People's Environmental Awareness - Khati (PEAK)

Photos: Working shots: fuel efficient stoves (chulhas), Jatoli, Kumaon Himalaya, India

bonnie — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 17:33:00 GMT

Photos: Improving education in the Kumaon Himalaya (India) 2015/16. Part 2.

bonnie — Mon, 30 May 2016 13:59:00 GMT

Photos taken when delivering educational materials to Jatoli and Ritang in late March (2016) for the start of the school year.... until the battery on the digital camera went flat (before we had finished taking photos) at 2400m with no means to recharge!! Yes - blame the relatively new digital camera user....

Photos: Improving education in the Kumaon Himalaya (India) 2015/16

bonnie — Wed, 25 May 2016 15:51:00 GMT

Random photos taken by both the students and community teacher at Khati, Kumaon Himalaya, India.

Educational Resources - Jatoli

bonnie — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:16:00 GMT

As mentioned in previous blog entries, the educational resource project for the region was multi-faceted with the organisational component of purchasing the goods proving time consuming. School goodies came from as far afield as Delhi (educational games/toys), Almora (printer/stationary supplies/books) and Bageshwar (Jatoli school supplies), with the majority of purchases occurring in the latter two towns, thereby helping local economies. Some transactions - which were innumerable - required a cup of tea and a chat (a given) which makes business a pleasurable affair. The downside is peAk now has a pile of receipts to collate that have reached monumental proportions!! Any goods not readily sourced in India were purchased in Australia in 2013.

The Jatoli School Project was simplified thanks to L.S. Karmayal, the owner of the Karmayal Book Store in Bageshwar, who did a fantastic job of collating the required goods which were neatly boxed and ready for pick up at a convenient time when travel (always weather dependant) was possible in/out of the mountains. Mr Karmayal was also responsible for a generous discount citing the importance of rural education.

The goods were then transported via jeep on unsealed rugged roads to Kurkia, then mule to Khati where they were stored at the peAk building. PeAk staff took advantag of a break in the weather in late January to organise the goods to be transported, yet again, by mules - this time by Kusal from Khati - to Jatoli (7km from Khati) where they were stored with the ever accomodating and helpful Johar Singh who runs the modest 'Jai Surya Hotel'. There they languished until the next fine weather break which came in early February coinciding with the commencement of the government school year post winter holidays.

Jatoli has a population of approximately 122 people, with a third of the town aged under 15. The village is asset rich (house, ancestral land etc) but cash poor. Village households without an adult male available to collect 'Khida - gas' (cordyseps sinensis) for some cash income struggle financially. The 2013 season produced poor returns and there are rumours that the high altitude fields were significantly damaged in the torrential rain event last year, this combined with low tourism numbers, will possibly lead to widspread hardships in 2014.

The children of Jatoli are educated to Class 5. There are some children who are enrolled in high schools in the region but attendance is sporadic to non existant, the distances involved to reach other schools and poor quality education are partly to blame for this scenario. There are 20 primary school children at the Jatoli School that span from the Balwari (pre-school) to Class 5. The day the school kits were handed out was a fun atmoshere with the children playing games, practicing their ABC and generally being inquisitive about life - especially life in Khati!

This year a complete school kit was provided for each child. This included a sturdy canvas school satchel, a robust pencil case (containing pens, pencils, coloured encils, rubbers, sharpeners etc), a large drawing book, plain sheets of paper, set of crayons, 5/6 exercise books (age dependent), school book labels, and a Hindu God card calender (always a firm favourite!). The satchel was brimming with goodies and parents later conveyed their gratitude - despite our protestations - with copious cups of chai, meals, 'chimi' red kidney beans & honey for providing the primary school children of Jatoli with enough educational resources for the upcoming year.

Our stay in Jatoli was brilliant and the project a rewarding experience with the lasting memory of endless smiles......

Bonnie

PeAk project co-ordinator

Educational Resources - Khati (Part 2)

bonnie — Thu, 3 Apr 2014 13:10:00 GMT

The new printer is a welcome community addition that needed a 'home'. The library isn't a great spot, thanks to many, many inquisitive little fingers.... So it was decided that the main area of the peAk building was a good central location for ease of access. As you can imagine, living in the mountains has limitations on resources at hand, it's not possible to pop off to the hardware as necessary! Scott came up with the brainwave to re-use an old solar panel, long ago discarded due to a manufacturing fault. After a few hours work, a little bit of cursing and some improvisation, the 'solar panel' table was complete with printer on top and a metal trunk below to store the a variety of project goodies (laptops, laminator etc). This was a great, practical, re-use of a resource that saved us having to back-load the panel to the 'kabari wallah' (recycle dealer) in Bageshwar.

