First day in a kayak on Pokhara Lake
Trying to help out in my favourite country.
After spending several months in Nepal every year for the last 8 years, this wonderful country has become my second home. I learned kayaking in Nepal the first time I was here, and have since paddled many of the Himalayan rivers. The Nepali river guides have become close friends of mine, and I love them for having always looked after me on and off the river. The Nepali kayakers are amazingly good paddlers, they are caring, have a great sense of humor and a really good friends. But after having spent so much time here it really started bothering me that there were no girls in Nepal kayaking.
Time to get girls a chance to get into kayaking and rafting.
A few times previously I have taught some young Nepali girls kayaking. Seeing their happiness, bravery and the hope in their eyes has given me a lot of inspiration to try to make a difference.
It is very hard for girls in Nepal to get into kayaking. Girls often get married young, sometimes as early as 15 years old. They often get very limited education and no chance to get a profession. After an arranged marriage the girl will move to her husbands family and have her children there and work in the household and on the fields. The Nepali rafting companies are still hesitant to employ and train girls, and this is why I am taking this first important step to show that Nepali girls also can do this.
Setting up the club.
When I came to Pokhara in February 2008 I met Bulu Acharya "Mona", a Nepali woman who has an adventurous spirit like me, and unlike most girls in Nepal she is fortunate to have a good education and she is very independent after having cut the relations with her family. Since she was young she has wanted to learn kayaking but has never got the chance in the totally male dominated sport. Being 34 she is not sure about becoming a professional white water kayaker but she now has the same dream as me, to help young Nepali girls get into the sport and the profession of kayaking. Having met Mona, she instantly introduced me to other girls dreaming of becoming kayakers. Within a few days I was training 4 girls on the lake in Pokhara. Shortly after we got a chance to go to the river. Together we starting making plans to start a club and to give lots of girls the chance to learn kayaking and become professional river guides. With support from some local rafting companies we got started, but to make our vision come true we will be needing a lot of help from a lot of people.
LATEST NEWS
24 April 2008
I got a phone call today from Susmita! She has justs come back from kayaking the Kali Gandaki with Shai river rafting! Apparently she did really well with no swimming and she was sooo happy!!! Thanks Shai for helping out!!!
19 April 2008
The plan for the fall season is looking good. Malin Bergman from Sweden have decided to come on the trip with the girls in November! Now, just waiting for more girls to follow! Also, the Swedish magazine "Paddling" wants to have the story in their magazine. And the girls? Well, they are on the lake the whole weekend and are going to Royal Beach to poddle on the Trisuli river mon & tue. For 3 girls it will be the first time on the river.
16 April 2008
I am back in Sweden now, sad but true. But got good news from Mona today on the phone. Sita and Susmita had a good trip on the Seti with Ian Roberts, so Ian then brought Sita paddling on the lower Bhote Koshi a few days later, and apparently she did really good. Amazing stuff! That is a nice stretch of class III white water. Well done Sita!!! and thanks Ian!!!! Also, the 2 trekking girls, Muna and Maya have come back to the lake in Pokhara after trekking and are keen to really get into the kayaking now!
8 April 2008
In Kathmandu, missing Pokhara and the girls. I have spent 2 days at the Bhote Koshi and helped out with the Nepal national rafting race. Met a lot of people there interested to help with the girls club, also media people that are interested in writing about the project. Churamani Aryal and I are putting together a plan for a 5 week training programme for girls in Nov/Dec. Also, I have talked to Kamala, a young girls from Sindupalchowk who we were teaching kayaking in the White Water Circus Project. Today she is working in Kathmandu as a maid. But it looks like I might be getting her a chance to work at Equator Expeditions resort in Sukute close by her home village and get the chance to do kayaking again. Keep your fingers crossed!
3 April 2008
I had a such nice day on the lake yesterday. 4 new girls were waiting for me in the morning. All 4 come from quite troublesome backgrounds but have been trained by the Chetri Sisters as trekking guides. They were so sweet and had so much fun. More good news is that Mona and Sita have been offered to come on a 3-day kayak clinic with Ultimate Descents Nepal from tomorrow! :)
2 April 2008
Everything is going well. We met some more girls that have been working as trekking guides interested in learning kayaking so I am going on the lake with them tomorrow. The problem is we dont have enough gear yet...
