Medical, Educational, and Peace Organization
MEPO Nepal

an independent, non-governmental, and charity organization

Issue # 4
June 2000

THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEPO
" Provide medical care, prevention and education in remote areas of Nepal, Kathmandu Valley and elsewhere needed
" Working in cooperation with other aid-giving individuals and organizations (NGO's) as well as hospitals to best maximize resources available and provide health care to many people as effectively as possible
" Help ease some of the sufferings in a small corner of the world due to poverty, disease and lack of hygiene
" Promote unity, teamwork, a sense of community, togetherness and peace among people who have never met each other and yet need one another's help and presence

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Brochure #3
June, 2000

"Live for others…"

A Message from the Coordinator

As much as this is a world in which to live, to grow, to enjoy and to find meaning for our existence, it is at the same time a world of sufferings for many. Many suffer from spiritual poverty, depressed and wishing to die or commit suicide, yet many suffer from material poverty wishing to live and survive hunger. The needy people of our planet should not be left forgotten whether in the rich industrial West or in poor developing countries. They need help, and at times urgent help.
On the individual level, the joy of money, consumer intoxication, and vigorous egoism have debased the integrity of our moral values, family institution, and a caring community. "You can earn the whole world, but what use if you lose yourself?" Luke 9:25. On the global scale, the progressing new world order of militarization, pollution and ruthless and heartaching propagation of discrimination and hatred are threatening us and our children.
Certainly there is a right time for everything and for every good decision. The affairs and sad matters of this world should be handled and balanced out by caring people and not by those who seek immediate profit and domination. The first step is an easy one: Since countries won't demilitarize, we should disarm ourselves by reducing consumerism. The aim is to avoid the products and actions which we recognize as unnecessary and harmful. To cut down on the excessive use of paper napkins and tissues would preserve our trees and our environment; to curb this problem, we could go back to our old style reusable and washable handkerchiefs. The casual consumption of soft drinks, cigarettes, alcohol, plastic products, electronic devices and even driving cars or flying merely for fun should be reduced as part of disarming ourselves. Boycotting products sold by exploitive companies is also a serious responsibility which all conscious and caring persons should consider. Remember that this is not a world of indifference!
The inner impulses like devils are driving us, as we have become our own prisoners and enemies - the inner enemy. By being able to control our consumer impulses, we can then help ourselves as individuals and others as groups. To simplify and reduce this impulse, one may consider practicing this: not to eat when you are not hungry, and not to buy what you don't need!
Self-liberation has often been sought through esoteric practices, meditation, mellow vegetarianism and subtle humanism, which have helped some individuals bring changes in their world. Some have tried through helping others to achieve their ideal goals and others by serving their God. Any of these works, as long as they bring a degree of peace in our world, is granted honor. But we must also be conscious of our group responsibilities transcontinentally. The children who suffer from vitamin deficiency, people infected by AIDS, tuberculosis, or other serious infections, destruction of our ecological lungs - trees, the helpless folks of remote areas, as well as escalation in armaments, and domestic and international political manipulations by clever opportunistic politicians are also our malaise.
The solutions always lie in individuals. Being prudent and maintaining responsible behavior slowly changes our world within and without. Sensitive and intelligent individuals would never fall for cheap stereotypings and discrimination against any ethnic group, religion, or nation. Stereotyping originates directly from ignorance. We must be wary of the political and psychological distractions created by the media, which does not portray an objective picture of the injustices of the world. Our scientists, university experts and technocrats should take more time to deal with acute and chronic aspects of our sufferings and dilemmas and popularize their humanistic approaches rather than stay exclusively in the service of profitable institutions. We as one family must always look for alternatives and reform our corners before the imbalances paralyze us - imbalances like crime, poverty, disease, uncontrolled irresponsibilities by environment-polluting countries and companies, ignorance, and war.
At whichever end of the problem and at whatever time we begin to fix the little things is the starting point - only when our ego and self-righteous attitudes have disappeared.