There was an issue of logistics in carting laptops, printer, laminator and assorted other goods that had to make the perilous jeep journey on unsealed, rocky roads and then on a mule to reach the final destination of Khati in one piece. This is where the idea of using metal trunks to endure the rigours of travel took shape, bearing in the mind that every resource that comes into the valley needs to have multiple uses.

The ubiquitous trunk that stores a variety of 'special' goods is found in every Kumaoni household with ours being no exception. In Almora/Bageshwar we purchased three larg trunks made by local metal workers (sturdy and well constructed) and loaded them up, providing plenty of padding - this is were children's clothing and home made beanies destined for a cold climate proved useful - to soften any blows. This did little to ease my stress levels as my mind sarted calculating the statistical chances of everything arriving in one piece, aided and abetted by possibly the roughest and scariest jeep trip on wet, slipery, muddy roads that I had ever and the misforutune to undertake.... and I am not easil scared!

My first check at Kurkia (post trauma) eased the stress as I concluded the jeep trip had been kind on the trunks (not on my arse, hips or nerves) and therefore hopefully the goods inside. I was exceptionally happy when a couple of days later the mules arrived at our door and we discovered the trunks suffered only minor dents, that on inspection, proved to be superficial with all goods inside in perfect condition. Two trunks now house school goods and the other is used under the printer table, all will help ameliorate the silverfish onslaught during the monsoon.

On the subject of new equipment here is a tale of the new laptops... Ganesh (Class 5) had previously spent time in a Delhi Hospital, bedridden, watching kids television for months on end, while he endured a series of metal pins in his leg (with medical bills bankrupting his family*) after a fall. Upon his return he used to regale his classmates with wild tales of cartoons and kids shows. Whereas, in the last few years, the children of Khati have grown up on a steady diet of night time serials without the luxury of being able to watch children's television. The decision of viewing choices is the realm of adults, so the 3-4 available hours per night (sunshine dependent) to watch television are 100% dominated by the ever favourite Indian soapies. The kids were't convinced of Ganeshs tales.....

Until the day came when the new laptops were pressed into action to watch educational DVD's - incidentally the same day Ganesh felt vindicated - and the children for the first time watch shows aimed at.... children. The response has been phenomenal, with adults frequently coming into the library to see what's on and students requesting different shows from peAk's small library of educational DVD's now a weekly occurrence. It is a wonderful sight to watch the kids in front of age appropriate shows as they laugh and learn with wrapt attention. And the wonderful feedback from both young and old has been one of the many joys of this project.

It is also a heartwarming sight to watch a couple of women nearing eighty, wizened through years of hard labour, the hardships of life etched on their faces, come to the library to sit in on what the kids are watching. When offered a seat and a soft cushion they tell me "I won't stay for long - my eyes are weak". As they make themselves comfortable amongst the kids there are excited murmurs and big smiles. A little later they shuffle out and head back down the track and all I can hear are peels of laughter and much talk about what the just saw on Sesame Street! They are now repeat offenders......

Bonnie

peAk co-ordinator

* 39 million Indians a year are pushed below the poverty line each year by the high cost of medical bills.

Educational Resources - Khati (Part 1)

bonnie — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:00:00 GMT

In 2013/14 peAk, funded by the Word Nomads Footprints program, provided educational resources in the region. This included financial support for a community teacher, library supplies and educational material for the children of Jatoli School (7km from Khati). The project required the usual patience and perseverance, though unlike prior projects, the actual implementation pahse as the relatively easy part! It was the purchase phase that spanned from Australia to Delhi, Almora & Bageshwar (India) that proved time consuming and a logistical issue. However, the overall success and subsequent educational outcomes have so far been exceptional.

This is a multifaceted project that enables peAk to not only keep the library functioning throughout the school year and during the winter period but provided the finances for two laptops (among many, many other goodies) for classroom use. The keeness for the computers was incredible, the raw enthusiasm enthralling, as the students navigated their way through various learngn exercises on computer use and negotiated educational DVD's. The older girls gained new pride and confindence in their abilities aided by the realisation that both genders were treated equally with the time spent in front of the computer (unusual by standard teaching practices) and that their talents were equal, if not better, than their classroom counterparts. In recent weeks I've had a request by a community elder to teach their daughter in law computer skills....

