Wow, whoever thought doing development work would be this difficult. Beyond organising ideas and thoughts, parsing through data from the Central Intelligence Agency's World Fact Book, World Health Organization and United Nations Childrens' Fund.. It's quite draining and depressing going through all the data... Much easier to develop policies and procedures for best practise... Going to try and sleep it off...
20.1.10
19.1.10
Sponsorship opportunity
Hi,
Thank you for your interest in this exciting return trip toNepal
Thank you for your interest in this exciting return trip to
Through the help of mentors and SickKids, I was able to bring a pocket spirometer to Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO) and conduct a pilot lung function study with the traffic police in
Upon return, I partnered with other likeminded people to start a charity. We’re proud to say that Bringing About Better Understanding - BABU which in Nepali means baby boy – is now a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency! BABU exists to improve the level of child healthcare available in
If you think that you might be able to help in any shape or form that would be greatly appreciated. Through BABU, you can be certain that any donation will get to IFCH and be used to service those in most need. During my first visit, equipment that my friend and I acquired for the only government pediatric hospital in the country went mysteriously missing in less than 2wks. We have learned our lesson and we now have a formal process to manage all donated equipment to ensure that it a) does not grow legs and b) remains in use.
Please feel free to forward my contact information to anyone who may be of help or is simply interested in global healthcare. Thank you for your time and attention. I appreciate any thoughts, comments or suggestions!
Hope you are having an excellent start to the new year!
Eric Cheng
Reactivation!
It's time once again. I'm so excited to be able to return to Nepal. It's more of a necessity in that being there last time really just tore my heart open. It was the first time I was in a developing country and saw the injustices and shear lack of common knowledge getting people into lots of trouble - much of which involved unbearable pain and even death.
So I've wrestled with what type of world I live in in North America, where I can learn about the troubles of the world, but yet still be very removed from it. After meeting some rural families in Nepal, I realized the futility of the lavish North American life and learned about the simplicity and beauty life offers just on it's own lived in harmony with the people around you. I vowed to go back and discover more about this way of life and also to contribute some of the things I picked up in school and living in Canada. I love Canada!
So the struggle begins, to get time off here and return. People think I'm mad, but to me there is something mysteriously revitalizing about hanging out with people and simply enjoying each others company. I was challenged by this in a sermon. To value people and use money rather than using people and valuing money.
So I've wrestled with what type of world I live in in North America, where I can learn about the troubles of the world, but yet still be very removed from it. After meeting some rural families in Nepal, I realized the futility of the lavish North American life and learned about the simplicity and beauty life offers just on it's own lived in harmony with the people around you. I vowed to go back and discover more about this way of life and also to contribute some of the things I picked up in school and living in Canada. I love Canada!
So the struggle begins, to get time off here and return. People think I'm mad, but to me there is something mysteriously revitalizing about hanging out with people and simply enjoying each others company. I was challenged by this in a sermon. To value people and use money rather than using people and valuing money.
5.9.08
Sponsor me in the 2008 Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Waterfront half-marathon!
Heyo,
Sorry for the spam update, but hope that you are all well. Email me and I'll rep.
So I'm back at it after finishing respiratory therapy school. I love my job and I've picked up running again to increase quiet time and trying to raise funds for one of my current employers. Life is quite different on a shift work schedule, but slowly getting used to the pros/cons of this phase of life.
I'll be running the half-marathon on Sept 28/08 (Scotia Toronto Waterfront). You can help support me by making a secure online donation using your credit card. Click on the link below:
http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=1937014
For more information on how YOU can participate in the 2008 Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, please visit us at http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/charity.htm .
Thanks for your support!
Peace,
e
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27.8.07
Aid for Nepal - anyone going to Nepal?
If you know of anyone leaving from Canada going to Nepal. Please let me know. The Toronto Western Hospital and Peel Memorial Hospitals have equipment to be donated to Nepal. But it needs to be brought over by person.
The situation remains that if you send something via post. It will be opened and sold by customs in the black market. The way to bring this equipment over is in person. If you know of someone or are going yourself. Please get them to email me. I will give you contacts of doctors there who will be more than willing to share the situation there with you.
Please email me if you want more information on bringin equipment over. Currently, I'm contemplating setting up a medical elective to Nepal that will allow for more constant stream of equipment being brought over.
30.7.07
Re-entry update + invitation
Hello Praying Siblings,
Thank you for your continued support in prayer. I have since returned from Nepal and am still sorting through feelings being back in Canada. My experience re-entering the developed world has been most shocking of all and perhaps I've taken a really fatalistic and cynical view of things I see around me.
My first encounter would have been a night spent in the middle east. My anticipated stay in the airport terminal overnight turned out to be a excessively luxiourious stay in a beautiful hotel staffed by immigrants many of which would have to break from their families to come work here. This stay was complimented by several all you can eat meals all within the span of 9 hours. Which some of it was beyond what I could take in after living in a developing country for the last little while, I took full advantage of the pressurized running water and showered.
This last weekend, I had more time to consider the lavish ways of the west at an amusement park. Many Nepalese long to have another hour of sunlight so that they can work and hopefully glean just a bit more to prolong the imminent effects of malnutrition. And here we are finding ways to amuse (a-not; muse-think) ourselves waiting for hours to take a 5 minute ride locked down in a metal box that will run its course along an abdomenally unfavourable kinematic path planned by some engineer who's job it was to bring about the most terror possible. This area is staffed by 'the future of tomorrow' who are gaining invaluable experience of working in a reputable centre that promotes mindless activities to include on their resumes that will get them that dream job in the future. What is really being taught here?
indeed to some, the 'mind eraser' was the best ride of their lives. To compare and contrast this to the lifestyle of those living in a developing world is unfair, but you simply have to go and immerse yourself in the lives of our fellow human to understand life as they know it.
