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Star trekkers
Late last year, housing association whg sent 17 members of staff from across the organisation to Nepal. The aim of the expedition? To learn from and help to build one of the country’s nascent affordable housing projects, as part of a plan to raise £50,000 for the charity Reall (formerly known as Homeless International). Here’s a peek into the adventure of a lifetime from Rob Gilham, corporate director of the 19,000-home social landlord
Day 1: Monday 17 November
Today we set off on our sponsored journey from whg’s Walsall head office to Kathmandu. It seemed everyone in the office had come to wave us off and show their support.
All of our group of 17, from plumber to chief executive, was caught up in excitement and some anxiety about the trip ahead, particularly one colleague about to overcome her fear of flying by travelling 4,578 miles in three planes over two days.
Day 2: Tuesday 18 November
When we finally landed in Kathmandu, the luggage carousel wasn’t working, so a member of staff climbed through the hole and started passing out bags. We all took turns helping – little did we realise this hand-to-hand method of moving heavy objects would become a feature of our time in Nepal.
We were greeted by our guide and driver, each receiving a garland of highly scented marigolds. While I was taking a photo of our group, our quantity surveyor was inspecting some dodgy scaffolding only just holding up a partially constructed building – he was clearly agitated.
Our hotel had a beautiful courtyard garden but the rooms were basic. However, at least there was tepid and cold running water! Of the previous group of 30 trekkers there, 28 had got sick, with some unable to complete the trip. Thus began our obsession with the hand sanitiser…
We headed out to our first meal of local cuisine. We were warned the food would be bland but the curries were full of flavour – and the accompanying cup of what appeared to be a cocktail of lighter fuel and washing up liquid went down surprisingly easily – we slept well.
Day 3: Wednesday 19 November
(Left to right) Ian Kendrick, Rob Gilham and Dharmesh Patel from whg put their bricklaying skills to use
We took an internal flight to Pokhara. where we are going to visit a project to build 279 homes for rent to low income households. First we head out to meet our project lead from Lumanti, a local charity which builds the homes. We visited the project and again there was a warm welcome from the local community who gave us flowers. Now we knew how to say ‘Namaste’ (‘Hello’ or ‘I bless the divine in you’), the people were so gracious - we got lots of practice saying it.
We were shown around some of the new homes which were quite small with a lounge, bedroom, kitchen (not as we would know it – no fittings, as people cook on gas camping stoves) and an outside toilet.
It was great to see people making these simple dwellings their home and there is a real sense of community. The residents aspire to home ownership (they pay £40 a month for seven years, then the place is theirs) but their hopes are simple – a safe, sanitary place to call home.
When we were told back in the UK that a home could be built for around £4,000 we couldn’t believe it, but here they were and they were pretty fantastic – in fact, life changing.
Day 4: Thursday 20 November
whg and Lumanti staff working hard to help build affordable homes for families in Pokhara
Work on the project was hard and labour-intensive, with no machinery and few tools. We worked all day alongside local builders, with some of us digging out footings for a new house, some creating foundations using large rocks dug from the site and others laying bricks in the part-built house. I tried out all three tasks.
The guy using a pick to break up the ground for footings wore flip-flops – when we asked if such footwear was appropriate, we were told: ‘They don’t have anything else.’ Building work provides employment for locals who earn £1 a day. It’s hard to find work here, so people take up every opportunity.
Day 5: Friday 21 November
Back on site, we noticed small children watching the building work. During a break, we decided to teach them to play tag – given the language barrier, we had to show by example. The children were also intrigued by our cameras and began posing in groups.
Seeing these children made us think of our families back home, but their poverty was evident. This was the hard bit – accepting that we can’t change everything overnight, but a safe home is a great start.
We finished workfor the day, ending with music and a dance. This is when we first began to recognise the local folk song, which was to become the trip’s anthem.
At the end of the build, Lajana Manandhar, executive director of Lumanti, thanked us and said how impressed and grateful she was for how hard we worked, making more progress than Lumanti expected. It was a proud moment and reminded us why we had come. Rather than just sending money to a project, this visit was about acknowledging our respect for one another and recognising the dignity in working hard as a team.
Day 6: Saturday 22 November
(Left to right) Suzie Greenop, April Bradley and Gemma Breakwell and Teresa Huburn from whg enjoying a relaxing moment
Having packed our things, we set off for Lake Phewa. As we walked to our boats the poverty, lack of amenities and challenges of living here were obvious. We passed women washing their clothes on the lake shoreline but, within 10 metres, we passed a pipe discharging untreated sewage into the lake, and men were line fishing a further 10 metres down. Life here is hard but people get on with it.
