#uniterra

[spreffy]

I love it when a plan comes together...

Kosogozala is starting to finally take shape! I constructed a public square across the street opposite the station and made the street next to it a bit more pedestrian-friendly.

[spreffy]

Here we go, construction on the Kosogozala district of Goshonya is now underway. First step is to get the main road connected (third pic). My idea is to put a small market by the GoTrain station and a plaza with some mixed-use retail-residential around. Perhaps some other public or recreational facility like a park or garden might be a good addition. Still up in the air now.

Also I want to make a tunnel for the bike path and eastbound lane under the tram tracks later on (maybe tomorrow) to reduce possible points of congestion from the traffic flow.

[mllhphoto]

Set 02. A little day trip outside the city to Huayna Potosí and Zongo while working for CECI in Bolivia.

The Huayna Potosí mountain is located at 25 km from La Paz, it is one of the favorite destinations for mountain climbers, due to its ascension characteristics and snow covered peaks.

The most popular route for its ascent begins at the Zongo lagoon, although there are alternative routes with different types of difficulty.

The valley of Zongo is located to the northeast of the city. It has varied climates and different ecological floors with a range of altitudes that range from 6.088 to 150 meters above sea level.

Nature watching, mountain biking, fishing, rafting and trekking are some of the activities that you can do in this valley.

Photos from February 2017.

[kate-in-kathmandu]

Today I worked my final day with HICAST and its incredibly talented and generous team. I will continue my work with them after returning to Canada, but it was difficult to say goodbye. I was treated to a lovely lunch and a beautiful presentation as you can see above. I can’t wait to hang it up when I get home. Pictured from the top is Bimal, my amazing counterpart, the HICAST team at lunch and Binayak (HICAST chairperson) with Dibya from CECI.  Before I decided to apply to the Leave for Change program at the University of Guelph I attended some presentations by L4C alumni and everyone said the same thing, that what you receive from the experience is so much more than what you give. Now that I’ve experienced it for myself, I couldn’t agree more. I just hope that I have given them enough and they feel my contributions are worthwhile.  Tomorrow, the long trek home starts. It’s strange to think I will be back at work on Monday.

[kate-in-kathmandu]

Today I worked from the CECI office before heading to the theatre you see pictured above for HICAST's 15th anniversary program. In addition to speeches from a number if dignitaries - including Nepal's minister of agriculture - HICAST students celebrated the country's diverse culture with a series of local dances complemented by beautiful traditional clothing. Sorry the photos aren't super clear. On the left is faculty and staff receiving service awards and on the right is one of the performances. In other news, Kathmandu is anticipating a large protest tomorrow so starting work at HICAST might take another day.

[kate-in-kathmandu]

Today was a day of firsts for me: first day working, first meeting with my partner organization and first earthquake. The quake was just a 4.2 I hear and it was very short, but it was enough to jolt me back to consciousness in the middle of the night. I had a great first meeting with HICAST and we made my mandate more specific. Looks like I will be working on brochure, newsletter and website content development and taking some photos with my trusty iPhone. Tomorrow I will be attending HICAST’s 15th anniversary where I will be taking photographs. My first full day working at the college will be Thursday. The photos above are from HICAST which is located in one of the busiest districts in Kathmandu - Kalanki.

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[leaveforchange]

Leave for Change: About this PhotoBlog

Beginning July 17th 2011, I began participating in Leave for Change. Sponsored by Uniterra, Leave for Change is a initiative that enables employees from participating organizations to transform part of their leave into a three to four week assignment in a developing country.

In my case, the University of Guelph has made an investment in my professional development, while demonstrating amazing leadership in academic (corporate) social responsibility. I get an opportunity to put my knowledge and skills to work in an international development project, expand my personal and professional horizons, and acquire a deeper understanding of broader global issues.

To this end, I find myself working in Nepal at the Center for Microfinance (CMF). CMF was established in July 2000 to strengthen the capacity of microfinance institutions and enable them to provided savings, credit and other financial services to the poorest-of-the-poor families, especially women. CMF runs a wide range of programs designed to meet the emerging needs of microfinance institutions. To promote the microfinance sector, CMF engages in training, technical assistance, consultancy services, research, knowledge management, publication and documentation, dissemination of best practices, and networking in partnership with national and international organizations.

I am still reflecting on this experience. There were many amazing things that I learned and shared. There were also some incredibly difficult experiences. In response, I used my camera as a way to discover the beauty of Nepal. I expected tranquility. I discovered chaos. But I found beauty as captured in these images. I thank everyone for this opportunity. /ml