Author: Stella Deetjen

A look back and ahead. Loharbada in the Mugu Mountains.

When program director Dikendra Dhakal looks around Loharbada today, he can hardly believe it. “When we first arrived here 10 years ago, not only was the standard of living extremely low, but hygienic conditions were actually non-existent.” The people did their “business” on the doorstep, mushy animal excrement covered the paths, and it smelled like hell. Swarms of house flies sat everywhere: on the children’s faces, on the food. People rarely washed themselves or their clothes, and sewage was simply poured into the alley. The open cooking fire was smoking in and...

Sheep farming in Mugu

A tradition that needs to be revived Our project region Mugu consists of two regions named after the indigenous people: the upper Jadan and the lower Khasan. The Jad are Tibetan lamas, the people of the southern Khas region, who came from northwest India. Both brought important knowledge with them: the Khas had agricultural experience and had metal weapons, the Jadan people were sheep farmers. The combination of both formed a good basis for securing livelihoods in the region. “ WE CANNOT IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT SHEEP. WE ARE INEXPECTIVELY LINKED TO YOU. “ THE SHEEP AS THE BASIS...

Keepers of balance – the shamans of Nepal

The full moon is over the mountains, the ceremony has already begun. A young woman in the village who is plagued by an inexplicable disease has visited the shaman in the community’s “Than” temple. She asks advice on what to do about her unbearable stomach ache. Offerings for diagnosis and healing With due respect, she enters the unadorned hut, only red and white strips of fabric dangle from the roof beams down into the room. A simple stone lies in the center of the room as a symbol of the incarnation for the deity Masto. Husband and grandmother accompany the young woman....

The life of the Tharu – the “people of the forest”

It is the first national park that was established in Nepal: Since 1973 the Chitwan National Park has been the sanctuary of 68 different mammals – including the famous Bengal tiger. The population of endangered animals rose from 25 at that time to 110 today: a unique success that proves the effectiveness of large-scale protection zones. The park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. LIFE LIKE IN THE JUNGLE BOOKBut besides the unique nature of the jungle landscape and many other exotic animals such as free-roaming armored rhinos, crocodiles, monkeys and wild elephants, hundreds...

In conversation with Sun Bahadur Moktan

Formerly away from the world. Today facing the future Sun Bahadur Moktan, who lives in Thakaltar in the Chitwan region and teaches there as a teacher. He has a close look at what has been going on in his village over the past 10 years and we are delighted that he has taken the time to summarize it for us. Become a model school Thanks to Back to Life, our simple school has become a model school for the region with two two-story school blocks. Our rooms are new, large, well equipped and the best conditions for child-friendly and stimulating learning. All around, playgrounds and school gardens...

The Chepang

In the small wooden house that is only covered with straw, the ragged sleeping mats lie on the floor. A “jaabi” hangs on the wall, a bag made of plant fibers. It collects wild fruits, berries and edibles from the neighboring forest. The Chepang still have their nomadic life in their blood, even if they were forcibly settled almost 100 years ago. The peaceful, friendly ethnic group is considered the forgotten ethnic group of Nepal. They are among the poorest, the uneducated, who would be reluctant to ask for help themselves – even if they were ignorant of their rights. A nomandic culture...

The Tamang

The hand drum “Damphu” heats up the rhythm. The dancers get faster, their movements wilder. The dance “Tamang Selo” pulls everyone under its spell. The Tamang, one of the largest Tibetan-Burmese-speaking ethnic groups in Nepal, maintain their numerous traditions that they originally brought with them from Tibet. They have lived in the Kathmandu valley and the central hill country since the 3rd century. Rich culture and modern at the same time The Tamang also like to appear traditional on the outside: On special days, many women wear their unusual traditional costumes...

Nepal in profile

Nepal is located in South Asia between Tibet in the north and India in the south. It has an area of 147,516 square kilometers, around 40% the size of Germany. 39% of the 30 million people live below the poverty line of $ 3.20 per person per day (World Bank, 2019). The average age of the population is 21 years. 30% of Nepal’s economic output is provided by the 3 million Nepali who work as guest workers abroad, often under unworthy conditions. Nepal is located in a seismically active zone, and the Himalayan region in particular is considered to be highly prone to earthquakes. The last...

Burned down – a new beginning for a family

37-year-old Dhanamaya Chepang lives with her family in one of our project villages in Chitwan in southern Nepal. Dhanamaya has a large family, nine of them live closely together in a small wooden house on the edge of the forest, at the very end of the village of Dhamili. The family has no land to farm. Both Dhanamaya’s husband, Akal Bahadur (48), as well as her eldest son Suresh (19) and his wife Kabita (19) have no education, cannot read or write and work as day laborers. They walk through the neighboring villages every day in search of income in road construction, as porters, they...

Aarati – a twelve-year-old confronts the corona virus

It is June in Dubichaur, a small village in the province of Chitwan, when Aarati suddenly has a fever and the sore throat is getting worse. In these times of closed schools, shops and institutions, the Back to Life teams are regularly out and about in the villages of the project areas and provide the sponsored child families with aid packages, the children with books and monitor the state of health. It quickly becomes clear that Aarati should go to the hospital for a proper examination; she is taken to Narayanu Community Hospital. Since the family is very poor, Back to Life naturally covers...