PeAk also purchased an L210 Epson Printer for classroom and Panchayat (Council) use, this has so far proven invaluable for low cost printing of library resources like ABC, colouring, maths, maze sheets etc. The local Pradhan/Panchayat suffered incredible upheavals in 2013 which led to a hiatus in effective Panchayat functioning, as a result there will be no new Panchayat/Pradhan elect until April 2014. This effectively stalled the introduction of Birth Certificates until later in the year when the relevant official seals and stamps are available, by which time the council will also have use for the printer.

The new laminator was presssed ijto action when our 'student' Chandani (Clas 5), who despite her heavy work load at home, managed to achieve excellent results that placed her First in the primary school. The look on her face when presented with her laminated Merit Certificate was unparalleled! Most of the female students from Class 3-4 onwards have duties that range from wood collection/agricultural work to washing clothes, cooking etc - not to mention the competing elements of television - that frequently leave them 'time pressed'. So it is heart warming watching the girls eager to front to classes (even outside allocated school time), to learn and excel at every task that is placed in front of them in the class room with alacrity (and asking for homework!!).

The students continue to learn a variety of subjects that span English & Maths to art, 'playtime' and games - to name a few topics covered in the course of a term. The purchase of educational toys and games, paper, paints brushes etc (and many, many more items) have made the classroom an interesting, highly educational and challenging experience that the children thrive on.

Library attendance was fantastic but during the mid winter season we noted that as the snow blanketed the ground (rare this year) the attendance rate started to drop. Though most days I heard the constant refrain of "my feet are cold, can we get a buchari?"* with my response (light heartedly) of "where are your socks?" not cutting it! So, peAk staff and our part time employee/interpreter Dhyan finally decided to go to Bageshwar to see what we could organise. As it turned out our language skills were fine for negotiating our needs and eventually (and I say 'eventually' because the buchari delivery was constatnly thwarted by appalling weather conditions) and after much anticipation on the childrens behalf the buchari arrived. And the kids organised themselves and decided they would bring a piece of wood each when needed......

* 'Buchari': an enclosed metal fireplace, vented by a door and a smoke outlet (flu) controlled with a dampener.

Bonnie

peAk Co-ordinator

The 'library'

bonnie — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 16:02:00 GMT

Over the last year peAk's library has worked very successfully in tandem with the government school in Khati. The new working system sees the students attend their morning school assembly at the government school (150 metres away) with the first class arriving at the library for a 1-2 hour session (age dependent), then back to regular classes with the next class 'tag teaming'.

The winter Library timetable runs from 10am-5pm six days a week, with the children having a break for lunch which is provided at school as part of the mid-day meal scheme. The teaching days at the government school remain dismally short (two to four hours a day) but at least, unlike previous years, the school remained open during most of the school year. However, the school frequently has long, extended holidays and this is where peAk steps in to ensure that the flow of education continues throughout these periods. This year Class 6 was included in the teaching timetable which was after school and of their own volition. This made a total of 53 students.

This was the first year tht peAk kept the library open throughout the whole winter official school holiday period (20 Dec - Feb 3). This descision was met with enthusiasm by both the community and children - the latter suggesting that "classes during the holidays would be a great idea" - with the end result an excellent attendance rate during what should have been school holidays. It was nothing for the kids to come to our door an hour and a half early, ready for class, swathed in layers of clothing and with shawls in hand, offering various suggestions on what we could do or learn for the day! Most mornings were sub zero yet this did little to dent the sheer passionate zeal for classes.....

Bonnie

peAk Co-ordinator

Photos: peAk working shots - Jatoli 2014

bonnie — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 17:34:00 GMT

PEAK photos

The aftermath of the Uttarakhand floods

bonnie — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 13:10:00 GMT

In mid June 2013 there was an unprecented rainfall event in Uttarakhand, India. A combination of heavy rain and cloudbursts over a number of days created untold misery for thousands across the state. The Indian Army airlifted over 100 000 people out of pilgrimage/trekking routes in what was to become the biggest airlift in global history. The official loss of life stood close to 6000 people but the true toll will never be known. While much has been written on the scale of the disaster at Kedarnath - where the biggest loss of life occurred - and the subsequent dissection of causes, there was little information on the damage in other areas of the state.