"The chain of steps determines the path, but the first step makes the path appear." (Attar, Persian mystic poet, d.1220)

Mostafa Vaziri
Kathmandu, May, 2000
MEPO UPDATE January - May 2000

Health Camps

MEPO carried out several successful health camps in the countrysides of Nepal, particularly in those areas deprived of medical care. Our health camps are simple yet our effort is concentrated on the efficiency of our service to local people. It may be of interest to you to know how our health camps are run:

1. We are invited by the Village Development Committee (VDC) of an area to conduct a camp in that VDC. After we set a date for the camp, the VDC organizes publicity in the area to let people know about it.
2. In the meantime, in Kathmandu we assemble a team of volunteer doctors, medical students, social workers, and staff/assistants. These are often volunteers or tourists interested in helping.
3. We put together a supply of medicines and supplies to run the camp. These medicines are either donations, or bought by MEPO. We then travel to the village either by flying or busing, then hiking if necessary, sometimes hiring porters to carry the bags and boxes of medicines to our final destination.
4. The VDC arranges the site for us to run the camp, usually in a school or in the village health post. They provide a room, desks, chairs, a table to serve as an examining bed, a curtain for patient privacy, and soap and water for washing up.
5. The VDC also arranges our lodging and food. Usually we sleep on the floor in the school itself, or sometimes in someone's house. They arrange meals for us, serving us dal bhat (rice and lentils) for lunch at the camp, and in the evening
6. The VDC helps with the organizational logistics of the camp, registering patients, and doing crowd control. During the camp, patients first register, then enter the room for their medical history to be taken before being seen by the doctor. Before leaving the room they receive their prescribed medicines as well. A doctor can typically see 50 to 75 patients per day. Ideally, the village health post worker is also involved in the camp, learning from the doctor about treatments, medicines, and first aid, so that he can better serve his village after we leave.
7. Patients are also advised about diet and hygiene. To children we usually give a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a pen, and teach them how to brush their teeth properly.
8. Adult patients usually suffer from gastritis, chest infection (chronic pulmonary diseases), arthritis, anemia, and gynecological problems. Smoking and drinking are also major health issues here. Younger patients typically have ear, throat, skin, gastrointestinal, chest, worm, and parasitic infections.
9. The cost of these health camps varies drastically depending on the means of transportation, the number of MEPO team members, and the duration of the camp. It can cost as little as 7000Rs ($100) to as much as 70,000Rs ($1000).
10. We provide all examinations and medicines to patients free of charge, which is why MEPO needs ongoing support, to continue this work.
11. From August to December 1999, we served a total of 1244 patients at various health camps.
Below is a total of the number of patients seen in our health camps from January to May:

SITE NUMBER OF PATIENTS

Health Camps Travel from Kathmandu
Dimuwa 9 hrs by bus 209
Rakha ½ hr flight+ 9hr hike 249
Lalitpur ½ hrs by car 219
Pame 8 hrs by bus 157
Golphu 5 hrs by bus+5 hr hike 100
Balambu 45 min by car 210
Thankot 45 min by car 230
SUB-TOTAL 1374

Ongoing Medical Check-ups (in Kathmandu)
Orphanage 29
Women's prison 37
Monastery 40
SUB-TOTAL 106
TOTAL 1480

Kathmandu: MEPO Free Clinic
This clinic serves the community and provides medicines completely free of charge.

Distribution of Clothes, Pencils, and Toothbrushes
MEPO has, on a small scale, been able to distribute these needed items to a number of families and individuals.

Leprosy Village (Seti Devi)
MEPO is presently supporting a few families infected by leprosy in a village outside of Kathmandu. We would like to support more individuals in the leprosy village once there are more financial resources available.

Financial Assistance
MEPO provided some financial assistance to certain poor patients whose conditions were critical and needed hospitalization. A donation was also given to a school of 400 students in Parbat District (Dimuwa health camp).

