Shree Ram Adharbud Drinking Water Project: The International Youth Mobilization for Social Service Program

In 2001, the Lions Club of Pokhara Annapurna began a deworming program, to detect protozoa and other worms, which are transmitted by contaminated drinking water. We discovered that approximately 70% of students in the Pokhara valley have serious diseases because of contaminated water. Since then, we have attempted to combat this issue in multiple ways. We have held many health camps to screen and treat children and adults for worms. We have also distributed 70 water purification machines in different government schools. However, this was found to be an insufficient long term solution, due to the maintenance requirements of these machines.

Therefore, we have come up with a new vision, and the International Youth Mobilization for Social Service Program has begun. This program entails building heavy duty water tanks underground. These tanks will last at least 100 years, which means children will have a continuous supply of clean water. Norwood Secondary College, in Australia, has partnered with us to install these tanks at the Shree Ram Adharbud School. Norwood Secondary College students have also repainted the Shree Ram Adharbud school buildings. 

This program is designed to encourage the younger international generation to get involved in social service. It has the added benefit of facilitating cultural exchanges between Nepal and other countries. Installing clean water supply systems has a huge and lasting impact for our school students. This has also been an eye opening experience for our partner volunteers, who have become aware of how Lions help those people in need.

Rural Health Camps

The Lions Club of Pokhara Annapurna has organised two major health camps, with the support of Central Queensland University, Australia (CQU), and the Fishtail Hospital in Pokhara.

We had eight doctors from Fishtail Hospital and twenty five nursing students from CQU. Two memorable health camps were the rural health camps held at Sirsikot Shyangza and Dampus Kaski on the 22nd and 29th of November, 2014. These experiences were very rewarding. Each village came to greet us. There was music, dancing, flowers, red tikas and huge smiles. It was a very emotional moment for our members, especially when they saw the elderly people in serious need of treatment.

We provided the following services:

  • General medicine
  • Paediatrics
  • Gynaecology
  • Orthopaedics
  • General surgery
  • Ear, nose and throat care
  • Ultrasounds
  • Electrocardiograms.

 

It was the first time that ultrasounds and electrocardiograms were available in such a remote area. We were able to check approximately 350 patients at Sirsikot Shyangza and 250 patients at Dampus Kaski. We distributed approximately 60,000 rupees worth of free medicine.

Coming together for this health camp had multiple additional benefits. It enabled a wonderful cultural exchange between the Australian students and the Nepali citizens, and promoted village tourism. While we were there, we changed the school roof and built school toileting facilities as well.

These rural health camps provide a valuable and necessary service to the people of rural Nepal. Without the tireless effort of the members of the Fishtail Hospital, the Lions Club of Pokhara Annapurna and the students of CQU, many of these essential health services would not be available to those living in rural areas.

Silver Jubilee Celebration

The Lions Club of Pokhara Annapurna has created an esteemed record in society by serving for twenty five years. Over the last twenty five years, we have built multiple schools, organised multiple health camps and distributed many scholarships, educational materials and furniture. We have also built a relationship with the Shintosin Lions Club of Japan, who has become a renowned social worker in this society.

On Friday the 23rd of November, 2012, twelve members from Central Queensland University, Australia (CQU) and fourteen medical teams from Fishtail Hospital and Himalayan Eye Care travelled with sixteen Lions from our club to Gilung. Gilung is a remote village; the trek was made via 4WD and made for a very bumpy six hours travelling.

The welcome from the village was amazing. We were showered with marigold garlands, blessed with a tikka and piped up to the primary school by the village band. Upon reaching the top of the village, we were in awe of the breathtaking views of the Annapurna Ranges. We were greeted by the village elder and the primary school students and teachers. Following a welcoming ceremony by the Lions Club members, the school principal and the village elder, we were treated to Nepali roti and chicken. We then presented the school with educational supplies, sporting equipment and craft materials.

After the presentation, we viewed the refurbishments made to the school building and classroom furniture. CQU had donated 200,000 rupees. The school had made good use of this money by improving the rooms and furniture. The CQU logo was featured on each desk; we appreciated this thoughtful acknowledgement of their generosity. These desks will be a long -lasting reminder of the donations from the esteemed CQU staff and students.

We were then introduced to our host families, and settled into our traditional Nepali accommodation. The hospitality shown to us was truly impressive. That evening, we enjoyed a cultural show and were able to sample the traditional Nepali millet wine.

The following day, after a delicious breakfast of boiled eggs and roti, we trekked through the fields of millet to the health camp, which was held at the Buddhodaya Higher Secondary School. The day was a great success. Almost 800 villages came to the camp for health checks; some had walked five hours to attend. The health checks on offer included gynaecology, ear, nose and throat care, electrocardiograms, ultrasounds, general medical checks and optometry. There was also a pharmacy, which supplied the necessary medication free of charge. Nursing students were divided between each area, and provided invaluable assistance to doctors. The students were also able to perform health assessments for patients prior to them seeing the doctors. Out of 250 eye checks, twenty seven villages were diagnosed with cataracts. One of the elderly patients, who was eighty four years old, had been carried in a basket by one of her family members so that she could attend. This family had to traverse rough, hilly terrain. We appreciated the assistance of Fishtail Hospital’s medical team, the Himalayan Eye Care team and the students from the CQU nursing teams. At the completion of the health camp, the CQU students gifted donations to the principal of the secondary school.

Following the least camp, the youth and women’s groups treated us to another evening of cultural dance. Dances were also performed by CQU and Lions Club members. Special mention must go to Lion Suresh Shrestha, the President, Lion Ram Bashel, the District Advisor and our Lions Club of Pokhara Annapurna Coordinator, and Lion Dudman Gurung, the Village Coordinator, for their nimbleness on the dance floor.

The next morning began with a very early start. Our host families bid us farewell with beautiful garlands and flowers and accompanied us to our transport. As we travelled down the mountain to return to Pokhara, we reflected on our experiences, the people we met and the new friends we made.