Tag: Travel Diary

My bumpy road to deceleration

24 January 2023
Stella Deetjen
Travel Diaries

During my 16-day journey through the mountainous region of Mugu, I experienced deceleration like never before: no cell phone reception, no power for the laptop, no news about Corona, the Ukraine war or the looming climate crisis, no Netflix or social media either, and instead of traffic jams on overcrowded roads, there are dirt roads on which resistant jeeps move at a maximum of 10km/hour, defying seemingly insurmountable landslides and demanding everything from man and machine. Sunrise and sunset determine the rhythm of the day. Already the journey to the mountain region is an adventure....

Why a birth house in the mountains is vital

From Wolfgang Langenkamp, who donated the Jima birth house in Mugu and who made the adventurous and arduous journey to Mugu himself twice, at the start of construction and for the inauguration. Why I am donating this birthplace I In 2011 I met the aid organization Back to Life, which has been active in Mugu since 2009, and was immediately interested in their projects in Nepal. The description of the living situation of the 55,000 inhabitants in the Mugu region shook me deeply. At that time, Mugu had no road network, i.e. no access to the outside world, and the high mountain villages could...

Susanne Fröhlich on site

“I have more things in my trunk than these people own” – Susanne Fröhlich visits our projects Probably the most prominent visitor who has ever looked behind the scenes of Back to Life is Susanne Fröhlich, the well-known TV presenter and author. “I always think that reality is completely different from a glossy brochure from an aid organization. Sure, you can see big, dark children’s eyes looking at you, but I just wanted to see it for real. “ In 2018 she flew to Kathmandu at an invitation from Stella Deetjen. Here she finds a completely different world. She meets...

Extended family time

“We sit huddled together in a jeep that winds its way up the hills of Chitwan on dirt roads. The serpentines are so narrow that the driver has to start several times. Suddenly the jeep got stuck, it doesn’t go backwards or forwards. So we get out and walk the last bit drenched in sweat up the hill to the school. There we are received with great joy and warmth – in the middle of the jungle. This exuberant, but natural joy and gratitude, which the children and also the parents and teacher Stella show, touches me more deeply than I would have thought possible. Somehow I am – even...