The Pindari Valley region was not spared and while no loss of life occurred, the fury that nature unleashed over three days was 'unprecedented' in living memory'. We had just flown out of the country for a break in Australia, when the news came through of the disaster. Frantic phonecalls were made to Khati to no avail and in those first confusing few days there was little information to go on, we presumed the worst. I can clearly recall the sweaty arm pits and hands as I clasped the phone in futile attempts to connect to the other end. Then.... eventually success. The message was relayed that everyone was accounted for though communications were cut for some time and roads were blocked from intensive land slips.

On our arrival in Khati, the stories flowed on what happened over that period. It rained heavily for three consequetive days and nights. On day one no one was concerned. It was the tail end of the trekking season and some groups were still in the Pindari and Sunderdhunga regions. While over 60 men (and young boys) from Khati were at high altitude (over 4000m) in the search of 'khida - gas' (also known as yarsa gumbo/cordesyps sinensis) though it was toward the end of the season and were due to come down any day.

Prem who is in charge of the PWD at Dwali said that trekkers started to move down as it kept raining so accommodation was packed. On day two the river was so loud that people stayed up all night in fear as the sound of the rain and the even louder roaring river was deafening. On day three the river kept rising to dangerous levels, pummelling everything it its wake, eventualy the embankments gave way taking out a significant landmass at Dwali, Tara's modest chai stall and had been perilously close to demolishing the PWD. Everyone's fears were well founded as nothing of this magnitude had ever been witnessed in the mountains.

As part of the Indian Government rescue operations over 50 tourists were evacuated from the region, the untold story was the 60 local men/boys at high altitude. As the rain continued the men soon concluded that this was a dangerous place to be and it was time to get to head home, only to soon realise that it wasn't possible by the conventional routes they would normally take. Luckily, among the men was a mountain guide -while local people do guide and porter it is usually at lower altitudes - who for the next three days navigated them over high mountain passes following an alternative route down the valley. Hunger and no sleep. They are the two things vivid in everyone's mind as they recount the terrifying three days and three nights it took to return to Khati.

Meanwhile in Khati, the women relayed to me, that it was endless tears that dominated their days and nights. The three days of rain had ended but there was no sign of a single male. As the bridges washed away and the sound of the embankments on the Pindari River collapsed and millions of tonnes of rock washed downstream they presumed they would never see their menfolk again.

The women claimed "Bhagwan has answered all our prayers" and conveyed feelings of pure elation when the returnees hit town hungry and tired. Never before in Khati's history had there been a day quite like it.....

Later we were to discover that the chai stall and the shepherds huts that doubled as sleeping/working quarters for the towns bamboo workers had simply vanished into the watery abyss. Of course everyone later (jovial, post event) said that all the cups and dishes were now probably in Bihar! Bishant and Taruli (chai stall owners) recounted they hadn't headed back to Khati because they were waiting for the last trekkers of the season to come through, though unconcerned by the rain,they noted they had never seen it rain for so long. Suddenly, the river notched up in sound, they headed up the nearsest slopes frantic in their escape to look back as everything was washed away before their eyes.

The river landscape is now totally unrecognisable and it is hard to fathom such monumental changes to the geography of the riverine system. Where once was intimate forest to the waters edge, is now a vast river bed of rock. I'm not really sure how to describe it as you sat in the river bed with rocks towering way above your head -with debris on top - and fallen trees for as far as you could see (though now most of the wood has been cut, carted and stored by the villagers) trying to imagine how it once was. There was a special huge boulder, surrounded by a deep pool, a red flowering rhododenron and a wooden bridge at Waucham, now they lie buried under untold tonnes of rock. The bridges are all gone - the metal ones twisted and strewn across the rivers edge kilometres away - eleven in all, with one now left standing. Walking trails obliterated.

The DM (District Magistrate) came into the area and proclaimed that the trekking route to Pindari could not be used for at least two years or until contractors are brought in for a totally new track work. This is simply not practical for local livliehoods, so during the September to November trekking season the odd group was taken up valley using goat trails and locals knowledge. Tourism numbers were incredibly low, creating hardship for those who make cash from guiding, portering or carting trekking supplies via mule. Khida - gas which has become a valuable resource for cash in the last few years is now also in doubt with significant damage to the high altitude fields were collection occurs. The danger in this is the villagers pushing into higher, unknown and potentially dangerous territory in search of the 'black gold'.