MEPO's Insulin Program
MEPO has started to provide free insulin supply (2 injections daily) for five insulin-dependent diabetic patients who simply cannot afford it and yet it is vital for their health and life.

Donations of Medicine
MEPO donated some of its antibiotics to health posts and local hospitals:
-Bir Hospital, Kathmandu
-Scheer Memorial Hospital, Banepa
-Dr. Bhushan Shrestha's Clinic, Banepa
-Rakha health post

Ongoing Medical Support at Institutions in Kathmandu
-Women's Prison
-Orphanage
-Mahayana Buddhist Monastery (child monks)

Networking Volunteers
MEPO has been successful in placing volunteers such as teachers and nurses in institutions where they could contribute their expertise.

Hygiene, Smoking, Alcohol, and Diet Counseling
Our staff has tried in every health camp to advise patients of all ages whether in a group or individually regarding these crucial preventive matters. Children have also been encouraged and taught how to brush their teeth.

High School Students Workshop
MEPO accepted a group of students from Lincoln International School in Kathmandu for a week of training in the field of most common diseases in Nepal for their Explore Nepal program. This was the first time for this program, and it was very well received.

Doctor and Medical Student Training Program
Apart from informal participation of medical students in our health camps, MEPO received one medical student from Britain and one recently graduated doctor from Israel for training in the field of infectious diseases under the supervision of Dr. Bhushan Shrestha in Banepa. The training covered the theoretical and practical aspects of tropical medicine..

Dolpo Health Camp Postponed…
Due to political unrest and lack of security in the region, MEPO's plans to conduct a health camp in the remote area of Dolpo have been postponed.

MEPO'S UPCOMING PLANS
" Support the establishment of a 15-bed clinic and research center in Banepa for doctor and medical student training and MEPO Free Clinic in that region, facilitated by Dr. Bhushan Shrestha, Vice-Chairman and Physician/Consultant to MEPO
" Open a channel of communication with Afghanistan authorities to possibly carry out health camps in the neediest areas of that country, provided permission and security are established
" Continue to conduct health camps in remote areas of Nepal
" Continue the distribution of medicines, toothbrushes, pens and pencils
" Continue the doctor-medical student training program
" Establish a MEPO web site
" Register as a non-profit organization in the US (State of Ohio)

MEPO'S NEEDS
" Volunteer doctors, medical students
" Materials to distribute such as world maps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, pencils
" Various medicines for primarily treatment of infectious diseases such as parasites, worms, skin, pulmonary, eye, ear, throat and gastro-intestinal conditions., as well as multivitamins. (A list of MEPO's needed medicines is available upon request.)
" Medical equipment: ophthalmoscope, otoscope, ECG machine, peak flow, stethoscope, fetoscope, ENT equipment
" Monthly financial assistance to be able to run our free-of-charge programs
" The need for individuals who could propagate the message of peace, serving others, reducing consumerism, loving nature, life and people of this world, taking responsibility to make contributions to our small and larger world. These interested individuals could either carry out their duties on their own personally or in collaboration with MEPO. We welcome these noble persons and wish them peace and strength on this challenging path.

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS…
…to these parties who assisted us with our programs in the latter part of 1999 and early 2000. Without the support of these and other caring, inspiring individuals, MEPO would not be able to carry out this work. We are grateful for this support, both material and spiritual, and hope to continue to receive such assistance in the future.

