Borders: an artist’s impression

‘I’ve never been to Kathmandu, but thanks to NLT’s fundraising exhibition “Borders: from Kathmandu to Kerry and Beyond”, two of my photographs have. I didn’t see the whole exhibition until it came to the Arthouse in Co Laois, by which time it had hung in Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital in Nepal and in Cill Rialaig Arts Centre on the coast of Kerry. Almost, you could see the journey the works had made.

Bridge, Dechen Shying, photographic print by Sharon Hogan
Bridge, Dechen Shying, photographic print by Sharon Hogan. Photo credit: S. Hogan

All the works exhibited were roughly of the same size and hung in two rows, one above the other. Walking along the white walls of the Arthouse gallery and corridor felt nearly like looking through a series of windows, at landscapes and people and colours from the private worlds of each of the contributing artists. On one side of the gallery, through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Arthouse itself, green grass and Irish weather told us where we physically were; but opposite them, through the window of each small art-piece, we could take imaginative journeys to Himalayan mountains, Irish country sides, children on glinting seashores, dancing women against sunsets, watery flowers, vibrant colour-splashes and black & white silhouettes. It was a joyous and joyful celebration of difference and unity: playful artists from differing backgrounds hanging side-by-side in order to raise money for one serious disease: leprosy.

I’m told that as little as four euro is all it costs to make a pair of bespoke shoes for people whose feet no longer feel the earth due to the nerve damage leprosy can cause, that six euro can sponsor an overnight bed for someone who has travelled many miles to receive hospital treatment; that a well and a pump can be built for 250 euro and a two-roomed village school can be built from just 1,000 euro. Thanks to the generosity of people who bought our work at the various exhibitions, it’s possible that close to 450 pairs of shoes might have been made and distributed, or that 600 people slept in hospital beds before journeying home after treatment, or that perhaps 15 wells were built, or at least three village schools. It’s deeply satisfying. I make a piece of work; someone likes it and welcomes it into their home somewhere in Ireland; and someone in Nepal who is living with leprosy has a night’s rest, puts on their shoes and goes home to their village where water flows and their children go to school. It’s that simple. It’s that direct.

The theme of the exhibition was “Borders”. Sometimes it feels as if there are no such things’.

Blog by artist Sharon Hogan Oct 2015.

Sharon Hogan and Vera McEvoy, Arthouse. Co. Laois.
Sharon Hogan and Vera McEvoy, Arthouse. Co. Laois. © NLT Ireland
Borders lll exhibition in the Arthouse.
Borders lll exhibition in the Arthouse. Photo: Vera © NLT Ireland

Art works

It certainly has for NLT. The project ‘Borders: from Kathmandu to Kerry and Beyond’ has raised more than €3,000 for NLT’s work in Nepal.

Can you react before an act? You’d think so, from the timing of the project’s three art exhibitions. The first, in Kathmandu at Easter, escaped the first earthquake by two weeks. The second, at the beginning of May in Kerry, drew big crowds and donations.

At the opening of the third exhibition in Stradbally, County Laois, visitors brought their own stories of Nepal. Some had backpacked in the Himalayas, some supported educational charities and one tough cookie had hitched a lift through the mountains into Tibet. All shared a love of the country and its beautiful people. And they proved it with their purses; many artists gave all the money from their sales to NLT.

Huge thanks to everyone who attended and supported the exhibitions. By Debbie Thomas.

Corsets and all

        My friends and I love the chance to dress us, so Nepal Leprosy Trust’s (NLT’s) Vintage Afternoon Tea Party at the Celbridge Manor Hotel was the perfect opportunity. We thought we were doing well with our 1960s flowery outfits and hairbands but the Irish Historical Costumers stole the show in their hand-made Victorian costumes. They wore bonnets, bodices, corsets and all. The tables were as colourful as the clothes. Éclairs, iced cakes, scones and biscuits stood on tiered stands and hotel staff, also in vintage dress, served endless cups of tea.

            We enjoyed ourselves so much, chatting to people about their costumes and walking in the beautiful hotel grounds. The Nepali Handicraft stand and raffle were a great way to raise interest in Nepal. Vera’s speech reminded us of the cause and encouraged people to support NLT, especially in the aftermath of the earthquakes. We all had a brilliant time and would gladly come to another fundraiser. By Emily Thomas, age 16.

tea party15 LoRes_6

tea party15 loRes_5

Above photos: by Emily Thomas. June 2015 © NLT Ireland

Busy Summer

We have had a very busy Summer here in Ireland. We completed the touring art exhibition Borders: from Kathmandu to Kerry and Beyond and held our exciting Vintage Afternoon Tea Party. 

Both these events raised greater awareness of our charity and increased our funds by €5,700 between them.

Above images by, A. Foster, M. Gillard, K. Hendy, G. Leonard, P. Quinn, L.  Watkins, and D. Walsh.
Above images with artist approval, A. Foster, M. Gillard, K. Hendy, G. Leonard, P. Quinn, L. Watkins, and D. Walsh.

The very best part of these events is the wonderful people we met. Reconnecting with supporters and establishing new relationships and friends along the way.

The art open call was launched in February and just as the final exhibition was winding down the Vintage Afternoon Tea Party was starting to generate excitement.

Bruised but not broken

The need is so great that you could give up before we start.

The €1 million emergency generously given by the Irish government has all been allocated. Irish Aid is also arranging airlifts of emergency relief items such as tents, blankets, and tarpaulins to assist an estimated 12,000 vulnerable people and meet their immediate acute needs.  Over 63 tonnes of Irish stocks are being distributed by aid partners in the Kathmandu-Makwanpur area, focusing on those most severely affected, and those living in temporary settlements or in the open air since their homes were destroyed.

