Since then VCN has provided food to more than 5,000 people in Kathmandu Valley and to others leaving on foot.The organisation raised more than $2,000 from online sales of the recent release from UK-based singer Yuval Gurung, who was in Nepal when the lockdown started, but it is not enough, Chapagain says. “Things will get worse in the days ahead and even government and international organisations are not responding on the ground, so we volunteer organisations have to be more active.”<a href="https://www.notion.so/Nita-Raut-Foundation-cb1789fa3a134736b32e4a503ffa37c4" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.notion.so/Nita-Raut-Foundation-cb1789fa3a134736b32e4a503ffa37c4&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587805291620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNECFgZUJoyG7bVymBi5E2dj8tEZwg">Nita Raut</a> had been providing food for daily wage workers, the homeless and others in Kathmandu even before this crisis. Usually Nepalis here and abroad learn about her work from the media or the foundation’s Facebook page, she notes via phone.“I will help I have funds. If that is not enough I can use my own money,” says Raut, adding that she normally diverts 20% of her salary to run the foundation.It’s not only individual NGOs that are filling the gap. Some private businesses are also playing a role, including <a href="https://www.notion.so/Kavach-9f7d42ca48514e5aa74212e576850740" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.notion.so/Kavach-9f7d42ca48514e5aa74212e576850740&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587805291620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF1aL-ua4Mvk8sP3TjodyhGPWPUXg">KAVACH</a>, which designs and manufactures motorcycle riding gear. Co-founder Arabinda Subedi says he and his partner began brainstorming on how to help soon after Covid-19 arrived. They decided to repurpose the company’s production to make PPEs, which are in short supply for medical staff and other frontline workers.So far the company has made 2,500 PPEs, and has plans to scale up if necessary by using facilities at nearby factories. “Yes, as we are repurposing our production unit to PPEs although we are not yet clear how long we can afford to do this,” Subedi says.One positive point made by most of these organisations is that they are working closely with local authorities, including police. Initially, officials in some places were resistant but all are now cooperating with the relief efforts.<a href="https://www.notion.so/a42785487fa74e8bacf283785949008b?v=6e93c867ff6c43a48f399c72e64918d6" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.notion.so/a42785487fa74e8bacf283785949008b?v%3D6e93c867ff6c43a48f399c72e64918d6&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587805291620000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEOw3__zc2PYFjmCNAQIogKKFWl2g">List of organisations providing support during lockdown, by Nepal Coronavirus Response Group </a>

Marty Logan

Helping the helpless during lockdown

<img width="1400" height="661" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107161120/636922e39c7e80680e03a152jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Shrinkhala Khatiwada is on a whirlwind tour: to the remote village of Bharta in Makwanpur (pictured) where she is building a health post, on to London for a fundraising dinner, and stopping over in Kathmandu en route to China.Nepali Times caught up with her to find out what Miss Nepal 2018 has been up to since her coronation in April.The reason Khatiwada is into post-earthquake reconstruction is because she is also an award-winning architecture student. She wants to complete a health post in the Chepang village of Bharta before the Miss World pageant in November as her entry for the subtitle ‘Beauty with a Purpose’.“I have always been passionate about architecture, and the earthquake opened up a huge need for architects. While we rebuild, we have to take care to preserve our traditional architecture and make sure the cities are well planned,” says Khatiwada.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=9224#.W6zDhnszbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Palung story</a>, Gaurab Raj Upadhyaya<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Chepang-living-edge,3136" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Living on the edge</a>, Riwaj Rai in Makwanpur She expands on the concept of healing by design: how a well ventilated hospital room makes a patient feels better. The Makwanpur health post is a learning experience, as she finds out the nitty-gritty of transforming this concept into reality. She had initially hoped to finish construction for Dasain, but the cost has doubled because the site is so remote that it is expensive to transport construction materials there. <figure><img width="1400" height="932" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107161120/636922e79c7e80680e03a153jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>So, she is busy with fundraising dinners and approaching corporates, while the costs keep going up. Now, she is helping build a road to the village which had none. The village is now accessible, but the monsoon has delayed work. The foundation for building has finally being laid, and Khatiwada hopes to complete it soon and hold a health camp before the Miss World pageant.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/stuck-in-grade-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuck in Grade 5</a>, Binita Dahal<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=9489#.W6zD8HszbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chepangi schools</a>, Mallika Aryal<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/First-Chepang-nurse,3143" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First Chepang nurse</a>, Sajana Baral“A health post is for treatment, but prevention of diseases is just as important,” explains Khatiwada, who herself spoke to villagers about basic hygiene like hand washing, showering, and building latrines. The village has a high level of malnutrition among children, complications from early marriages and rampant superstition.At present, villagers have to walk for two hours to reach the nearest health post, and Khatiwada knows there are many villages which are as much in need as this one. “This is just the beginning of my work in philanthropy and architecture. Eventually I want to use my fame to build more of what Nepal needs, whether it is health posts in remote areas, or schools and homes in disaster zones,” she adds.Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.atavist.com/reconstruction-in-ruins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reconstruction in ruins</a>, Om Astha Rai and Sahina Shrestha<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/building-homes-on-a-deadline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Building homes on a deadline</a>, Om Astha raiAfter her year as Miss Nepal ends, Khatiwada plans to focus on philanthropic architecture through her One Home Foundation. This is actually what attracted her to Miss Nepal, to use the celebrityhood for a good cause, not necessarily its glamour.“This is a platform where you get famous overnight, and then it is up to you how you use that fame,” she explains. “I want to use it to become a change maker. In fact, the whole reason I am excited about participating in the Miss World pageant is so I can make global contacts to help me continue my work in architecture.”Nepal has never won the Miss World title, though Ishani Shrestha bagged the Beauty with a Purpose title in 2013. This year, all eyes are on the competent and confident Shrinkhala Khatiwada, and Nepal will be cheering her on.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2017/06/12/charismatic-nikita/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charismatic Nikita</a>, Sabita Shrestha<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=12450#.W6zFbHszbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mud, glorious mud</a>, Nripal Adhikary

Miss Nepal's mission

https://youtu.be/o86akJuUBR8Industrial fire today in Chabahil saw locals using their bare hands to fill buckets with muddy water. It took 27 minutes for the first fire engine to arrive.It all began in 2008 after a visit to Mt Everest Base Camp. My fear of heights and general unfitness meant that I never climbed a mountain and had no intention of ever doing so. So I was naturally quite proud of myself when I reached Base Camp.Back in America, a commanding officer of the U S Navy SEALs belittled my accomplishment by saying Base Camp was “not even close to the summit”. The other SEALs in attendance laughed heartily.Even <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2017/05/26/timely-climb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watchmakers</a> have egos, and so I did something foolish - I vowed to return to Nepal to climb to the summit of Mt Everest to raise $250,000 for the SEAL Foundation and to plant the SEAL flag on the top.  Subsequently, the SEALs invited me to train on their base in Coronado, California. The rigours of endless hours of physical training made me pass out almost daily. I put up with the various challenges my amphibious friends threw at me.The Everest expedition was a not a complete failure. I reached the summit, and that SEAL flag now hangs framed on a wall in the entrance of the headquarters in Coronado. Still, the expedition failed to reach its fundraising goal. Multiple TV and radio appearances designed to encourage the audience to donate directly to the SEAL Foundation had not produced the desired effect. <img width="640" height="853" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110714114/636903109c7e80680e037c9ejpeg.jpg" alt=""/><img width="640" height="853" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110714114/636903129c7e80680e037c9fjpeg.jpg" alt="">However, by then it was too late to cancel the project. My SEAL friends gave me every encouragement to continue on. We had in the meantime received a commitment letter for two one-hour-long television episodes to be broadcast on PBS in America, and the expedition had attracted many high-profile supporters. Even Johnny Depp expressed a desire to drive a fire truck.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Connecting-dots/who-needs-fire-trucks-book-kathmandu,1099" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who needs  fire trucks?</a>, Dinkar NepalThis country needs positive PR, especially with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/next-kim-trump-summit-in-lumbini/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Nepal Year 2020</a> just around the corner. If we can show a worldwide audience that world-famous actors and rock stars can fall in love with Nepal, we stand a chance of actually reaching the lofty goal of 2 million tourists.  <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8604#.W2gmmFUzbIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal needs the fire engines</a> at least as much as the influx of tourists. The country is woefully unprepared to handle fire disasters. This was best illustrated when during a major incident at a gas bottling plant that claimed the lives of three firemen. This us to add more international firefighting instructors to the expedition.Six seasoned firefighters are now part of our project. One of the concerns expressed most frequently is that since these vehicles are from America, that they are too big for Nepal’s narrow streets. There are plenty of cities in the northeastern United States with narrow streets. When a fire breaks out there, firemen simply lay interconnecting hoses right up to the burning building.We will continue to pursue this project. By we, I mean the several dozen celebrities, the four diplomats, six firemen and eight U S Navy SEALs who have been part of this project since Day One. We owe it to the people of Nepal and to those three firemen and their families.Just last week, a friend of mine who is the co-founder and past treasurer of the SEAL Fund, as it is now called, said to me: “If anyone can pull this off, it’s you, Mike.” I respectfully disagreed and said: “It’s us!”