Financial Donors
" Dr. Uta Maley Dr. Renate Larndorfer
" Miss Mitra Samak-Abedi Dr. Peter/Martina Barth
" Dr. Gunda Scalmani-Barth Ms. Lisbeth Bachmann
" Ms. Assieh S. Ghassemi Prof. Asef Bayat
" Ms. Doris Saberi Dr. Murle Mordy
" Univ. Doz. Dr. Elmar Waibl Dr. Ramin/Shadi Bayat
" The family of Paula Brasavon The family of Morteza Vaziri
" Ms. Ann de Raeymaecker Mrs. Rosalinde Edinger
" Mr. Keith Chevenak Miss Brigitte Lukasser
" Father (E.H.) Paul de Bruyne Mr. Jamyang Lodoe Tamang
" Jerry and Sydney Schardt Kleiderkammer - Germany
" Catherine Joriot American Peace Corps/Nepal
" Ms. Lida Ghaemi Mrs. Hiltrud Barth
" Mrs. Jigme Choden Dr. Zia Taheri
" Dr. Jakob Edinger Dr. Bernt Heizmann
" Dr. Deylami Dr. Schwarzenberger
" Ms. Andrea Jessenig
" Mrs. Ensieh Edinger-Taheri -President of MEPO Austria
" Mrs. Elizabeth Kimbrough-Pradhan -Nepal Nutrition Intervention Project Sarlahi-NNIPS &Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health
" Cleveland Chamber Collective and those who donated at the benefit concert for MEPO on Feb. 20, 2000, Cleveland, Ohio
" Ms. Carol Schoffmann and the many donors at the benefit slide/art show held for MEPO

Assistance and Service - Donations of time and volunteerism in Nepal
" Martina Streeck, nurse (Germany)
" Jason Westra, Peace Corps Volunteer (USA)
" Dr. Marton Szell (Austria)
" Brigitte ________ physiotherapist, (Austria)
" Dr. John Krueger (USA)
" Dr. Daphna Shefet (Israel)
" Heidi Piele, medical student (Scotland)
" Miki Murakami, nursing student (Japan)
" Dr. Danielle Naus (Holland)
" Ms. Lucie Penninck (Belgium)
" Ms. Ann de Raeymaecker (Belgium)
" Alain Laville (France)
" Jean-Claude Barrere (France)
" Lea Stocker (Switzerland)
" Jampa Kelsang Tamang (Nepal/Tibet)
" Tenzin Khedup (Nepal/Tibet)

Donations of Medicines and Supplies
" Dr. Katrin Jaeger (Germany)
" Mr. Tenzing Chomphel (Tibet)
" Mr. Morteza Vaziri (Iran)
" Mrs. Elizabeth Kimbrough Pradham (USA, Nepal)
" Ms. Kate Armstrong (USA)
" Biochemie GmbH (Vienna, Austria)
" Gebrueder Weiss Cargo (Austria)
" Ordre de Malte (France)
" Dr. Bahman Dolati (Austria/Iran)
" Dr. Hamid Homayouni (Austria/Iran)
" Mr. Jalil Pourman (Austria/Iran)
" Mr. Jochen Hoffgen-Dasi Organization (Germany)
" Tourists in Nepal (all over the world)

Overseas Advisors and Fundraising
" Mrs. Ensieh Edinger-Taheri (Austria/Iran)
" Ms. Carol Schoffmann (USA)
" Ms. Lucie Penninck (Belgium)
" Ms. Ann de Raeymaecker (Belgium)
" Ms. Assieh S. Ghassemi (USA)
" Father (E.H.) Paul de Bruyne (Belgium)