In Nepal people are ranging from being joyful and thankful for being spared, to angry and desperate because no aid has come. At least the tremors have passed, and normal life is beginning to be restored for the fortunate. However many are still facing living in the open with little food or shelter.

Should we despair at the huge need? No, why not? Well just as you are important to your family and friends so too are those suffering in Nepal important. They are worth helping.

Help us to help Nepal, one person at a time, one family at a time and one village at time.

It will cost approximately €50 to help a family with blankets, clothes and food.

If you would like to contribute towards the relief operation that will provide food, tents and medicine please make a donation on our website at: http://nlt.ie/?page_id=423 and state Earthquake relief for Sindhuli district in the comment option.

We have raised over €1,000 in Ireland in the last couple of days, help us to increase that.

The cost of the relief for the Sindhuli region is budgeted at $131,660.

Thanks

Mike Winterburn

NLT Ireland chairman

cropped-Village-Alive1.jpg

 

Earthquake relief for Sindhuli district, Nepal

We have just received news from Nepal that one of the hilly districts that we serve in, Sindhuli, has announced an emergency relief call:

The team has informed us that currently the reported casualties and deaths from Sindhuli district are comparatively few with number of 12 deaths, 100 injured and 6 casualties. However there are 10,420 houses destroyed and 1,638 partially damaged houses in Sindhuli. Diarrhoea disease outbreaks are already occurring.

If you would like to contribute towards the relief operation that will provide food, tents and medicine please make a donation on our website at: http://nlt.ie/?page_id=423 and state Earthquake relief for Sindhuli district in the comment option.

The cost of the relief is budgeted at $131,660.

If you would like more details please contact info@nlt.ie

Many thanks

Mike Winterburn, Chairman NLT Ireland.

Borders: from Kathmandu to Kerry and Beyond

Our inaugural touring art exhibition and fundraising event is now in full swing, with 42 participating national and international artists. Hopefully you can join in the celebrations, meet the artists and view the exciting range or artworks for sale. The three locations are:

– Cill Rialaig, Kerry. Opening on the 3rd May at 12 noon and will run until the 8th May 2015.

–  Laois Arthouse, Stradbally. Opening on 11th June at 1.30pm and will run until 26th June 2015.

– The Kathmandu exhibition took place on the 1st April  2015. Scroll down to see images of the show. For more information contact Vera at info@nlt.ie.

'Containment' by artist Hazel Greene.
‘Containment’ by artist Hazel Greene.

'Umbica and Menica washing dhotis, Karipati' by artist Annabel Potterton.
‘Umbica and Menica washing dhotis, Karipati’ by artist Annabel Potterton.

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Emily (on Left) our wonderful documentary photographer for the 2015 Nepal trip.
Emily (left) our wonderful documentary photographer for the 2015 Nepal trip. © NLT Ireland

Scoil Mochua, Readathon 2015

Last week we were  invited to Scoil Mochua, Celbridge to receive a cheque on behalf of Nepal Leprosy Trust (NLT) Ireland. This donation was sponsorship money collected by the primary school children as part of the Readathon 2015.

A great surprise on the day was the class adaptions of their favourite books eg., Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, George’s Marvellous Medicine, Harry Potter, Winnie the Witch to mention a few.

The Readathon Assembly on the day was compèred by two wonderful children,  Rebecca and Dennis.

Scoil Mochua, Celbridge Readathon 2015.
Scoil Mochua, Celbridge Readathon 2015.

3rd and 4th class Readathon Assembly 2015, Scoil Mochua, Celbridge.
3rd and 4th class Readathon Assembly 2015, Scoil Mochua, Celbridge. Photos; Vera © NLT Ireland

Mother and Baby

With the birth of two wonderful little girls in my extended family this week in Ireland I am reminded of the mother and baby ward in Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital in southern Nepal.

It's a boy, 3kg photo by Yvonne Simmonds.
It’s a boy, 3kg. Photo by Yvonne Simmonds © NLT UK

This last week in February there have been 3 births in Lalgadh, two girls and a boy. All going well the mothers will return home with their newborn baby about 5 or 6 hours after birth. The normal birth figures in the hospital are an average of two a month.

This low figure is due to three things:

1. the specialised ward is a new facility within the hospital compound

2. most mothers have their babies at home and continue with normal daily life

3. the hospital is situated in rural Nepal and travelling long distance, at short notice, usually on foot is not ideal during labour.

This trend is slowly changing as a result of the Village Alive Program which includes training of Rural Health Champions (RHC).

The RHC’s are women working on a voluntary basis and have been selected by their respective villages. These women take part in efforts to control diarrhea, vomiting, malnutrition, malaria, and tuberculosis and referral advice when required. Most of them were illiterate, but now function as health volunteers, measuring blood pressure and performing examinations, including examination of pregnant women. They are also able to recognise danger signs and advise to move pregnant women to hospital if necessary.

Limerick and Lalgadh Public Health Partnership

Dr Anne Dee will be returning to Lalgadh, Nepal in March after a break of twenty years. She has obtained funding under the ESTHER* alliance  which is a European organisation which encourages partnership between developed and developing world healthcare facilities.

Under this scheme, the Department of Public Health in Limerick has been funded to set up a partnership with Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital (NLT’s leprosy centre in south-eastern Nepal) . She will travel with the Director of Public Health in Limerick, Dr Mai Mannix, and will spend time in LLSC meeting the workers there, viewing the projects and agreeing the scope of this proposed partnership.

Dr Krishna Lama and Dambar Aley from Lalgadh Hospital will make a return visit to Ireland in May in order to finalise the partnership agreement.

Dr Anne Dee, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, Department of Public Health in Limerick.

ESTHER - Together for a Networked Hospital Therapeutic Solidarity.
ESTHER – Together for a Networked Hospital Therapeutic Solidarity.