Viti Simmons Home Page

Day 10

Shila's Dal Bhat Specialty (Completed Post)

Our group had heard about Shila's cooking from Kira and we were all fortunate that time allowed us the opportunity to taste her cooking. It was also delightful for me to see Shila and Ram's home they have built since my last visit and a credit to them. The theme that has threaded throughout this trip has been 'celebrations' and it is ongoing. Naline, Viti, Kira, Nina and Rafael are enjoying the spread Shila prepared for our lunch. It was delicious and we valued her generosity and hospitality.

Later that afternoon we attended the opening of Parichaya Saving & Credit Cooperative Ltd which is connected to the Jutpani Cooperative Bank. Shila's husband Ramchandra is the new Bank Manager and it was a joyous occasion including local business people who came along to support and invest their money in the bank including women from the Jutpani Cooperative. 

It is hard to capture the poignancy of this but it was a moment for all to savour who have been involved with the Hands with Hands microcredit projects. The following are images taken from this new bank acquisition.

Ramchandra Manager, Sushila Gauchan Office Manager & Dipendra Co-founder of Hands with Hands.

The following are photos taken at the event:

Guests outside the bank waiting for the speeches.

Nina, Erin, Kira and Rafael inside the Bank

Women from the Jutpani Cooperative that we have come to know well.

As guests we were handed over a Lunchbox during the launch.

Jutpani women investing in the bank.

This was an amazing opportunity to be part of and reflect upon the progress made on so many levels linked to the microcredit projects in Chitwan District. I could not help but observe Kira and Dipendra Co-founders of Hands with Hands and sensed how proud they must have felt to what has evolved since their first case study of microcredit was implemented in 2005. I have not seen community development on this level and here we were seeing it 'live'.

Viti handing over a copy of her book to Shila and Ramchandra who translated during the microcredit interviews - 4 years ago.

Day 11 will see our group go off in different directions. Naline headed off to Pokhara for a trek, Kira and Rafael are off to Kathmandu, Nina heads to Kathmandu in a car with the architect and Erin and I will stay in Chitwan to visit the women I interviewed four years ago with Shila.