My Submission - World Nomards Scholarship

NEPAL | Sunday, 23 November 2014 | Views [265] | View Smaller Image

Each wrinkle signifies a stone laid. A prayer reading, sun-kissed Nepalese laborer sits in his donated plastic chair on the high trail out of Namche Bazzar. Living only off small donations from passing trekkers, he dedicates his life to laying stone with his bare hands, in order to keep the trail accessible throughout the year. His efforts have literally paved the way for thousands of locals and tourists for years, whilst keeping the trail clean from waste and erosion. Not understanding much Nepalese besides ‘Nameste’, I make a donation to in his weathered timber box, sign his 'travel diary' and we exchange handshakes.

To Grow is to Grow.
Perched high above street level, the growing number of ‘city farms’ can be seen from rooftop to rooftop. This is the latest push in sustainable food harvesting in the Kathmandu Valley. Small setup’s can provide both fruit and vegetables for families living in high-rise styled buildings, and it’s reported that families are saving up to 9,000Rs on grocery bills a month. As day slowly gives away to the night, the city here is beautifully juxtaposed by the Godawari hills in the background, standing tall as a constant reminder that nature still continues to thrive functionally in it’s pristine, untouched state.

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Not much grows up here, except memories.
Sherpa Prem stands at the top of a glacier ridge where only the faint cracks of slow moving ice can be heard. “Not much grows up here, but memories’, he says softly in broken English, supported by a humble smile. His dream one day is to travel to Australia for the first time to discover the outback, but saving money in Nepal takes many years. Getting excited he gestures the ‘peace’ signs as a symbol of how he feels, as its only days before his three-month work stint comes to an end, allowing him to return home to see his family.

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My Submission - World Nomards Scholarship

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