Cover Story of this Issue….A Young Asian Poet

In February we conducted a four-day health camp in the remote village of Rakha in eastern Nepal. Rakha is accessible only by foot, so after a 40 minute flight from Kathmandu, we had to hike for two days to get there; once there, we ran a camp that was full of challenges and overwhelming experiences. One of the most memorable events began on the first day of the camp. Around 5pm at the end of that first day, we had begun to clean things up, seeing the last few patients of the day. Suddenly there was a commotion outside and murmurs of an emergency; a ten or eleven-year-old boy with a bloody head was led into the room. He had fallen out of a bamboo tree, apparently, landing on a rock, and now had an X-shaped gash just above his forehead that was bleeding profusely. We immediately sat him down and began cleaning his head, trying to stop the bleeding. Mostafa swabbed it with cotton, and the depth of the gash became evident. He prepared to douse it with antiseptic and said it was going to hurt, more to us than to the boy, who was sitting very calmly as we worked on him. He had dark brown eyes that followed our movements expressionlessly, not with the dullness of being in shock, but with acceptance and stoicism. This calmness remained unchanged even after pouring on the antiseptic - we knew it had to hurt, yet he showed nothing, no reaction.
Mostafa began talking of needing to stitch it up because of the danger of infection with such a deep cut, and at minimum leaving a very bad scar if not stitched up. But before anything could be done, the area around the wound needed to be shaved. Someone brought a razor that still had whisker stubble on it from its owner's face. Mostafa tried to clean it off, and then began shaving around the wound, the dry scraping sound and the sight of the razor pulling on the torn skin causing us all to wince, and yet still, not one sound, not one flinch from this boy. We began to whisper among ourselves at this kid's strength, thinking he couldn't take much more without crying out, yet the stitching remained to be done.
We now had to move outside: the sun was setting and there was no electricity; it was too dark to work inside. We bundled up in our sweaters and jackets and laid the boy, wearing his thin jacket and torn pants, on a bench outside. Indra, the health post worker in Rakha, had to shine a flashlight on the boy's head as in a rudimentary operating theater. The wind whipped around us as Mostafa put on gloves and prepared the suturing needle, the thread blowing around his hands as he worriedly shook his head at the non-sterile conditions. We sprayed what little local anaesthetic we had on the boy's head, and tried not to think about the pain he would feel anyway. And our incredulity grew as we watched Mostafa begin to pierce the edges of the skin with the suturing needle and we saw that the boy still never winced or whimpered, just lay quietly with his eyes still wide open, looking up into Mostafa's concentrating face and at the darkening sky above. How he could be so quiet while feeling the thread and needle being pulled through his skin to make four stitches was incomprehensible to us. He had no family there with him, no one familiar there to hold his hand or pat his shoulder, only these foreigners who tried to be comforting while they did these painful things.
Finally it was done. Blobs of antiseptic cream, then a clean gauze pad and bandage wrapped around his head, and we sent him home with antibiotics and pain medicine and instructions to come back at 1:30 the next day. He left, and we all looked around at each other, a little in shock ourselves at what had just happened.
The next day we were worried - Would there be any infection? Had he kept it clean? Will he come back as instructed? Amazing - at 1:30 exactly he returned, wordlessly peering in the window, the bandage around his head still surprisingly white.
I realized that in yesterday's intensity, we had never heard his voice, didn't even know his name. Now in the normalcy of afterwards, I began to ask him about himself as I unwrapped the bandage. He was in third grade, and Nepali was his favorite subject and yes, he liked to write poetry. His name was Khandeswor Dahal. We talked briefly about a famous Nepali poet we both like, and I told Khandeswor that I would really enjoy reading some of his poetry if he wanted to share it with me. He gave a teeny smile in response, but said nothing. In the meantime I'd redressed his wound, which was thankfully clean and infection-free thus far. Mostafa checked him over, made sure he was taking his medicine, and told him to come back in two days, on the last day of the camp.
That last day, he again appeared silently, waiting until I was free, and we went to a quiet corner. This time as I unwrapped his bandage I asked him how he'd been feeling, sleeping, if there was much pain. Fine, fine, not much, were his somber responses, until my next question: "Did you bring a poem?" Suddenly those brown eyes opened wide and a smile took over his face as be began digging in his pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper. I opened it; across the top was written "Kabita" in Nepali - "Poem" - and lines written below. I returned his smile, and asked him to read it to me, which he did quickly and quietly. It was simple and powerful, especially for a third grader. I thanked him, asked if I could keep it, and he said yes.
Mostafa then checked his head again - it looked great, no sign of infection. We arranged for him to return in a week to meet Jason (the Peace Corps volunteer in Rakha) and Indra so that Indra could remove the stitches and Jason could follow up on Khandeswor's condition, since we would be gone by then. We gave him a toothbrush, a pen, took his picture, I thanked him again for the poem, and we said goodbye and namaste. I thought he seemed a little sad, but it was hard to tell-just as he didn't express his physical pain, he showed very little emotion.
After finishing the camp that day, Jason asked Mostafa to come check a man who lived just a minute's walk away, but was too sick to come to the camp. He had been suffering from tremors, hallucinations, and paranoia for a month, we learned as we walked there. And then more information: he was Khandeswor's father. And his wife, Khandeswor's mother, was dead. We arrived at the house just as all this news was given to us; we didn't even have time to absorb the implications about the condition of this family. We found Khandeswor's father, a man in his mid 40's, sitting on the front porch, unkempt, shaking, agitated, fearful and unable to leave the porch. After asking several questions of other family members, Mostafa was fairly certain that the man had been suffering from malaria for the past month. The man had to go to the hospital for treatment; there was no choice. Yet that meant a two-day difficult hike, and considerable expense for this poor farming family. We could do no more than try to convince the man and his family of the seriousness, and afterwards we gave Jason 1000 Rupees to give to the family for the journey, if they were able to convince the man to go.
The stoicism of Khandeswor in the face of this physical pain he suffered with us suddenly was easier to understand. He was used to pain, used to suffering, even at ten years old. But his quiet, courageous nature will enable him to survive the dark candlelit nights of Rakha; during the days he is hopefully composing more poetry, playing and studying with his classmates and growing up, facing his family's difficult situation with the same transcendent heroic attitude we saw that day.

