Major Dil Bahadur Gurung

Major Dil Bahadur Gurung

When the Major was a boy there was no school in his village. Getting to the nearest school from his home in Galem, Nepal would have meant a 2-hour walk down a dangerous foot path clinging to the side of a mountain, followed by a 2 1/2 hour uphill journey back. During the monsoon this narrow, exposed path is particularly treacherous, and there is always the danger of a rockslide (which are often started by monkeys higher up on the mountain). Not surprisingly, the children in Galem did not go to school. Not only was the nearest school too far away and too dangerous to get to, but the children were needed to help on the farm. So, the children's lives consisted of rising at the crack of dawn, feeding the animals and then going out with baskets slung on their back to collect heavy loads of firewood and feed for the animals.

The recently widened(!) path to Galem

Major Dil Bahadur Gurung would never have had a chance to go to school if it hadn't been for a very lucky break. In 1954, his cousin, who served as a Gurkha in the British Army, offered to take the boy with him to his posts around the world. And so Dilbahadur went to school for the first time at the age of 14. He went for three years, going to school in Hong Kong and Malaysia. He recalls this time as being difficult on the one hand, as he was trying to learn from teachers speaking a different language, but this was also a very happy time that was full of surprises and new experiences. Then, in 1957 Dilbahadur joined the British Gurkhas himself.

Namaste! A kindergarten student and her teacher

A little girl in Galem has opportunities her grandmother could not have imagined

Becoming a Gurkha is no small feat. The Gurkhas are an elite force, and each year thousands of young Nepali men vie for a handful of positions. Only the best of the best are selected, and they are paid well, receiving about ten times the salary of a soldier in Nepal’s military. Not only did Dil Bahadur become a Gurkha, but he rose progressively through the ranks: Private, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Sergeant Major, Lieutenant, Captain, and finally, Major. All with only three years of schooling before joining the military. During his career, the Major served in Hong Kong, Singapore and Brunnei. He raised five children and put them all through school, including a son who earned a degree in law, and a daughter who finished a bachelor’s degree.

Wearing her finest, Galem

Villager with Tika

Meanwhile, however, little had changed in Galem. In 1958, the government finally built a primary school in Galem. It was a single-room hut and the first class had 15 boys; later, girls were allowed to attend. Nonetheless, continuing school past the primary level was still such a hardship that the children had few options beyond joining the military or growing up to be farmers like their parents. Moreover, by the time the Major retired in 1986, the school was leaking badly and unable to accommodate enough children.

The Major in front of the school he helped build

The Major and his "troops"

Though he now spent most of his time in the city of Pokhara, Major Dil Bahadur dedicated himself
to improving life for the people in his village. As education was not an option when he was a child, the Major decided that educating the children of the village should be the first order of business.
Major Gurung was able to enlist the help of the Gurkhas; he received a grant from the Gurkha foundation, and raised funds from his many colleagues and friends. A pair of Italian doctors also donated heavily to construct the modern, multi-room school that stands in Galem today. With more rooms, the school is now able to accommodate students through grade 8. However, the problem has remained that to continue their schooling to grade 10 (the grade that a student needs to complete to apply for most decent jobs) the students must still make the grueling 4½ hour round trip to the nearest upper secondary school. To continue to grade 11 and 12 (called “college” or “plus one” and “plus two” in Nepal), they have to go even further away. The Major is currently working with the Nepali government to get them to fund grades 9 & 10 in Gallum. As the outlook for that is not so good (they don't even fund grade 8 in Galem!), the Major has already begun raising private funds to pay the teachers’ salaries, and two new rooms two house these grades are already under construction.

Taking a break from exams, Galem

Other improvements that the Major has facilitated for the school include a library, kindergarten with a kitchen, toilets for the boys and girls, and sports facilities. He has also brought clean water to Galem, enabled the town to improve the path to the village, and recently helped the town to acquire a motherhood health clinic.

Motherhood Clinic, Galem

New classrooms being built to accomodate the addition of 9th & 10th grades

It was my great pleasure to be able to accompany the Major on a visit to Galem along with a group of NGO representatives and reporters. For a man who has every right to be proud, the Major is a surprisingly modest man who treats everyone with great respect. The village itself is a breath of fresh air from those that lie on the well worn tourist track. The people of Galem put on quite a welcoming ceremony for us; greeting us at the edge of town, festooning us with flowers and silk scarves, and performing music and dance for us. Such ceremonies are not always sincere, but it was clear that the people of Galem were not just being polite, or just performing for us; They were polite because they are polite, and they were enjoying themselves fully, singing, dancing and laughing even when the delegation was occupied inside with presentations. We were just an excuse to have a party, and as we started the long walk back to our vehicles, we could hear the music and singing fading into the distance.

Villagers celebrating while the delegation retires inside

The party continues as the delegation departs

Helping a student in Galem is not hard to do, nor is it expensive. The Major has set up a scholarship program for the best and most needy students. $100 will support a student for one year, and can make the difference between staying in school or dropping out.

If you would like to donate, you can make out a check to:

Shree Sheetala Nimna Madhyamik Vidhyalaya (that's the name of the school!) and make a note on the check that this is for a scholarship

And, send it to:

Major Dil Bahadur Gurung 'MVO' (ret.)
Chairman
Ganeshmansing Road
Block No. 418
Bagale Tole - 8
Pokhara, Nepal

I doubt that this donation will be tax deductible in the U.S., but I'm positive that it will be money well spent.

