Just returned from a whirlwind - or "ad hoc" as one of my new Nepali friends so aptly put it - trip to Timal (about 6 hours east of Kathmandu). A scramble at first, it was brilliant in the end! We traveled by jeep through the hills. The roads were rough, but the terrain breath-taking. We set-up our sleeping bags with a team of Nepalese and Dutch doctors in what looked to be a school for the night and the locals cooked wonderful Nepali dhal bhat for us to eat.
Once we got to the temporary health camp, run by a wonderful organization called Women for Women, we started shooting immediately.
I was surprise by how open and willing the women were to share their stories on-camera. I was worried they would be too shy. This particular camp was set up to address fallen womb - an epidemic in Nepal.
Over 600,000 women in the country suffer from the condition whereby the woman's uterus slips down and out of her body. Malnutrition, a lack of access to health-care and back breaking work in harsh conditions are contributing factors. It is incredibly painful, making it difficult for women to stand, walk, do their daily chores and even take care of their children.
Photo: Manual labour like this causes fallen womb in Nepal.
It has incredibly negative social consequences as well. We met one woman, Guna, 56, who had been suffering from fallen womb for over 20 years - she went on to have six more children after developing the problem.
Too embarrassed to tell her family, Guna simply lived with the pain, avoiding any village gatherings or festivals. She told us that she spent many many years depressed, suffering in silence.
The organization that we went with fit Guna yesterday with a specially designed ring to keep the womb in place. It cost is only about $2 or $3 Canadian. She says she is feeling much better today. It goes to show how simple solutions can make all the difference in the world.
Here are a few pictures from the trip:
Photo: A local girl moves livestock at dawn
Photo: Our neighbour. I fell head-over-heels for this little girl.
Photo: Women gather at the roving health clinic that was set up for two weeks
Photo: Our digs. The school where we slept. Definitely better than a tent or the car!
Great photos Jayme! That's also a very interesting story from the field. Take care,
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It's so cool to hear about your adventures so far away ! As usual, great update and fantastic pictures !
ReplyDeleteYou must be living a dream. Its almost hard to imagine that such a place of grace is out there.
ReplyDeleteI am doing a story on maternal health. It made me think about you. Women go through so much in so many parts of the world, and often do so in silence...its sad to think about but worth changing around.
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