By Allison M. Lide
__________________________________________________________

Poem

Hardships of Life

Me, hard-working little one,
Life's message for me in my endless work comes.
My family's house is simple and small,
Only when I'm sitting inside does the chill from me fall.
My brothers and sisters, family are plenty,
But everyone's sufferings also are many.
To study, to write, is my deepest desire,
But I find my only reality to be the bread from our fire.
A life of hard work is all that I know.
It seems that the pain of life will be so.

Poet's Name: Khandeswor Dahal
Grade: Three
Age: 10 (?)

Translated from the Nepali by Allison Lide

SUPPORTING MEPO…
To individuals in North America who wish to help us with donations, we must say we are not yet a registered non-profit organization in the U.S.A. Therefore, you can send your donations either via bankdraft or checks to:

M. Vaziri 10882 Rose Ave. #208, Los Angeles, CA 90034 USA
[Carol…….Ohio]
In Europe you can send bankdrafts or eurochecks to:

Please do NOT send donations of any form directly to Nepal.

Members of the Committee(MEPO Nepal):
Kunsang Dorje Lama (Chairman), Dr. Bhushan Shrestha, M.D. (Vice-chairman), Ram Raj Subedi(Secretary), Hira Prasad Dhamala (Treasurer), Tenzing Chomphel (Field Advisor), Norbu Tsering Shrestha, Sonam Gyatso Lama, Jhalak Prasada Subedi, Allison Lide (Educational Advisor),
Mostafa Vaziri, PhD, M.D. (Coordinator)

MEPO Nepal Email: mepo.na@usa.net
PO Box 20346 Kathmandu, Nepal Bank account: Nepal Arab Bank
Tel. 977-1-418553 (Nabil Bank,Kathmandu)
Fax. 977-1-410853 Acct.# 0110013504701

Members of the Committee (MEPO Austria)
Mrs. Ensieh Edinger-Taheri (President), Dr. Mostafa Vaziri (Vice-President), Dr. Ramin Bayat (Coordinator), Dr. Ernest Abel (Treasurer)

*This brochure is available and distributed in English, French and German.
*Thanks to Jerry and Anita Lide for assistance in the publication of this brochure.