Dear friends,

Even if Maoist Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is harshly criticized by the opposition parties and his own base, no one can deny that he would not have been able to make a difference in his six-month term in office. Baburam Bhattarai is an intelligent, incorruptible politician who has a genuine vision of his country's future and does everything he can to make it a reality. Nepal is trapped between India and China, and the Prime Minister skillfully negotiates with the two fast-growing major powers so that his country can participate in this development to the best of its ability. Finally, the financial injections of the United States, European countries or the International Monetary Fund are being used in large-scale projects, and the fight against domestic corruption is now a priority. Roads and bridges are being built everywhere, and the Nepalese, who are currently the majority of the country's population, are being built.

If everything goes well, we can expect electricity to be produced by large hydroelectric power stations in a few years' time. In the Kathmandu valley alone, which has a road network of 500 km, 500 km of roads are being extended and newly built. For this, many of the houses on the roadside have to be destroyed and their owners compensated. However, the tens of thousands of people from the Siums, who have occupied government land for 30 years and often built houses there, are offered only 150 € per family to leave their settlements. That's a ridiculous sum they feel like a slap in the face. Those who have brought the Prime Minister's party to power feel unjustly treated and demonstrate as soon as the government publishes a new date in the newspaper for the destruction of the slums. The situation is protracted, but the inhabitants of the slums still believe that they will win against the state apparatus. Most of the hut settlements are located on the banks of the city's rivers, and their inhabitants simply ignore how the giant bridges grow over their heads. No one can predict when the government will suddenly send their bulldozers to "wipe out the tin huts and houses."

We adapt to the circumstances: In "our" slum of Banshigat, childcare, education classes and our nutrition program will be continued. Despite the insecure situation, we have set up a health center in a larger slum settlement for around € 1000, which has about 10,000 people. Muna, who now holds her diploma as a health assistant, and Sija examine children, women and old people and distribute medicines free of charge. Muna accompanies the people who need it to the hospital. Amit, 17, was amputated because of cancer of the right arm; he is now being prepared by "our" two young women through strict physiotherapy for an arm prosthesis. It is the lack of money, but also the ignorance of parents who often put their children in hopeless situations. Riya was a very good student a year ago. Suddenly she complained about very strong headaches and could not go to school anymore. Only after four weeks when she collapsed did her mother take her to the hospital. The diagnosis: an acute meningitis that had completely destroyed the girl's brain. She is now being fed at home in a dirty room by a feeding tube, and her chances of survival are zero.

There's also Saugat, who desperately needs a kidney. His father refuses to give him one. His mother would like to do it, but her husband and family forbid her to do it because she works on construction sites every day and feeds the extended family. Saugat will also die.

All these cases are unbearable for us because the parents are directly responsible for the misfortunes of their children. Providing material help is not difficult, but we are helpless against the incredible mental and psychological poverty of adults. Many Nepalese are diabetic and ignore the doctors' dietary recommendations and insulin prescription. "We don't have any money for that," they say, just keep saying... 80% of children under 10 months old have anemia. In remote regions, people are starving. In addition, the government's recent order to sow genetically modified maize, which promised a richer harvest, produced giant maize perennials last March, but the ripe cobs did not carry a single grain...

Suicide is also a plague in Nepal, where it is the most common cause of death for women of childbearing age. The number of deaths increases every year. The inability to bear sons and thus be condemned and condemned by society, poverty, the inability to pay their children's school fees and the violence of men make women dull, depressed and incapable of responding to emergencies. Now it is Sijas and Munas job to do as much enlightenment as possible. Through her studies, Muna is entitled to administer the three-month injection, which is intended to protect women from a new pregnancy. Unfortunately, most people do not tolerate this dangerous method of contraception. Distributing the pill is pointless because women keep forgetting to take it, and condoms are rejected by most men? Sija and Muna are not only working in the health station, but they are also organizing a duty roster that will allow us to reach more people in need in other slums. While the Prime Minister is working on modernizing his country, the people are still being forgotten.

Without organizations such as ours, the poor would be completely helpless and left alone. Once again many thanks to all of you who support this support so faithfully! We will be back with news from Kathmandu at the beginning of September.

Yours sincerely,
Elisabeth Montet