31 March 2008
Back from another wonderful trip with the girls. Susmita, Anita and Sita were really showing power on the Seti and all the Paddle Nepal boys and clients were really imppressed with the girls skills and balance. Personally it was one of my best and most rewarding river trips ever in Nepal. Hanging out by the campfire with the girls, singing together, sleeping under the stars...
27 March 2008
Anita, a new girl joined us on the lake today, and she did so good and learning the teqniques so quickly I have deceided she can come on the trip to the lower Seti tomorrow! Paddle Nepal has offered us to come on a 3-day trip free of charge! We cant wait! Unfortunately Chiza is having some pains after a surgery she did a few months ago and can not join us, but in stead Anita will now get a chance. We are borrowing 2 kayaks from Charlie at Ganesh Kayak Shop for the trip and all the rest is provided by Paddle Nepal.
26 March 2008
We are now back in Pokhara after 4 days of kayaking on the upper Sun Kosi river which is an excellent place to learn kayaking. Equator Expeditions and NARA kindly offered us to use their kayaking camp "Sukute Beach" for a few days. The Equator kayakers and 3 kayakers from Finland helped me teaching them. We had a wonderful four days together, and the 4 girls learned a lot, paddlings class II-rapids. The girls are now on the Pokhara lake practising rolling as I am writing this. The last couple if days we have found several other girls interested in learning kayaking. At the moment we can borrow some gear from Paddle Nepal and Ganesh Kayak shop, but when the season picks up it will be hard to get enough gear to get the girls on the water training... We need all the help we can get to keep these girls on the water and to give more girls the opportunity
HOW YOU CAN HELP: There are a few different things you can do to help:
1. If you are going to Nepal, or know anyone going to Nepal, contact me and then bring some gear, weather it is an old paddle, some thermals, a kayak etc.
2. Put money to this account: Iban-nummer: (account no) SE4850000000054031003714 Bic-code: ESSESESS State your name, email address and "Nepali girls kayaking club"
(In Sweden use: Bank: SEB Kontonr: 54031003714)
3. November 15 - 27 2008 we are organizing a girls kayaking trip in Nepal, western girls paddling together with Nepali girls. Joining on this trip will be a great way of supporting these girls by paddling with them, helping teaching and inspiring them. It will also be a good way of learning about eachothers cultures and it will be an amazingly fun girls trip! We have decided to do a Sun Kosi-trip, one long big volume river with sandy beaches on the sides.... class II and III and a few big class IV that are easily portable. We plan to finish the trip with joining the "Peak UK White Water Challenge" on 28 - 30 of November - a fun Nepali kayak festival on the Trisuli river where Nepal will see their first ladies team competing and hopefully the biggest international ladies team ever. Of course, I also promise nice prices a big celebration party and at the festival!!!
4. We also have a chance sending equipment on a truck from Germany to Nepal, driven there by a help organization. If you can send gear to Germany, please contact me.
Note: For the equipment, we need the smallest possible as the girls are all quite petite, 150 - 165 cm, 45 - 60 kg.
Susmita Sunuwarrai, one of the girls, now 21, was once married to a Nepali kayaker. He taught her kayaking and she was doing very well starting to paddle class II and III rivers. Unfortunately the young couple separated and young Susmita, then 19, saw her chance of becoming a kayaker disappear. With no gear, no one to paddle with, her opportunity was lost, her dream gone. Or so she thought. She now has a chance to kayak with other girls and she now has the dream to compete in the Nepal White water challenge. Please help me to help these girls and to give more girls the opportunity!
For more information and support contact me on: inka@farawayadventures.com
Big thanks to: Equator Expeditions, Paddle Nepal, Ganesh Kayak Shop, Ultimate Descents Nepal, Royal Beach, Adrenalin Rush, Shai River rafting, Rainwater Activities, NARA, ANRGA, Paddles Magazine (UK), KAVU, Karin & Magnus Trollsås, Herbert at Nepal Hilfe, Kajaktiv AB, Ian Roberts at Adventure Element, Malin Bergman, Naresh Kumar, Churamani Aryal, Peak UK, Tidningen Paddling, and all the kayaking boys in Nepal who are encouraging and helping teaching the girls.
Namaste and thanks everyone for helping!
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