Kathmandu - first stop

After a 20 hour plane ride (where I spent the first 9 hour leg to Istanbul in a mercifully provided exit row seat, and next 7 hour leg from Istanbul to Kathmandu stretched out over five middle seats on a big, blessedly empty plane), I arrived at Kathmandu on Tuesday morning.  

My colleagues Nardi and Bryan and I are well situated at the very comfortable Summit hotel in Kathmandu for a few days where we are benchmarking hospital supply chain operations at Grande hospital (big, western, caters to the wealthy) and KTM Model hospital (smaller, run by an NGO, caters to the less well off), and a few other organizations on behalf of our client, Possible Health.  We met with the head of the Nepali government's AIDS ministry for dinner and a far-ranging conversation.  Among Dr Hemant Ojha's many insightful comments was this one: "going to Achham will change the way you worship your God."  I am quite sure he's right!

I also met the fabulous Esther Laxmi of International Needs Network, Nepal, who is leading a Christian ministry among the poor in Kathmandu and outlying regions.  IN Network sponsors children, providing food and education support in concert with the public education system, and also provides vocational training and guidance to young women from around Nepal as part of its "Lydia" program.  We discussed the possibility of identifying candidates for this program from the Achham district.

Here's a blast-from-the-past Youtube link shared by my friend Jen to get you in the Kathmandu spirit.

I'm really grateful that we're off to such a strong start on our project here in Nepal!