October Update

Dear Friends of dZi,

In an effort for you to get to know some of the people behind the scenes of The dZi Foundation, I have asked my board members to write articles for monthly placement in the e-letters. In addition, Assistant Executive Director Garry Schalla sends a letter from Nepal (and next month will report on Ladakh and Sikkim India). Also of note, Shamila and Reena have passed their SLC exam and have been admitted to Kathmandu University!

All the best, Jim Nowak
Executive Director, dZi Foundation

Here is Tony Lewis' letter:

Having just finished reading Tom Friedman’s book, The World Is Flat, I was struck by two of his thoughts, shared in his final pages. As he was dropping his daughter off at college in the fall of 2004, he felt terribly saddened. It wasn’t simply the “dad-mom-dropping-their-eldest-child-off-at-school thing” – something else was bothering Friedman. In his words, “[I]t was the sense that I was dropping my daughter off into a world that was so much more dangerous than the one she had been born into... [I] couldn’t promise her the world – not in the carefree way that I had explored it when I was her age. That really bothered me.”

The world is more dangerous right now, especially in some parts of Nepal and Ladakh. Dangerous for westerners, but especially dangerous for the local people. As I reflect on the work we all do through the dZi Foundation, I am struck by the enormity of the world’s problems, yet thankful for the supporters we count on. As I see the photos documenting the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath of the flooding, I am deeply saddened, yet filled with awe at the incredible generosity of response by Americans and the rest of the world.

As I look forward into this coming year at the programs we provide and the people we serve in mountain communities, I am heartened. We are able to serve these people because of the incredible support we receive from our donors – people like yourself – who see hope in turmoil, humanity in the face of every individual no matter what nationality, race or color, and who, ultimately, believe that each of us can make a difference for someone in need. Thank you for your incredible support.

The final sentence in Friedman’s book sums it up well: “While your lives have been powerfully shaped [by events like 9/11] the world needs you to be forever the generation of 11/9 [the tearing down of the Berlin Wall] – the generation of strategic optimists, the generation with more dreams than memories, the generation that wakes up each morning and not only imagines that things can be better but also acts on that imagination every day.

Tony Lewis
Vice-Chairman
Board of directors, dZi Foundation
Executive Director, Donnell-Kay Foundation

Success is Breeding Success at the Friendship House in Kathmandu

The e-mail from Som Paneru, our project manager, started off “Here is another piece of good news...” Two more girls from The Friendship House have passed the Student Leaving Certificate with high marks in the first division (the highest level). Reena scored a 70% and Sharmila a 69%, figures which look low for the American system, but are extremely high for the Nepali system of testing. Both girls are interested in the sciences and have been admitted into Kathmandu University. Sharmila would like to become a gynecologist, and Reena is leaning toward a degree in the medical profession, at this point a physician.

With the past success of girls from the Friendship House, we are sure that these two will be outstanding students and will accomplish their goals. And, in so doing, they will return to the greater Nepali community to help others on a daily basis, completing the circle provided to them by the dZi Foundation and their sponsors. This reflects both girls’ understanding, and demonstrates to their sisters, that “with privilege comes responsibility”.

The Friendship House has 22 girls and the Sikkim Happiness Home currently has 14 girls under dZi Foundation care and direction.

A Letter from Garry Schalla

Dear Jim, Board Members, Advisors, dZi supporters and friends,

As with any series of flights halfway around the world, you arrive a little travel-worn but happy to be at your destination. My first destination for the dZi Foundation was Kathmandu, Nepal. I felt honored to be representing the Foundation, but still had a few butterflies for what challenges lay ahead.

Unfortunately, what did not arrive in Kathmandu were my bags. Although disappointed, I had made many transfers and was sure they would show up the following day.

Once in my room, I immediately called Som Paneru (our program coordinator in Nepal), and found the visiting Marmot athletes were ready to tour the Nutritional Rehabilitation Home and the Friendship House. This group of athletes and professional photographers are on their way to climb Mt. Shishapangma, an 8,000 meter peak, and wanted to see and record our projects. These projects will be used as their inspiration while on the mountain and in the making of a feature film of the expedition. The brutal reality of the malnourished children at NRH truly humbled these elite athletes and world travelers. Their spirits recovered quickly when they able to play basketball with the girls at the Friendship House.

My first field trip outside the valley was to see the Vocational Education Program at a rural school, located in the Chainpur village approximately 79 kilometers west of the city. The rainy season stopped us about 1 1/2 hours’ walk (up hill) from the Chandeswori Secondary School. As we walked, more and more elders joined the group. Within sight of the school we could see hundreds of children awaiting our arrival, peering over the hill’s edge. When we arrived at the gate, the line of children stretched up and past the school, all having flower leis and loose flowers in which we were engulfed.

Both Som and I addressed the students and adults. Our talks stressed community and parental involvement, as well as obtainable and respectable professions. Most of these children have no direction for the future. We spoke of carpenters, plumbers and truck drivers – all professions through which a good living can be made. Then, in a meeting of school officials, teachers and elders, we stressed that the curriculum for one period during the day should be for vocational, cultural and historical training. The period should be administered by local craftsmen, civic leaders and elders - both men and women. I look to return next fall to see if the changes have been instituted and to again be hailed with flowers.

So, just an update on the luggage: it is day six in Nepal, and still no luggage! I feel worse for the Sherpa family for whom I was bringing used leather shoes and clothing items.

My third field trip was with Dhiraj, the field worker for the Nutritional Rehabilitation Home. We left the hotel at 6 am to catch the first of three buses. Our next ride was on a TaTa truck (or goods carrier). It is like riding in the front seat of a Mack truck (with eight of your closest new friends). We headed to the Tistung area about 50 kilometers outside of Kathmandu in search of three children on a follow-up visit.

Dhiraj has an unbelievable job; first there are no addresses in Nepal. So you travel to an area and show pictures of the mother/child pairs. Then the group who has congregated points in a direction and says about X minutes, which is always 1/3 of the actual distance. But, before we set off, Dhiraj gives the group the NRH talk and shows them photos of before and after malnourished chldren. We did find two of the children; both were doing well and had gained weight and height since leaving the home. And again at both children’s homes, as a group gathered, the educational information was given to both try to prevent malnutrition, as well as to find other children in need. It was late by the time we returned, but a wonderful day to see the system work so well through this advocate’s hard work.

So let me tell you about my new $30 dollar wardrobe. It includes a North Face knock-off fleece (reversible) jacket ($6.45). I still have people trying to find my bags, but I have little hope.

Although my days have been full of work with and for the dZi programs, let me leave you with one final story. I was on the way back to the hotel from another field trip, and one of our stops was to pick up Prema, a Friendship House girl. This striking young woman, whom I had met years before, was on her way with two "aunties" to her graduation. Prema has graduated with a degree in Psychology. Please look for an article about our time together in the November newsletter.

Also included in the November newsletter will be photos from all my stops here in the Himalayan region for the dZi Foundation… hope you will enjoy them. Well, it is off to the airport, on my way to Leh, Ladahk, India for dental and optical clinics.

Namaste!

Garry

[In the photo at right, dZi Executive Director, Jim Nowak, receives Kata's from the children of The Charmile Primary Education Project, Sikkim India.]