For more information, you can contact Major Dil Bahadur by email: galemdanda@yahoo.com

Bright eyes and a bright future

Woman with Bindi

Take my picture, too!

A moustache-proud fellow

Gentleman of Galem

Dressed for celebration

Terraced fields, Galem

A Restaurant for Vultures?

Bob's "glamor" shot

It's not easy being an ugly, bald scavenger. Vultures have an image problem that is difficult to overcome. Unfortunately, this negative image is working against them at a time when several species of Asian vultures are at great risk of going extinct. In the past fifteen years or so, the population of the Gyps vultures (white-back, slender-billed and long-billed) has dropped at a frightening rate in India, Nepal and Pakistan. An estimated 99.8% of the population has vanished during this time; that means that for every 500 Gyps vultures alive 15 years ago, there is now only one.

Kevin rules the roost at Maya Devi

The problem has been traced back to the anti-inflammatory drug, Diclofenac, which is used as a painkiller for both livestock and people. Because it can get a sick animal up and working quickly, farmers regard Diclofenac as a miracle drug. Unfortunately, this "miracle drug" is lethal to Gyps vultures. When an animal dies shortly after treatment with Diclofenac, the vultures that feed on the carcass will also die. Since vultures feed in large groups, one carcass containing Diclofenac will result in the death of scores of vultures. The dwindling number of vultures in Asia means that carcasses are being left to rot, increasing the risk of spread of disease.

Bob in his element over Pokhara, Nepal

Fortunately, there are some reasons for hope. Meloxicam is a drug that can be used instead of Diclofenac and does not harm vultures (or other birds that it has been tested on). The problem, however, is that Meloxicam is slightly more expensive and is more difficult to administer than Diclofenac. Moreover, Meloxicam doesn't work as quickly or as well as the drug it is replacing. This makes it difficult to convince poor farmers with little education that the long-term benefits of preserving vultures are worthwhile. It’s especially difficult convincing the farmers about the problem because they don’t see any vultures; they often say, "Save the vultures? What vultures?"

Thermal Surfing

Diclofenac has been banned for veterinary use in countries including Nepal, India and Pakistan, and there has been an effort to buy up and remove the remaining stock of the drug. However, it is still legal for human use and thus is available in pharmacies. Since prescriptions are not needed to buy drugs in many countries in Asia, a farmer can still easily acquire Diclofenac to use on his animals.

Kiran helps out with the vultures before school

One of the methods of encouraging farmers not to use Diclofenac has been through the creation of "vulture restaurants." Under this scheme, sick livestock are purchased from farmers, which are then treated humanely (Meloxicam is administered, if needed) and the animals are allowed to live out their days in a field. When they die, they are taken to the vulture restaurant where they provide a safe meal for the vultures.

Kevin and Anita - Is she really going out with him?

Although I know something about birds of prey and spend quite a bit of my time photographing them, I was unaware that vultures were critically endangered in Asia. I learned about the situation from Scott Mason, who, in addition to being the inventor of parahawking (the hybrid sport combining paragliding and falconry), also runs Himalayan Raptor Rescue, a conservation scheme initiated by the charity Himalayan Nature. In order to raise awareness of the critical situation faced by vultures, Scott provides lectures to tour groups, and gives them a chance to spend time getting to know his two vultures, Bob and Kevin. Few people get a chance to experience vultures in such an up-close and personal way. Participants consistently comment on how charming, amusing, and almost dog-like the vultures are; they often and leave with a new appreciation for these much maligned animals.

Another tourist falls for Kevin's charms

Donations to Himalayan Raptor Rescue go directly to the rescue and rehabilitation of birds of prey, as well as toward starting a vulture restaurant in Pokhara, Nepal. If you are interested in learning more, making a donation, or perhaps, becoming a vulture restaraunteur, you can find more information on www.parahawking.com.

Hey, this vulture restaurant has a take out window!

Parahawking!

Imagine floating in a paraglider in Nepal with the distinctive point of Macchapucchare behind you. Could it possibly get any better than that?

Yes it can! Scott Mason has done just that by combining his two passions: falconry and paragliding. Scott uses rescue birds to find the thermals that make for excellent paragliding.

Birds wind up in Scott's care because they have been injured, they fell out of the nest, their nest was cut down, or they were kept as pets. When possible, the birds are returned to the wild. Those that are too badly injured or too tame to be set free, are still cared for, exercised daily and kept in Scott's ever-expanding group of aviaries. The ones that cannot be returned to the wild, but are capable of training, get a new job: Parahawking!

Bob, an Egyptian Vulture, has been called in for mid-air refueling.

And he's off again, locating thermals to keep our paraglider aloft... and to earn more snacks!

Both vultures race in for a snack from Katrina's hand - looks like Kevin won that round! Better luck next time, Bob.

Fish Farms, Pokhara

Of course, the views from the air are nothing short of stunning...


... but, to be able to live the ancient dream of soaring, literally, with the birds, is unbeatable!

The end of a very good day!

Approaching the landing field. Run water buffalo, run!

After we land safely, local kids earn extra income packing up our gliders.

Woo-hoo!

And here's the guy who kept me alive: Brad Sander, who set the world record for altitude in a paraglider - over 25,000 feet! But everyone who was at last week's costume party just knows him as Bond. James Bond.

Just hangin' with our pals

To learn more about parahawking and raptor conservation, visit Scott Mason's website: www.parahawking.com

For some amazing pictures, see Katrina Keating's parahawking blogs on her site
www.katrinakphotography.blogspot.com