Fire in the belly

Daniela-Mariana Sezonov Ţane was fascinated with the teachings of the Hindu epics, and studied Hindi at the University of Bucharest before joining the Romanian foreign service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
In between, she served with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Nepal in 2007, the year after the ceasefire. Ţane is now Romania’s ambassador to Nepal, Bangladesh and India and is in Kathmandu this week to launch her book, Twilight Chronicles of which two chapters are about her time in Nepal. &nbsp;She spoke to Nepali Times about her impressions. &nbsp;
Nepali Times: How did you land up in Nepal with the ICRC?
Ambassador Ţane: My work with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) lasted some eight years and took me to several countries affected by conflicts or in post-conflict time. The mission in Nepal was the third one, after one year in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and 10 months in refugee camps in Eastern Tanzania. In Nepal, initially I was assigned to work on the missing people file. In June 2007 there were still some 1,200 people unaccounted for. I did some field work for families of the missing affected by conflict, recipients of a small assistance program which was meant to help them out of dire poverty.
The last months of my mission were spent mostly in Tarai, preparing the ground with the Nepali Red Cross for the<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=14692"> first elections in 2008</a> after the king’s abdication. If you remember, there was a lot of tension at that time because the Madhesi people felt underrepresented. We were making contingency plans in case there were violent clashes.
My most memorable moment is presented in this book, in the chapter Solukhumbu. Together with my Nepali colleague, Roshan, we went to search in a very remote area for the family of a minor girl who had been separated from her loved ones a few years before. She was rescued and kept by a humanitarian group in a shelter for unaccompanied minors supported by ICRC. She expressed the wish to go back home, so we needed to see if the family was still there. After three days of trekking, we found them in a remote ward, living in a very poor house.
In the meantime, more siblings had been added to an already very poor family. But the reaction of the parents, when they saw the photo of their missing daughter, now a teenager, was a very emotional moment, as well as the insistence of one of her schoolmates to give us a letter for her, next day early morning, before we would start our long journey back.
What I loved the most in my mission in this amazing country were the people. A real bond with my Nepali colleagues at the office was created, and I keep in touch with some of them even today.
After that you became ambassador, how did the book come about?
I started writing my Indian diaries, while posted in India as third secretary and cultural attaché at the Romanian Embassy in New Delhi, beginning of 2000. My friends wanted to know more than the emails sent sporadically. It also came out of the need I felt to make India easier to grasp by my fellow citizens. After being the guide of many delegations, I realised there is a need to better explain the countless puzzling, contradictory expressions and manifestations of India. I noted in my diary the people and the moments which marked me the most.
The entries about Nepal and Sri Lanka came naturally after that somehow. Writing made me explore the various cultural, religious and social aspects of those countries where, by staying longer than a tourist, I became adopted and felt like a local. I hope the readers will like the chapter dedicated to Nepal, a country that will always remain in my heart as one of the most beautiful places I have visited, with warm people and an amazing culture.
How is being ambassador to Nepal in peacetime different from when you were here with ICRC?
