Nepal Malnutrition Solutions

Nepal Malnutrition Solutions

14 Nepal Rupees or 19 Cents U.S.

I went for a morning walk, it was sunrise here in Katmandu, the sun was shining and the smell of garbage was in the air. Many street cleaners were stirring the garbage both to find goodies and to clean.

I walked past these 500 Milliliter bags of Milk. I thought, I need some milk, I need to be healthy. India and Nepal, probably a few more countries in this region of the world have milk trays delivered to stores very early in the morning. I think these must have arrived around 5:30 am. I am here about 6:00. By 7:30 they will be gone, sold, and out of sight.

Most travelers and tourist are wanna be alcoholics and probably never see theses bags, unless they are stumbling home from the bar.

This is how they are sent or delivered to the store. Some of the smaller shops are coming to this stock and taking a complete box.

On this morning stroll there were few beggars, at this hour the Hashish sales and begging is at a minimum, as the soft target are sleeping. However, I did notice two groups that make me nervous to see. One is a few children barefoot, then the garbage scavengers. When a person is both barefoot and a garbage scavenger, my middle class guilt does an overload.

What this means is?
- I become a soft target for the beggars. -

I have some self-made rules on begging and I do not like to convert children to beggars by my good deeds. Therefore, seldom to children get money from me. Nevertheless, sleeping in the street, no shoes, and being a scavenger in the garbage has limits to my need to keep them upstanding citizens.

Milk, I purchased 10 Bags of Milk for 140 Rupees, or just under 2.00 Dollars U.S. I then proceed to hand out to the street urchin?s milk. I picked a large pile of trash. Stood looking, wanted make sure the were beggars or thought along them lines. I do not convert people to begging.

Attack, I gave out one bag, then another, and then the good souls started to hide the bags and try again. Nothing noble about this bunch. I knew this play, so was looking close at all the face. I knew I could only do about 10 bags before I would lose track or get trampled? (Joke, this was not dangerous.)

If every tourist did this, it would help, not much, but better than giving coins.

Nepal Malnutrition Solutions

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George Forgan-Smith said on Saturday July 15th, 2006 07:41:00 PM

It never fails to amaze me that people that go on holiday and *never* spend day light hours awake exploring. For some it is a bar hop to bar hopping experience. Having said that they paid for thier holiday so they can enjoy it as they please :)Your pics of the milk bags was a great reminder of the simple things to look for when stomping the streets :)Thanks for thatSean Cody