Once More In Nepal To Rebuild and Rejoice with the JRM Foundation [Day 1]

JRM Foundation led by Dr. Fahim Rahim is back in Kathmandu, Nepal. It’s Day 1 of a weeklong expedition to continue the important work that we started immediately after the devastating earthquake in April 2015. This time the priority has shifted from short-term disaster relief to long-term sustainable projects that will empower and lift communities. In short, after the earthquake in a time for desperate measures and we were “handing out fishes” but now we’re back to “teach them how to fish.” The focus is not to give a hand out, but a hand up.

Wheels up from Delhi!

The morning started off in New Delhi with my bags packed and a Uber ready to take me to the international airport. Any flight to Kathmandu feels like a homecoming because I spent virtually all of my time here until I went to the States for college. As the wheels of my Indigo Airlines flight touched off — the enormous scale of Delhi’s air pollution crisis is unmistakable.

Did you know that air pollution causes 6.5 million premature deaths every year in the world? Do you know the air quality in your city? You can easily find out with Smokey, this facebook messenger chatbot that I made.

It only takes a couple of minutes for our the flight to ascend through the “clouds” and we’re greeted with the majestic Himalayan mountain range to the North. We’re flying directly East and all eyes in the plane are out the left windows. Despite flying in-and-out of Kathmandu dozens of times, this view never ceases to amaze me.

Hello Kathmandu.

The Kathmandu airport is far better organized today than I have ever seen it. Now the various baggage claim belts are numbered — so you know where to reasonably expect your luggage. It was a guessing game until very recently. Ha! I fly through customs, baggage claim and hail a pre-paid taxi. Not to the hotel, but straight to our first meeting.

Reunion with the JRM team!

I meet up with Dr. Rahim, Fatima, Gokul dai and Mr. Lama and we step into the US embassy for a meeting with the Her Excellency US Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz. She was very kind and generous to us all with her time and her attention. Dr. Rahim shared our plans in Nepal for this week-long trip and discussed some longer-term projects. I can’t go into any more detail than that about our conversation because it was a private “off the record” meeting. Thank you Ambassador Teplitz and her team for meeting with us and your hospitality.

It’s late afternoon as we shuttle off to our hotel and the entire team has one thing on our mind — chicken momos.

After some delicious momos and Nepali masala chai, we had a few more planning meetings and discussed logistics at the hotel. We have a packed week ahead of us and it’s super important to get some rest tonight because from tomorrow onwards we’re on Dr. Rahim’s schedule - and that means it’s always go time. :)

Dr. Ehsun Mirza, Laila and Rayaan landed in Nepal overnight after I had drifted off to sleep. I look forward to meeting them today — and the rest of the JRM that is currently flying to Kathmandu from various airports in the States via China.