From Mountains to Lakes: Learning Development in Nepal

By Naomi Happychuk, 2nd year MDP student

After an eventful and enriching three months, I am now in my final week of my MDP practicum placement in Nepal. In Jumla I conducted a study on changes in food habits and the value of dietary diversity, with the help of my LIBIRD companions, Epsha and Laxmi. It was an incredible and enlightening experience, conducting eight FGDs (Focus Groups Discussions) in four communities of the district, and learning about the lives, and particularly the food habits, of people in this mountainous region of Nepal.

 

Naomi in FGD with farmers in Depalgaun, Jumla

We often walked for hours to meet with community members and once we were up at 5am, making roti out of local millet flour to bring for a kaaja. I learned much about the complexity of the food system and the challenges of access and availability of both local and imported foods in Jumla, as well as the persistent habits which influence people’s diets.

I also got the opportunity to take a six day hike to Rara Lake, the largest lake in Nepal, and get a greater understanding of how people live far from the main bazaar area. I came back limping in agony from the steep climbs, but with a new appreciation for the people of Jumla.

 

Hiking to Rara Lake with another student and her research assistant

Just last week, after a 30 minute walk in the heat with my ginormous bag, a confusing and hectic departure from the Jumla airport, a 15 hour local night bus, and an early morning taxi ride, I was back at the hotel in Pokhara. It was heavenly to have cold drinks, hot showers, and so many tasty foods! I was also shocked by the number of people who could speak English, and by the intense heat and humidity that developed since I had left. 

Not long after arriving I left to conduct another study around Rupa Lake, just 45 minutes outside of the city. This time I was conducting FGDs with locals involved in community-based management of the watershed, particularly looking at how it was including and impacting women. It was very interesting learning about the support and benefits that women have acquired from being in cooperatives and women’s groups involved in management of the watershed, but also the challenges and barriers they continue to face regarding gender equality. The area is very beautiful and I was lucky to enjoy a good share of fresh fish from the lake!

Rupa Lake

This week I will be presenting my findings from both studies to the staff and executive directors of LIBIRD and then saying my goodbyes to Nepal. Despite the many mental and physical struggles I had with adjusting to living in a remote area, in very basic living conditions where few people spoke English, I am grateful to have had that experience. I already miss cooking and chatting over dinner with the LIBIRD girls, staring out the balcony and watching the peaceful town in the evenings or gazing at the stars at night, and of course all of the kind and generous people I came to know. I have learned so much this summer, about the challenges and complexity of development, about learning from and connecting with people, and about myself. It was truly the perfect way to apply and reflect on all the knowledge gained from my years in the MDP program.

Working Towards Food Security and Biodiversity in Nepal

By Naomi Happychuk, 2nd year MDP student

Namaste! 

I have spent the past six weeks in Nepal, working with LI-BIRD (Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development), a local NGO which aims to empower rural poor and marginalized smallholder famers through agriculture, biodiversity, and natural resource projects. 

My first three weeks were spent in two of the major cities here, (Pokhara and Kathmandu), where I became acquainted with the organization and their many initiatives. I also attended a project inception meeting for “Integrating Crop Genetic Diversity for Mountain Food Security”, with members of Biodiversity and the UNEP.

Project inception meeting

Jumla, Nepal

 

In mid-May I flew to a remote, mountainous district called Jumla where I will spend the remainder of my practicum. The small plane was definitely a shaky ride, and porters greeted us at the airport to help carry our stuff. (There are no taxis in Jumla!) 

Here I have assisted LI-BIRD staff in their field trials of amaranth, rice, and potatoes, and attended a number of community meetings. It has definitely taken some time to adjust here! There is poor sanitation, water and power shortages (which means no internet and infrequent bucket showers), and very few people speak English. However the scenery is incredible and everyone is very friendly!   

Spare time is spent practicing Nepali with the young children that live in our building, going for jogs on the dusty roads (dodging cattle and throwing my hands in prayer to reply “Namaste!” to the many on-lookers), and reading multiple novels at a time (at last!). I have now begun a project with LI-BIRD to assess the changes in food habits in Jumla, which are affected by unique social, environmental, and economic factors, and to explore the primary drivers behind these changes in an effort to better understand how to increase biodiversity and food security. Looking forward to putting my hard years of study with the MDP program to good use!