Working as a humanitarian comes with a lot of field work and direct contact with people at grassroots level. Time spent in the office alternates with time in the field. There is no diplomatic glamour, just hard work, sometimes in dire or extreme conditions, to which one needs to constantly adapt. As an ambassador, the perspective is totally different.&nbsp;
It means to run both an embassy, as a manager, cultivate the contacts in all areas and at all levels with the countries where you are accredited, and work towards the deepening of ties and economic cooperation. It implies a lot of protocol aspects, and the only common ground with the humanitarian word lies in the 100% requested dedication, leaving almost no time for one self.
Romania is now in the Schengen group, how will it affect Nepalis going to work there?
Belonging to Schengen means we have to apply strictly by the book the Schengen regulations for granting all types of visas. There is no exception from the need of physical presence at the interview and of presenting all the required documents demanded for every visa type.
Nepalis will continue to go to Romania for work, provided they have a valid work permit, and they pass the interview. Nepali workers are highly appreciated in Romania, they are <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/europe-now-favoured-destination-for-nepalis">currently more than 20,000 there working</a> in many sectors like hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs, agriculture, supermarkets, construction. They are appreciated for their seriousness, hard work, good behaviour and pleasant personality.
How much interest do Romanian trekkers and mountaineers have for Nepal?
With the increase of living standards and of wages, the past decade witnessed a growing number of Romanians coming to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/ever-gone-wildlife-trekking-in-nepal">trek in the Himalaya</a>. I do not have any exact figures, but during the second wave of the pandemic in June-July 2021 we managed to evacuate some 60 Romanian and Moldovan trekkers and tourists with the help of our Honorary Consul General, Narayan Bajaj.&nbsp;

“The most amazing thing about Nepal are its people”

The Gadimai Partnership Forest extends 4,150 hectares in Parsa district bordering a nature reserve adjacent to Chitwan National Park.&nbsp; Half of Gadimai Forest is made up of hardwood species like sal, sisau and khayar that have high commercial value. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17226">Illegal logging</a> by timber smugglers on the Indian border is now thinning the jungle. &nbsp; An on site investigation earlier this year confirmed what was seen on Google Earth Pro satellite images. We saw more than 30 tree stumps deep inside the forest with scars in the undergrowth showing where the logs had been dragged away from the once-healthy stands. &nbsp; Comparing satellite images of the forest in 2008 and 2021 show a significant loss of forest area as well as reduction in canopy cover in the last 13 years (pictured, above). Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-cost-of-peace-in-post-conflict-countries-forest-cover">The cost of peace in post-conflict countries: forest cover</a>, Dilrukshi Handunnetti “Our staff have not been able to adequately monitor the forest because of the presence of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/better-nepal-china-connectivity-helps-wildlife-smugglers">smugglers </a>in the Sonbarsha and Koilabhar Bindabasini regions,” says Gadimai Forest Management Committee chair Shahrum Gaddi. “We have seen a rise in illegal logging since the pandemic.” &nbsp; The annual report of Parsa’s Division Forest Office cites smuggling of timber to India from Gadimai and two other community forests in the district.&nbsp; Community forestry is considered Nepal’s biggest conservation success story and is internationally acclaimed. It was the main reason Nepal’s forest cover which at present is 46% <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/tree-mendous">doubled in 25 years</a>. Communities have managed forests relatively better in the mountains, but in the Tarai it has been less successful because of the abundance of expensive hardwood timber and proximity to India.&nbsp; Forest cover could be further undermined by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/not-out-of-the-woods-yet-in-nepal">an amendment of the 1973 National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act in Parliament this week.</a> Global Land Analysis and Google Earth Pro images show deforestation of the 13,512 hectares of Sagarnath Forest Development Project in Mahottari, Sarlahi and Rautahat districts. The project began in 1978 and involved planting fast-growing saplings of sal, sisau, and eucalyptus to increase timber production, but much of the sal and khayar stands have been logged from within these forests. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240914140936_c9a32b23ff453bce7bd9be53de61b9c43f185a45941df8711a8490f345511b9f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240914140936_c9a32b23ff453bce7bd9be53de61b9c43f185a45941df8711a8490f345511b9f" data-rendition-name="original" width="961" height="640" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal's Forest Cover in 1992"> </figure>  Sarlahi resident Rajnikanth Jha, who is a central member of the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN) blames collusion between Sagarnath Forest Development Project staff, government agencies, politicians and the “forest mafia”.&nbsp; In March 2024, Brahmapur Community Forestry User Committee president Manoj Tamang was arrested on charges of smuggling sal logs. The Division Forest Office (DFO) also charged Tek Bahadur Basnet, Aashish Tamang and Heralu Pemba Tamang of the committee.&nbsp; Another community forest in Lalbandi of Mahottari, which was once just 2km from Jha’s house has now receded 6km away due to encroachment and illegal logging. He says that Nepal’s forest cover may have doubled, but the eastern Tarai has lost half the area of national forests.&nbsp; “From the highway the forest may look thick and lush, but if we go deeper into the forests most of the trees have been stripped bare,” says Jha. Forest researcher Nagendra Prasad Yadav estimated eight years ago that the Tarai jungles were being destroyed at the rate of 0.96%, equal to 1,756 hectares per year. Given the evidence on the ground, that rate is sure to have increased.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-must-save-nijgad-forest-to-receive-climate-funds">Nepal must save Nijgad Forest to receive climate funds</a>, Kashish Das Shrestha In Parsa alone, one estimate said illegal timber worth over Rs5 million was smuggled out every month. The DFO does nab smugglers from time to time, and cases were filed against 66 loggers, but it is the tip of the iceberg and those caught are mainly the hired workers. The Madhes Province Forest Directorate says 931 illegal logging cases were filed in the courts last year, and 523 were arrested – mostly in Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts which have more forest cover than other eastern Tarai districts. Global Forest Watch estimates Nepal lost 4,570 hectares of ‘biologically important’ dense forest between 2002 and 2023 due to encroachment and smuggling.&nbsp; “There is inadequate protection and not enough rangers and police to guard the national, community, and partnership forests,” says Parsa-based journalist Ram Mandal. The reason is lack of budget and often collusion between local politicians and their criminal cronies. In Gadimai Forest, Shahrum Gaddi says he receives frequent death threats after timber smugglers are caught, and elected local government officials pressure him to release them.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240914140936_53d1bc3e84dabe6294f8b9b39175f28342ad46c24b4651b6cb33eaf28e230e10.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240914140936_53d1bc3e84dabe6294f8b9b39175f28342ad46c24b4651b6cb33eaf28e230e10" data-rendition-name="original" width="655" height="504" loading="lazy" alt="Madhes Province illegal logging districts NT"> </figure>  “The police do nothing while logging and smuggling is happening right under their noses, they only show up after we have been assaulted by smugglers and after all the timber has been taken across the border,” adds Gaddi, who says he has written to the CIAA, Hello Sarkar, DFOs, as well as the Ministry of Forests. There has been no response from any of them.&nbsp; In 2021, timber traffickers injured four forest staff and looted their weapons during a clash in Bara’s Pipara, and were arrested soon after. Former FECOFUN president Bharati Pathak says smugglers set off fires in forests, steal logs and poach wildlife, by pretending to put out wildfires. “There is an established but under-the-radar network involved in illegal activities that must have smuggled millions of cubic feet of timber from the forests by now,” says Pathak. &nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/safeguarding-the-soul-of-sal">Safeguarding the soul of sal</a>, Lila Nath Sharma This network takes the logs to sawmills near the Indian border under the cover of night, then transports the wood planks across to Bihar. Trafficking gangs also use bicycles, tyre carts, tractors, vans, and trucks full of sand to smuggle timber, even modifying the vehicles to fit the logs in many cases. Sometimes, the logs are also floated down river into India.&nbsp; Says Rajnikanth Jha of FECOFUN: “Infrastructure, expansion of settlements and timber smuggling are destroying our trees. If this continues there will be no forest left outside national parks in the Tarai.” &nbsp;&nbsp; This article was written in collaboration with The Environmental Reporting Collective.