Books & colored pencils on tour

Our teammates Jhalak (left) and Rimal (right) look after the sponsored children during this difficult time. Schools in Nepal were closed for almost 7 months due to Corona. Online lessons were only offered by expensive private schools. The majority of Nepalese students came away empty-handed. We carried hundreds of books through the mountains for our students. Motivation is important The longer children have to stay away from school and are not motivated to continue learning and reading, the higher the risk of “drop-outs”, i.e. those who drop out of school without graduating....

In conversation with midwife Janaki Karki

1. Can you tell us about the current situation in Gamgadhi? How are people reacting to the pandemic? | The people of Gamgadhi are very concerned. The local government has put in place a curfew to protect society. People’s freedom of movement between the villages is severely restricted and most of the residents stay at home. The markets only open at certain times to offer the most important groceries for sale. Social distancing, hand washing and other hygiene measures are strictly followed. People use masks when they are outside. 2. What fears do you have about the pandemic? | The awareness...

With persistence to success

The difficult procurement of protective clothing for our 26 midwives in Mugu When the corona infections increased in Nepal and the lockdown was repeatedly extended, it was immediately clear to the Back to Life team that we had to react and bring more supplies to the mountains. Sufficient protective clothing for the 13 Mugu’s birth houses was at the top of the list and a true odyssey began. WHERE TO TAKE IT FROM AND HOW TO TRANSPORT? | Protective suits, gloves, masks, shoe covers, disinfectants – when 15 corona infections were confirmed in Nepalgunj on May 3, we were alarmed, because...

How the mountain villages protect themselves from Corona

April 2020: The strict curfew also applies in the Mugu mountains. In our remote project villages, people are trying everything in their power to protect themselves from infection with Corona. All contact between the villages is broken. The village communities stay among themselves. Nobody who comes from outside is allowed in, even if they come from the village. Many Mugali who work as day laborers in Kathmandu or India are now trying to return. Without a daily income they cannot afford to stay in the city. Some run for weeks without a cent in their pockets. The returnees pose a great danger...

Covid-19 prevention – only those who are informed can protect themselves!

In Nepal, hardly anyone spoke about Corona in February 2020, everyday life took its normal course, but the number of cases increased worldwide. In our remote and sometimes difficult to access project areas, the majority of the residents have no access to television, radio or social media to find out about current world events. Many cannot read or write and are already at the limit with the burden of their daily struggle for existence. From mid-February until the state-wide school closings on March 19, we carried out awareness programs at our project schools, the birth centers and in the project...

A day in the life of the Alimaya

Alimaya is 11 years old and lives with her parents and two siblings (eight and 14 years old) in a remote village in the hills north of the well-known Chitwan National Park. Three other siblings are already away from home and are married. Her family belongs to the indigenous Chepang people. The little one is one of our Back to Life sponsored children and has been supported for some time by a committed couple from Germany with whom she regularly exchanges letters. The standard of living in their village is very low, there is no electricity and no running water. The families live in simple, self-made...

Growing up without parents – we help Bibek

22 April 2021
Stella Deetjen
Sponsorship

Little six year old Bibek caught my eye immediately when I recently (2018) visited our programs and schools in Nuwakot. Not because he romped around loudly while doing sports and games, but because of his shyness and because he hung on the tip of my skirt almost all day, following me everywhere. I noticed a deep sadness in his gaze, which was often empty. When I asked his teacher, I found out the reason for this: his parents are still alive, but Bibek is still considered a “social orphan” because he has to grow up without a mother and father and cannot yet understand the reason...

From unhappiness to happiness

22 April 2021
Stella Deetjen
Sponsorship

“He already recognizes it from a distance: our Back to Life logo! Whenever I run up the hill to the village in my Back to Life T-shirt, jacket or cap, he is already running towards me with a big smile on his face. This laugh full of happiness touches my heart every time “, says Govinda, one of our employees in Mugu. He works as a social worker for Gamtha, where we run a birthing center. Instead of a sibling – tragic loss of the mother Bhupendra is now five years old and healthy and happy....

Bill Ramsey is our honorary sponsor

22 April 2021
Stella Deetjen
Sponsorship

It started with jazz says Bill Ramsey about his life. Born in 1931 in Cinncinati, Ohio, the musical stronghold of rhythm and blues at the time, he was born with jazz and blues and became deeply rooted in him as he grew up. When he came to Germany at the age of 21, it was his love for music that would determine his professional career. In Frankfurt am Main he worked for AFN Radio, where he quickly rose to become a producer. A year later he recorded a concert by Ella Fitzgerald. When they sat together in the evening, happy and relaxed, he was asked to sing a song and sang a blues for Ella....

Shadow and light

22 April 2021
Stella Deetjen
Sponsorship

From Stella Deetjen When I visited the Sansari Devi School in Nuwakot for several days in 2018, which we rebuilt after the earthquake, I noticed a little six-year-old girl who had a perky face, but seemed surrounded by a great deal of weight. Or was she just shy? While the other schoolchildren romped happily across the schoolyard and enthusiastically tried out the hula hoops I had brought for them, she stood in silence on the edge of the action. In the end I managed to get her involved in the games and slowly gain her confidence. Together with her classmates she ran after the soap bubbles...