5:30 I wake up from all the sounds around me, lively discussions, pot clatter, roosters, water buffalos and children screaming while the sun makes a beautiful entrance from the Himalayas, so stunning!
5:45 I make breakfast which consists of freeze-dried rice pudding with strawberries, two eggs, coffee and peach juice.
6:30 Starting to take down my tent and pack all my things. It feels a little sad but also a feeling of relief.
7:00 I treat four children with many ugly itching mosquito bites. I understand that it is tough for them, such mosquito bites itch enormously.
8:00 Now I’m packed, I make myself a cup of coffee. First Home of Hope child arrives with his grandfather to say goodbye.
8:15 I’m going to see when they try to demolish the remnants of Karma’s and Shyam’s parents house. I don’t think it will be as simple as they would have hoped.
9:00 Many of the Home of Hope children are now here to see me off and also gives me some more mosquito bites to treat.
9:30 Having a cup of coffee in the shade as it starts to get hot again. Taking some pictures of the children with teddy bears and it feels great that they come to joy!
10:30 Raju, one of the young guys come to say goodbye. He appreciated that I played football and swam with them. He has probably thanked me five times since I have been here in the village and helped! I am really touched by his gratitude. Raju is a monk at the monastery where I usually stay when I am in Kathmandu. He has a two-month holiday after taking a three year course, and he will be back in about a week and continue another three years at the monastery.
11:00 Now I’m waiting for the car to take me to Kathmandu.
12:15 There still is no car, but we start and distribute hats and socks from Sweden. It’s the cooperative “Salmon” in Otterbäcken who made fleece hats and socks for the kids in their favorite colors! It gets very emotional for me, I am given many wreaths, scarves and flowers from the orphanage children but also young girls, old ladies, old men, and several of the football and swimming youth. I find it hard to hold the tears back when they show such appreciation. I think it’s probably about 100 people coming to say goodbye to me. I begin to realize that my presence and our Foundation help has meant quite a lot to these people in their hugely difficult situation. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this, home in Sweden!
13:15 Now the car comes and we begin to stow everything and the car becomes completely full. So many want to go in the car so it gets full, Shyam has to take his motorbike instead of riding in our car. The roof is also full with packing. We even got a bunch of chickens in the car too – quite normal in Nepal!
13:50 We drive away with the car and I do not fully trust the driver so I am feeling a bit nervous and it’s very hot. In almost every major bump hens start clacking and it is a little hard to keep myself from laughing.
17:43 Sophie calls and says she is very excited that Swedish television, TV4 want to go with us to Ratankot in the autumn to do a news report about our orphanage and our aid work on site and I think it will be very exciting! A reporter had called her during the day and they were also interested in making reports about drawing exchange between Lillängsskolan in Mariestad and school in Ratankot.
17:45 Arriving at the monastery now and the trip took only four hours today. There is much less traffic after the earthquake. We meet our friend and partner Tibetan monk Pema Dorjee Lama, so much fun to see him again. He is so happy that I have been in Ratankot and he appreciates our work in place immensely. I check myself into one of the rooms and take this year’s most appreciated shower and then I start a wash my clothes.
18:20 Sophie calling again and she is as equally excited as last time. She told me radio P4 Skaraborg wants us to come to the radio station in Skövde on Wednesday next week, a 20 min live session and talk about the situation in Nepal and our work on site. There is a lot happening right now and it’s really fun! I go and buy myself two beers and some potato chips.
18:40 I find Siri (friend from Norway and she has helped a lot in Ratankot too), she lives in this monastery hostel too. We talk a long time about our experiences and what the needs are in Nepal. Siri and Pema travel a lot together and carry out aid work in both India and Nepal. In everyday life, they live both in Dharamsala in northern India.
20:00 I make dinner and tonight it will be pasta Bolognese and Gorkha beer and it tastes delicious! After this I start the diary.
21:10 Pema comes by with apples and water, he tells us again how much he appreciates our work in Ratankot and he thinks it’s absolutely fantastic that I could stay this long in the village. Pema is so lovely, I love him dearly!
21:50 I start to hear the sound of thunder and I go to bed and I feel totally exhausted!