The Tarai’s shrinking forests

Halucha is a carpenter living a happy life with his big family in Kathmandu’s Maru Hiti in the 1960s handcrafting chairs, tables and temple woodwork. He observes festivals of his Newa community including <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-legend-behind-the-myth-of-indra-jatra">Yenya</a>, Indra Jatra, enjoys his favourite choila baji and with friends, and occasionally momocha. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/suburban-tales/wine-and-women-during-yenya">Wine and women during Yenya</a>, Pratibha Tuladhar  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240914040936_b1f8b03dc37e18d45a24c93422715ea0f6480b050683893d0fc5f3a8d6a290ce.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240914040936_b1f8b03dc37e18d45a24c93422715ea0f6480b050683893d0fc5f3a8d6a290ce" data-rendition-name="original" width="1833" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="London Lakhey review MASK NT2"> </figure>  But then a big new furniture factory is set up nearby, which takes away the jobs of those with the ancestral occupation of carpentry. Halucha loses his customers.&nbsp; One thing leads to another and by the 1970s, Halucha travels to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-garden-of-england">England for work</a> after borrowing money at a high interest rate. London is rainy and dreary, he struggles with the language and at his job. He has no friends, people look at him differently and treat him poorly. He feels lonely and homesick. The isolation affects his <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-other-pandemic-mental-health">mental health</a> and before long, he loses his job and is homeless.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240914040952_5ff460d094ce67737cfcdf0bbf88edaadeffd58571806fe91bfc37a962d1390f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240914040952_5ff460d094ce67737cfcdf0bbf88edaadeffd58571806fe91bfc37a962d1390f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1320" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="London Lakhey review MASK NT3"> </figure>  Author Ojesh Singh weaves a layered tale that delves into the universal themes of migration, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/50-diaspora-diaries-in-nepali-times">diaspora</a>, mental health, racism, heritage and identity in simple, engaging storytelling style with vibrant illustrations by Sahanshil Dangol in the new Nepali children’s book, London Lakhey. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/brain-gain-into-brain-drain">Brain gain into brain drain</a>, Sonia Awale “Children are smarter than we give them credit for, they have genuine reactions and responses, and the earlier they are exposed to difficult emotions, the sooner they will learn to express them openly and grow up better able to deal with them,” says Dangol on some of the heavier themes underlying London Lakhey. Indeed, as children’s literature, the book does not shy away from difficult topics. This was a very conscious choice, says Singh, who himself went to England in 1999 and is now an aerospace engineer running two restaurants specialising in Newa cuisine in London. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/suburban-tales/passing-the-baton-on">The Unstoppables</a>, Pratibha Tuladhar&nbsp; “The story is inspired by some of my own experience when I moved to England and that of people close to me, the not-so-easy beginning, the loneliness,” adds Singh, who is in Kathmandu to launch the book.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240914040956_bc4f28cd93c2b2c568d979707bc0d8a04f37e0fe519e1d8752f952b91a5fdea2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240914040956_bc4f28cd93c2b2c568d979707bc0d8a04f37e0fe519e1d8752f952b91a5fdea2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1141" loading="lazy" alt="London Lakhey review MASK NT"> </figure>  “The first thing we Nepalis seek abroad is a plate of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/dal-bhat-power">warm dal bhat</a> and not getting that can be so hard, then there are our festivals, dance and music that we miss so much.” Singh had it relatively easy as his father was already in the UK. But even then, he had to support himself and for the first five years he studied by day, while working at a restaurant at night. Finally, he bought his own restaurant, and another one a few years later. He calls them “Nepali-Indian” restaurants but actually specialise in Newa food, the first of few in the London area. “I do a lot of work virtually so the restaurant for me is like a living room and it is as if I am cooking for my friends and family, it keeps me feeling alive,” says Singh, whose clan home is in Basantapur. He is actively involved in the Pasa Pucha Guthi in London as one of the founding member since its inception in 2000. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-garden-of-england">Nepalis in the Garden of England</a>, Joy Stephens The Newa-English community in London organises cultural events including performing the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-spirit-that-is-fire">Lakhey mask dance</a> during Mha Puja, also the Newari New Year. This real-life tradition in London serves as an inspiration for the book. “The new generation of Nepali diaspora should know the struggles of their parents, what they went through, some were asylum seekers, others came for better opportunities,” says Singh, stating how this was one of the ideas behind the book, especially as he is himself a father now. A mutual contact brought animator and illustrator Sahanshil Dangol onboard for the book, and the two would go on to work closely for the nearly two years it took for the volume to develop. Dangol works for London-based studios and was previously involved in making commercials and music videos for up-and- coming Nepali artists like Yugal Gurung and Ankit Shrestha.