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Showing posts from March, 2014

Even gods need a break

I have been entrusted with the most respectful job in my house since my mother in law passed away more than a year ago. While family members discussed who would perform daily prayers at home I slowly raised my hand and nominated myself. My husband commented casually – this should be as simple as getting a cup of tea from the kitchen. I thought to myself – this couldn’t be any more complicated. So it’s been almost a week now – I have been paying homage to the almost 20 gods’ pictures hanging and resting in our pray room.  For a year I thought to myself how would I pray? I am not an atheist. I may rebuff occasionally about how most of our festivals are paradigm to our gods and holy everything. I may argue thousand times with myself and anyone interested that the 33 million gods will not punish me for being a woman and for my impeccably well timed menstrual cycle. I pray mostly on my stomach full and I refuse to open my shoes in temples; I know I am not an atheist. I don’t h...

No mother should die giving birth!

After discussing the dismal standards of our health posts in far west since January among the team, we decided to check our health posts around Kathmandu Valley to help us understand and compare. A few calls to some enthusiastic locals, we set out to explore the health posts of Lalitpur District Area 1. Situated only 35 km away from the capital, the health posts in Sankhu, Bhattedanda and Pyutaar were neglected to such an extent it was disturbing for us to fathom the distance from the capital. The birthing centers housed in the health posts lacked the minimum health standards set by the government. The health posts are highly understaffed. The road to Sankhu, Bahttedanda and Pyutaar is motorable but hold your breath if you are driving to these places for the first time – the ride is definitely not for the faint hearted. The health post in Sankhu is a three room structure sitting idly – one room dedicated for birthing with one iron bed and nothing in site. The other two rooms ...