After crossing the lake we trekked the 9.7km to Bhumdi, walking through lush green forests and visiting a Buddhist temple. Views were spectacular of the Annapurna mountain range and we got our first clear sight of Fishtail Mountain. This signalled another stage in the trip – the opportunity to see some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. There was a real buzz in the group – it seemed a long way from our practice walks up Snowdon.
We visited some local people, including an older women sitting outside her small home which was full of smoke (there was a fire but no chimney). She had a goat for company and explained she had had a fall and was unwell, but there was no access to medical services and her son had left to work in Kathmandu, so she was struggling to keep going. It was really difficult to leave her and it brought home to us how this remote mountainous landscape was beautiful yet harsh.
We reached our campsite where the sherpas prepared another fantastic meal. We soon found out who snores and, as a result, some people tried to swap tent partners…
Day 7: Sunday 23 November
Another 10.5km trek, taking in amazing views and visiting a local secondary school where we took part in a volleyball game. It reminded us that children are the same the world over – competitive, full of joy and energy, and much better at sport than middle-aged men!
Day 8: Monday 24 November
We trekked on to the village of Bhadaure, a settlement of the Gurung people who are originally from Mongolia. The trek is a difficult one and we reached the highest point – 2,482 metres – where we noticed the drop in temperature, but thank goodness the sherpas made a camp fire.
After dinner they danced round the campfire, singing local folk songs – it was quite magical until they asked us to sing a song. Unfortunately, all that came to mind was Bohemian Rhapsody and, in the dark, it was essential to parody the original video using our torches to light our faces – but the sherpas were definitely impressed, I think…
Day 9: Tuesday 25 November
The final day’s trek took us through various villages, ending at Naudanda. We stopped off at a local infant school which supports a very poor community – the uniforms were old, shabby and ill-fitting and the classrooms were empty of materials. We handed out gifts to the children and were amazed at how a few pens, pencils and balloons can bring so much enjoyment.
This visit stirred mixed emotions – it was very special to meet these children and the two teachers and volunteers who support them. However, it was very hard to see such poverty. We talked to the headmaster and got contact details, so we can look at supporting this school long-term when we get home.
Having picked up our transfer back to Pokhara, we spent the evening reflecting over dinner on our amazing trip – how it feels like we have been in Nepal for a year but, at the same time, it’s all over too fast.
Day 10: Wednesday 26 November
After flying back to Kathmandu, we spent half a day touring local temples. As myself and Gary Fulford, chief executive of whg, were photographed with two dreadlocked holy men, there was much laughter. This has been an amazing experience and we have become a real team – regardless of our job titles, we have all experienced new things and shared this journey together.
As we began our long flights home, we started planning opportunities to ensure these relationships stay intact and our experience in Nepal has a lasting legacy for whg – our commitment to a small school providing desperately needed education in a village 4,578 miles away…
Seventeen of whg’s staff went on the Nepal trip. Here are some of their observations
Mark Feeney, plumber
‘It was a brilliant trip – it opened my eyes a lot to other parts of the world and how people live there. It has completely changed my outlook on life and my way of thinking in terms of what we need in life.
‘Even though many of the people were poor by our standards, they were healthy and seemed happy enough just to have a roof over their heads. It made me realise what a throwaway life we lead and how much waste there is.
‘I think the trip has changed my life for the better. I’m more active now and it has really made me want to help other people more. I’m determined to carry on fundraising for Homeless International [now Reall] and other charities in the years to come.’
April Bradley, customer services advisor
‘Working on the house-building project was really hard, doing things like digging out foundations with pickaxes and shovels, but the whole trip was just so rewarding.’
Julie Hollender, eco-planner
‘I think the trip has changed the way we all see things. It really brings home the fact that money isn’t everything and makes you less materialistic.
‘It has affected us all in different ways but it has really inspired us. We are now setting up a charity fundraising group at whg, to carry on this sort of work, and we have all become firm friends so we still meet up and go on walks together. It’s been fantastic.’
Theresa Huburn, director of human resources
‘From an organisational development point of view, the trip was very good as it broke down barriers and brought colleagues together from a diverse range of functions and backgrounds.
‘In the run-up to it, the fundraising we did also got people working together and involved a lot more colleagues than actually went on the trip. Some of the things we did, such as the Pictures in the Park outdoor cinema event, have given us ideas for future non-fundraising local community activities for our residents.’