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/memories-of-a-london-nepali-hangout">Memories of a London Nepali hangout</a>, Sunil Pun But what really got him passionate about the book project was the Lakhey element. During his undergrad, Dangol was working on a film to document his cousin’s mask dances in Pokhara but had to shelve it. He has since come across the Nepali Creative Gang, an online collective of artists, writers, game developers, animators and others which helps young talent with guidance and feedback as well as protection for their work. Dangol went on to develop a 4-minute-long stop motion film called Death and Exposure but he always had the Lakhey project at the back of his mind. “It felt like a second chance to work on something close to my heart,” he told Nepali Times in a video interview from London. It also helped that the characters spoke to him. Having moved to London at 11 following his father who was in the army, Dangol never felt like he quite fit in, neither in London, nor in Kathmandu. “Growing up, I didn’t have Nepali friends, and in any case, I didn’t feel like I completely belonged anywhere, and while I didn’t go through everything that Halucha went through in the story, I could still resonate with the character and sympathise with him, it is a relatable story with so many of our friends and families migrating today.” Dangol based the physical attributes of Halucha and other characters on people around him. The last few pages of the book are dedicated to the process of illustration including doodles and sketched studies of Lakhey and his masks. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/getting-behind-the-divine-mask">Getting behind the divine mask</a> The Lakhey mask depicted in the book is a variation of the real thing which is supposed to give devotees divine powers when they wear them. In fact, communities in Kathmandu did not want their actual mask to be represented in the book for fear of offending the deities.&nbsp; Lakhey is a demon in the carnival of God but is worshipped as a deity protecting townspeople of the Newa civilisation. He is depicted as having a ferocious face, protruding fangs, and a mane of red or black hair.&nbsp; During festivals including Indra Jatra which falls on 17 September this year (below), he comes out on the streets and dances in a trance whirling and jumping to the thump of drums.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240914040936_0d60bd64fe6b3db69c9654e3a90569768ba0caeaaaacd1b46b5ca4e357b21a6e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="20240914040936_0d60bd64fe6b3db69c9654e3a90569768ba0caeaaaacd1b46b5ca4e357b21a6e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2170" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="London Lakhey review MASK NT 4"> </figure>  On the surface, London Lakhey is a children’s book but since its release, it has found as many adolescent and adult readers who have requested most copies, says Dangol. “I want our children to remember their roots and not be ashamed of it. They can so easily feel embarrassed because they are eating dal bhat for lunch and not burgers and pizza,” says Singh.&nbsp; “We have to own up to our roots but we don’t have to stick to one singular identity either, it can be a mix of Newa and British like in my own persona. This is important for stability and a peace of mind.” ­­  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240914040936_4af67a538381c66209f7cc834a6b2056857275cc12c2b3a5e3bf6f3f1c1c78c9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="20240914040936_4af67a538381c66209f7cc834a6b2056857275cc12c2b3a5e3bf6f3f1c1c78c9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="London Lakhey review MASK NT 5"> </figure>

MASK

The 14th <a href="https://www.apthc2024.org/">Asia-Pacific Travel Health Conference</a> is set to take place in Kathmandu from 18-21 September, bringing together 200 delegates from 27 countries to explore advances in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19282">travel medicine</a> which have relevance for Nepal’s own tourism industry.
The biannual conference is the first in four years after its 13th iteration in New Zealand in 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Previous conferences have been held in Bangkok and in Kathmandu in 2016.
Lessons for the travel industry from the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-covid-19-impact-worse-than-official-figures">Covid-19 pandemic</a> will be prominent in the agenda of the conference in which experts from the <a href="https://www.istm.org/">International Society of Travel Medicine</a> will also be taking part. Nearly 60 of the 200 participants are from Nepal.
"The careful practice of travel medicine can be an important sentinel for diseases,” says <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/more-porters-sick-on-everest-trail">Buddha Basnyat, MD</a>, Chair of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit-Nepal, who is part of the Nepali delegation.
