Merro naam Samana Ho

During pre service training, my Ama gave me the name Samana. We were walking together up to the barri (non-irrigated field) to water the cucumbers, and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and said "you are Samana." The name Samana means one who faces challenges with strength and bravery. It's a name that fills me with power as I remember it's meaning, remember my Ama telling me as I left to permanent site: "Samana, Samana huncha." Samana is Samana, reminding me that she recognizes that peace corps is challenging but repeatedly telling me that she is confident that I am strong and capable. 

My name serves as a constant reminder or bravery in the face of unknown and of all the love I have been shown in Nepal so far. I have been at site now for almost 3 weeks. My site is in the district of Lamjung, which is in the western development region of Nepal. I live in a sea foam green room, under the mosquito net that makes me feel like a princess, my walls peppered with photographs of family, friends, and cards of encouragement (but I didn't bring enough to decorate with, so if you wanna send me photos or things that make you smile...), and my door opens to our courtyard and a view of the Himalayas. 

Learning to plant rice in Panauti

The first week I was here, I attended a 9 day training for the new female community health volunteers. These women are the backbone of health in village, they come from all around the vdc, a section of the lamjung, some walking 3 hours to attend the trainings. Once they have received hear trainings they serve as a liaison between the health post in the bizarre and their own village communities, spreading awareness about preventative and curative health. They're powerful people, and it was a really great group to start my time in village with. Also the kajah (snacks) was always really delicious, which as anyone who knows me knows was a huge selling point. My government counterpart was leading these meetings, and every so often would ask me to contribute where I could to the discussion. I talked about AIDS in America and how it's spread, various immunizations, that I eat bananas and drinks more water if I have diarrhea, among other things. 

This past week I have been planting rice with my family. Rice planting is hard work, first the fields must be prepared: plowed using o

Rice paddies and a peak of the himals in the background

xen, the grass growing in the field removed, holes and passages for water to pass through dug, and walls surrounding the field built. Rice seeds are planted in nurseries, and these seedlings must be collected- removed from the ground beaten against a rock to remove the soil from the roots, and bundled into little handfuls ready for transplanting. Then comes the actual transplanting! Several women stand in a line in about 6 inches of mud and water and plant the seedlings in the khet (irrigated field). The lines must be straight, evenly spaced, and the appropriate number of seedlings added. The first two days it felt like I was never going to get it. My lines were all over the place, I would try to jump in only to become immediately confused, and have to have someone correct me. On the third day however they said: "ropne ayo!" Which roughly translates into "it's a miracle! The American isn't as spatially challenged as we thought! She can kind of do it!" The time in the kheta was a good opportunity to get to know my family better, be present in my community, and assert my interest in krishi ko kaam, agricultural work. 

So there you have it, Samana being Samana. In honor of July 4th, I want to say that I'm thankful to come from a country who's government supports an organization that exists solely to promote peace through cultural understanding and community based development. I'm thankful to be here, it's not without challenges, but I'm surrounded by people who are eager to know me and welcome me into the community. I am Samana