During the initial phase the villagers of Waucham (which encompasses many hamlets including Jatoli) & Khati were allocated relief packages by the State Government. Tangible goods for each family like food rations, a blanket, portable solar lanterns and bigger promises of new tracks and bridges but nothing is yet to materialise.....

Bonnie

peAk Co-ordinator

peAk - the busy year so far.....

bonnie — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:42:00 GMT

The World Nomads 'Footprints' program provided finances for peAk's latest educational resource project which was rolled out gradually over the end of 2013 into 2014. PeAk would like to thank both World Nomads and travelling community for enabling us to provide this area with much needed educational resources. More on this highly successful project - that for once had 'zero hitches' - later....

peAk has had a busy year with work being engaging, challenging rewarding - please forgive the cliches - and time consuming. So much so that due to time constraints leaving our immediate area has been a rare occurance. The computer terminal is a couple of hundred kilometres from work, so our opportunities to view email, do blog sites, or generally catch up on news is limited. Historically, we had a couple of hour window in the mornings where we could tune in our shortwave radio to dulcet tones on the BBC informing us of the latest global calamity, that was before the airwaves were dominated by a multitude of Chinese stations effectively 'booting' BBC off their normal frequency. This would all be good if our Mandarin and other Chinese dialects were up to scratch! Alas, here I am, a rare foray to a computer....

The last year has seen peAk engaged in a variety of projects with ongoing teaching in the 'library' throughout the entire winter season, provision of classroom resources for Khati and Jatoli, solar home lighting monitoring and 'chula' (stove) trials. The days fly by and the nights are spent fireside with villagers - talking, eating, drinking cups of tea & playing games. Though the nightly culture is changing since the introduction of television and Indian 'soapies' which are now much anticipated nightly affairs from Monday - Friday with Saturday and Sunday being non tele watching nights. "No serials to watch - no television to watch"!

There is much, much more to say on PeAk's work and village life but that will have to wait until later.....

Bonnie

peAk Project Co-ordinator

Photos: peAk working shots - Khati 2013/14

bonnie — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 15:18:00 GMT

peAk working shots

Photos: Khati & Jatoli March - June 2013

bonnie — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:06:00 GMT

Random shots taken during March - June 2013

People's Environmental Awareness - Khati (PEAK)

bonnie — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 14:42:00 GMT

PEAK's work in the installation of Solar Home Lighting Units, primary school education, potable water/hygiene project and the provision of basic healthcare has made a tangible difference to villagers lives in the Kumoan Himalaya, India. This is all made possible thanks to the support of the World Nomads Footprints Program and private donations.

To view completed projects: http://footprints.worldnomads.com/completedprojects.aspx

If you would like more information on PEAK's projects or would like to make a donation toward operating costs or future projects please email: peak.himalaya@yahoo.com.au

Project Co-ordinators: Veronica (Bonnie) J Flynn & Scott J Bartholomew

PeAk

Final Report - Solar Home Lighting Project: Jatoli, Libhurghur & Dhoor

bonnie — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 12:03:00 GMT

BACKGROUND

Thanks to the financial support of the World Nomads community, PEAK installed Solar Home Lighting systems to over 70 more homes in the Kumaon Himalaya, India. After the success of the Khati lighting project, PEAK embarked on the installation of further units into another administrative district called Waucham. Within this district, the village of Jatoli, Libhurgur and Dhoor became connected to the sun and thanks to increased purchasing power of the strengthening Australian dollar, the houses within Muladhooor, Shilshor, Okhalia, Ritang & Jhagai also got wired to the solar grid. The time lag in bringing the basic essential of light to those in darkness was glacial even in retreat. We would like to take this opportunity on behalf of PEAK to apologise to the recipients and donors alike However, these houses were 'out there' in terms of their isolation from each other and topographically challenging for those whom spend most of their time at sea level. Political logistics was another factor - with India coming in at 136th globally with ease in which to do business in, we take small solace in being able to trek there let alone provide light! This project was exceptionally heart warming, life affirming and gratifying.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Two local community members were employed for the installation process at each of the two work sites. Jai, Dhan, Digember and Dayal worked on the villages proximal to their own home and their indigenous knowledge was invaluable. Transportation of the goods varied depending upon location, for the houses of Dhoor, Muladhoor, Libhurghur, Shilshor, Okhalia, Ritang and Jagai the solar units were collected every morning from the PEAK building by our 'backpack wearing' installers Dhan & Jai to carry to the work site. The Jatoli units were transported from Khati to Jatoli by nine mules over 7 'Himalayan' Kilometres.

