On March 29 2021, an official document from the Nepalese government circulated on social networks announcing the end of the quarantine requirement upon arrival in Nepal. Even the offices of the Nepalese embassy in Geneva are not yet aware of this.
Motivated to leave, Claire, a new sponsor who found us thanks to our website, contacted me. Why not take advantage of this official decision to go to the country? We quickly decided to go on the trip, even if it would be short because of our respective professional obligations. With visas and negative PCR tests in hand, we flew to Kathmandu in mid-April. For my part, it had been three years since I had been back there.
What a joy to see all the children again, full of life and so welcoming! I came back from this trip with the renewed conviction that our action in their favor is deeply useful. A part of the Nepalese population is facing more complicated living conditions than ever, especially because of the drop in tourism. Financial support from abroad – donations or remittances from expatriate Nepalese workers – remains essential. To accompany the children in their schooling and training, our commitment remains indispensable in this troubled context.
We have “opened the way” – not the way to the Nepalese summits, but the way to Nepal! We hope that the trips will become more possible in the future, and that other visitors will finally be able to go there again to visit the centers. For the moment, Nepal is reconfirming itself because of a rise in the number of infections, but let’s hope that this will only be temporary.
(Text : Catherine Christ Revaz, committee member)