On the way to Dang

I made a 5 day road trip out to western Nepal with Ashok (CDRA Director), Bikram (driver), Anup (Ashok’s son/volunteer), Rupak (volunteer), and Rubita (volunteer). We spent most of the time in the southern plains, called the Tarai region. It’s very flat and extremely hot and humid.  It is also very rural and poor.

Traffic out of Kathmandu

The first day we drove from Banepa to Dang. On the way there, we stopped at one of CDRA’s previous projects. A guy named Lou Capozzola was visiting his daughter in Nepal and saw a newspaper headline about a rope bridge that snapped. A few people drowned in the water below. He decided to fund a project to build a suspension bridge over a river. Before the suspension bridge was in place, people crossed the river by pulling them selves across in flimsy seats on a single cable or rope. There are still many bridges like this. It is hard for farmers to cross with their produce and for children who cross the river every day to go to school. The new bridge makes traffic easier and safer for everyone.

Dedication plaque

The whole bridge.

Bikram, local kids, Rubita, me

Next, we briefly visited an eye hospital. This coming fall, CDRA will host a large eye camp. This is one of the locations where they will set up shop.

Vision test conducted outside

millipede/centipede

hospital

More hospital

Operating theater

mangoes!