The 3-day event will kick off with a day-long Pre-Conference Seminar on Adventure and Wilderness Travel, as well as separate sessions on mental health strategies and military medicine before the main events next week.
“Travel medicine is very relevant to Nepal because it has always been a desirable tourism destination,” says Pratibha Pandey, MD, of <a href="https://ciwechospital.com/">CIWEC Hospital and Travel Medicine Center</a>, which is a partner to the <a href="https://www.apths.org/">Asia-Pacific Travel Health Society</a>.
She adds: “Outbreaks of diseases like <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/mosquitoes-move-up-mountains-as-the-earth-warms">dengue</a>, issues of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/fatalism-and-fatalities">road and aviation safety</a>, and economic hardships have had an impact on the number of travellers coming to Nepal, which will be reflected at the conference.”
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/poor-safety-to-hit-nepal-tourism">Poor safety to hit Nepal tourism</a>, Sonia Awale 
Each day of the conference will include three plenary panels, followed by parallel symposia, communication sessions, and interactive workshops. The conference will highlight special groups, including the elderly, pregnant, and otherwise immuno-compromised travellers. 
An ‘ABC’ workshop which will provide participants with the basics of setting up a clinic and explain pre-travel consultations. Other sessions include discussion about vaccines, including a plenary on the changing immunisation landscape, newer vaccine technologies, as well as a seminar on the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japans-takeda-partners-with-indias-biological-e-boost-dengue-vaccine-production-2024-02-27/">Japanese Qdenga vaccine</a> against dengue that has not yet been licensed for use in Nepal.
Travel medicine is not just important for tourists coming to Nepal, but also for Nepalis since non-endemic infections like <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02912-6#:~:text=Mpox%20is%20caused%20by%20variants,materials%20contaminated%20with%20the%20virus.">Mpox and other diseases</a> can be brought here by visiting carriers.
“We were diagnosing dengue and typhus fever in travellers to Kathmandu who came via Rajasthan or Bangkok in the 1990s, long before these diseases became well-established in the local population,” explains Buddha Basnet, who is delivering a lecture on the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/a-shot-in-the-arm-for-vaccines-in-nepal">Typhoid Conjugate vaccine</a> and its roll-out in Nepal in one of the symposia.
The conference will also discuss airlift and emergency evacuation and a workshop on the role of the military in disaster and outbreak relief operations — both especially relevant to trekking and mountaineering in Nepal. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/climate-breakdown-linked-to-thame-flood">Climate breakdown</a> has increased the need for better preparedness and rescue.
 Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-loses-its-open-spaces">Kathmandu loses its open spaces</a>, Tom Robertson and Nilima Thapa Shrestha
Other sessions include a plenary on sustainable travel in the age of no-jet set and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/travel/travel-climate-no-fly-pledge.html">climate guilt</a>, as 4% of greenhouse emissions are from air travel. Workshops will also look into other infectious diseases and the use of AI and Large Language Models like ChatGPT on travel medicine.
Because travel medicine specialises in diseases and health conditions that are acquired during international travel, it involves pre-travel, during travel, and post-travel consultations. Apart from the relevance of travel medicine to provide medical care to visitors to Nepal, there is also the opportunity to advance pre-travel and post-travel medicine for Nepalis.
Says CIWEC’s Prativa Pandey: “Heartbreaking as it is, migrant workers and students are leaving in droves, and many migrants are <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/saving-kidneys-to-save-nepal">coming back with kidney failure</a>, about which there is very little data or research, so there is an urgent need to address those areas as well in Nepal.”
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/brain-gain-into-brain-drain">Brain gain into brain drain</a>, Sonia Awale
Some of the participants include the ‘father of travel medicine’ Robert Steffan from Switzerland, Tomas Jelinek of the Berlin Centre for Travel and Tropical Medicine, editor of the Journal of Travel Medicine Annelies Wilder Smith, David Shlim who was Medical Director of CIWEC in Kathmandu 1983-1998, and <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/find-an-expert/professor-david-warrell">Sir David Warrell</a> a world expert on snake bite, rabies and infectious disease.

fundraising