In intermittent snow and sub zero temperatures (-8 degrees) our employees turned up early on the allocated day with big smiles and plenty of warm clothes 'ready for action'. This set the tone for the entire project that took on a jovial atmosphere at each household with hospitality being overwhelming. During the implementation phase, that spanned over a period of time through winter, the weather remained icy with predominantly clear skies but with periodic snowfalls. Scott spent time shovelling snow off the bathroom roof of the PEAK building so the next load of batteries could be fully charged in the sunny breaks for the next days work.

PEAK staff conducted a group training workshop for women and men on the use of the system which fostered strong community engagement and at the local 'chai stall' we discovered discussion was rife in all aspects of solar lighting! Each family was present during the installation process where local employees reiterated what had already been covered in the workshops and fielded any solar related questions. Community spirit and participation, particularly in Jatoli (being a centralised village as opposed to the disjunct houses comprising the other villages which have large distances between neighbours) was overwhelming with everyone eager to pitch in and help and I don't think I ever recall having so many cups of teas or so much food thrust in front of me - ever....

During the implementation of the Khati Solar Home Lighting project (2009) many lessons were learnt. Previous experience had seen males make the major decisions on solar installation (ie: where the unit/lights would be placed in the household),on follow up monitoring we also noted the systems had been tampered with or rearranged for a variety of reasons. It was of particular importance to have a female staff member present during the installation process to ensure that the women who are often the main beneficiaries of the lighting for household tasks had a 'voice' on the placement of lights. This enabled the women to express their opinions in front of other household members which had a positive influence. As a result lights were positioned in appropriate key areas with the small night light frequently requested to be installed in the cattle shed beneath the house for the ease of milking livestock.

Other minor but important points included attaching clear plastic bas over the lens of the bulb with rubber bands to ensure there was no smoke damage from open fires used for cooking. The new solar units included torches which proved to be an exceptionally popular item for negotiating rocky paths between houses at night. And the inclusion of mobile phone charging outlet should negate any possible tampering of the battery to charge the male family members phone!

All packaging (i.e. cardboard, polystyrene etc) from the solar units was sorted into different categories for use in primary school Art classes in Khati, with all non reusable items burnt on site. The kids had great fun painting up the plain white cardboard boxes the lights came in and the thick cardboard used for separating the solar plates has been used for chum shum sitara (glitter)art all popular take home items. PEAK now has enough recycled resources to utilise for various projects into the future.

For the project to be a complete success the employment of a 'solar technician' was paramount. PEAK found a willing participant in one of our employees - Digember - who imbibed every word on solar, was keen on all aspects of the job & kept his won system scrupulously clean with a special 'cloth hat' for his battery - we knew this was the man for the job!

MAINTENANCE

This project included a financial allocation for the maintenance of existing Khai Solar Home Lighting Systems. Undoubtedly, the key to the overall success of this project has been due to PEAK's monitoring of the project and Scott's dedicated work in trouble shooting issues both big and small as they arose. The local predilection for 'having a go' and attempting to charge mobile phones off the batter (fortunately this issue has been ameliorated with the new systems mobile phone charging capabilities) proved disastrous on several occasions leading to the total 'rebuild' of several systems. The purchasing of spare batteries, lights and extra cable and motherboards made this all possible. Sadly, the new systems did not cater well for a well know Finnish mobile phone company which saw many hours of retro fitting compliant charger plugs. Similarly, the torch charger cable was of inferior quality and subject to failure within 7 days of use, so again many hours were spent on the soldering iron and many metres of solder later (read 4 months) replacing them with stranded copper wire. Scott doesn't want to smell molten lead and tin for some time, allowing for some brain cell repair!

PROJECT OUTCOMES

Jatoli is situated on a steep slope and it was amazing to stand at the bottom of the hill at night and see the warm glow of dotted lights emanating through doorways or windows. Some community members find it almost impossible to pay for kerosene for small lamps, so to be invited into houses that have never had the basics most of us take for granted - light and see the look of wonderment and joy at being able to see all corners of the room albeit unswept for the first time (causing much consternation) and each other were the sort of moments that saw a welling of emotions.

This project had very clear cut outcomes. Proper lighting is essential to the running of any household and the Solar Home Lighting Units have 'eased' the burden of purchasing kerosene, provided an efficient low maintenance lighting source to every household for daily chores and children't night time studies and has paved the way for any future micro enterprise projects.

This project will continue to be monitored by PEAK staff. We were able to impart important technical 'knowledge' to our new solar technician. Digember is keen, mature, previously unemployed and we worked well together. Ideally, we would love to alleviate PEAK as the first point of contact for any maintenance issues and transfer the role to Digember with appropriate remuneration rather than an ex gratia payment.

At the commencement of this project, PEAK also made lighting provision in the 'Library' for Primary School classes. It's wonderful to start class on a winter morning, turn on the light and have the children bow their heads to give thanks to 'Bhagwan' for having light ... or cheer! And at the end of our stay in Jatoli householders came to us in a steady procession with bags of 'chim' (red kidney beans) from the fields for us to take home to Khati (so much so the goods necessitated a mule to Khati and a tin trunk purchase for storage!). It was innocent actions like these we found touching.

Throughout this (and prior) projects PEAK has developed a strong community network within Khati and now the region that has led to a solid understanding of the issues facing those in remote Himalayan locations. This will enhance on the ground solution to everyday needs in future projects.

bonnie — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:21:00 GMT

February 2012.

Life is chaos. Solar maintenance, teaching, doctoring, nightly meals, more solar maintenance, doctoring, teaching ... and now Solar Home Lighting installation.

Whenever possible we walk up to the Mandir marvelling at the crunchy snow under our shoes while watching the kids 'sliding' on the opposite slope. It's amazing the speeds little people can muster on an icy slope with a rusty piece of tin under your bum!

Sometimes we startle pheasants in the ravines or spot Himalayan Martens darting across the snow and up the nearest tree. Himalayan Griffons frequently circle above scanning for cows with unsure footing on rocky slopes and once we watched a Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) dropping bones from dizzying heights onto the rocks below. These majestic birds in flight are known for their 'unusual habit of dropping bones onto rocks to smash them open and get out the marrow' (Source: BBC Nature/Wildlife). The omni present snow clad mountains a constant.

Installation of the Solar Home Lighting units into Dhoor was delayed by a few weeks. PeAk intends to employ a local person from each village to help with installation and maintenance. Jai from Dhoor was due to start work on January the 12th, however Jai vanished to Haldwani (an unannounced journey) and then came a combination of treacherous weather and 'rubber' time concepts, the latter has thwarted our best intentions on numerous occasions. Alas, work is due to commence tomorrow.

Scott has been kept busy with maintenance of Khati Solar Home Lighting Units. We still get a buzz out of seeing the light beams from doorways and windows as darkness descends. The local predilection for 'having a go' has wreaked havoc on perfectly good operating systems, regularly! Usually, the need for charging a mobile phone to listen to some music (we can blame only one gender for this...) outweigh the families need for a lighting source. Fortunately, the new units have come equipped with mobile phone charging capabilities -a feature that didn't exist in the units when we undertook the Khati project - that will ameliorate that problem. Our previous employee went the way of most Kumaoni males 'gambling and alcohol' go hand in hand in the region and if you throw in a touch of corruption you get the picture. Our new trainees are showing promise.

Taking advantage of improved weather conditions teaching is under way at the Library. We have no heating source so any vestige of sun is welcome and we have fun exercising before class starts. And if the kids are too cold impromptu games to warm things up are common. Today the Government school was due to start after a six week winter break. The teachers failed to show up. Some things never change. The kids said they were happy because there is no joy in sitting up at the school on the cold ground for hours on end staring at the sky while the teachers (when present) do little in the way of teaching. As one little bright spark said "they are great at time passing" (a popular Kumaoni male pastime!)

This year Pindari Baba has taken it upon himself to provide a wage for two young local men (Dalip and Naresh) and one woman (Khasti) to teach at the Junior School (Class 6-10). Class 9 and 10 are a new inclusion, previously the school finished at Class 8. There is such an ingrained culture of indifference that only time will tell if the employment of community teachers will change educational outcomes.... or not. Having said that it is a wonderful initiative to be encouraged.

Bonnie

peAk