My hope is not to make you feel sorry for the lives that these people live, but merely to challenge you to consider another way of living (living as God desired). People in the developing world really know the cost of basic necessities like electricity, water, food. They work long and hard in very practical ways to ensure that these basic needs are obtained. ( e.g. waking up periodically throughout the night to check to see if there is water to be pumped into their reserve tank (that is if they are lucky enough to have one). Do we know the cost at which this comes? Do we know the cost of what it means to have life (to the full - John 10:10?)
Let us reconsider each breath that God has given - for this is what we will be held accountable for one day.
Although the tone of this update may be rough, I'm still trying to decipher what I'm to gather and share with those who have asked me to. Please pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit not my own thoughts that God might be glorified through the words and actions of a life redeemed by His Son guided by His Spirit for the Father's glory. soli Deo gloria.
eric.
ps: for those interested, Sunday, August 5, 2007. There will be lunch at my place at which time I also hope to informally share with you in much greater details of God's work in Nepal. Please RSVP to me via email.
1300---> whenever you decide to leave.
Thank you for your continued support in prayer. I have since returned from Nepal and am still sorting through feelings being back in Canada. My experience re-entering the developed world has been most shocking of all and perhaps I've taken a really fatalistic and cynical view of things I see around me.
My first encounter would have been a night spent in the middle east. My anticipated stay in the airport terminal overnight turned out to be a excessively luxiourious stay in a beautiful hotel staffed by immigrants many of which would have to break from their families to come work here. This stay was complimented by several all you can eat meals all within the span of 9 hours. Which some of it was beyond what I could take in after living in a developing country for the last little while, I took full advantage of the pressurized running water and showered.
This last weekend, I had more time to consider the lavish ways of the west at an amusement park. Many Nepalese long to have another hour of sunlight so that they can work and hopefully glean just a bit more to prolong the imminent effects of malnutrition. And here we are finding ways to amuse (a-not; muse-think) ourselves waiting for hours to take a 5 minute ride locked down in a metal box that will run its course along an abdomenally unfavourable kinematic path planned by some engineer who's job it was to bring about the most terror possible. This area is staffed by 'the future of tomorrow' who are gaining invaluable experience of working in a reputable centre that promotes mindless activities to include on their resumes that will get them that dream job in the future. What is really being taught here?
indeed to some, the 'mind eraser' was the best ride of their lives. To compare and contrast this to the lifestyle of those living in a developing world is unfair, but you simply have to go and immerse yourself in the lives of our fellow human to understand life as they know it.
My hope is not to make you feel sorry for the lives that these people live, but merely to challenge you to consider another way of living (living as God desired). People in the developing world really know the cost of basic necessities like electricity, water, food. They work long and hard in very practical ways to ensure that these basic needs are obtained. ( e.g. waking up periodically throughout the night to check to see if there is water to be pumped into their reserve tank (that is if they are lucky enough to have one). Do we know the cost at which this comes? Do we know the cost of what it means to have life (to the full - John 10:10?)
Let us reconsider each breath that God has given - for this is what we will be held accountable for one day.
Although the tone of this update may be rough, I'm still trying to decipher what I'm to gather and share with those who have asked me to. Please pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit not my own thoughts that God might be glorified through the words and actions of a life redeemed by His Son guided by His Spirit for the Father's glory. soli Deo gloria.
eric.
ps: for those interested, Sunday, August 5, 2007. There will be lunch at my place at which time I also hope to informally share with you in much greater details of God's work in Nepal. Please RSVP to me via email.
1300---> whenever you decide to leave.
26.7.07
26.07.07 update from Canada
The return trip was definitely something.
I got on the plane next to an older Nepali woman. I wasn't sure what to call her as I'm only accustomed to women either around the same age or around my mother's age. So I defaulted to use 'didi' which means older sister. When asking how she was, she was the ONLY person who ever responded with a 'ramrosa' (very good). Most often, people say 'tik-cha' (OK) which is the most common thing to say to anything. Because I think it's culturally wrong to be angry or upset, people always say that they are fine. This is one thing that pissed me off SO much. I know realized why my mother was so indiginant when I used to start & conclude my journals with "Today was fine." It says nothing. Nevertheless, it was too bad our conversation was abruptly ended at my lack of Nepali and inability to converse with her.
Meal time came and I was suddenly put on the spot to translate fish and chicken. Chicken was no problem, but I was at a loss for fish. So I ordered the fish and showed her that and then asked 'kakra' (chicken) or this.. she choose this, not realizing it was fish which she didn't eat. No problems though, cause she gave it to her adopted 'babu' (little boy) for the trip ( i.e. me). Anyway, I quickly came to my senses and realized that she was Nepali and probably eats a Nepali diet. So I went thru all the things that a good Nepali should eat and sure enough, she was happy with carbs, but she didn't take any sugar. So I ended up writing on the placemat her food preferences so that she could keep it for the remainder of her journey to Los Angeles. She'll be staying there w/ family for 6 months. But seriously, if I hadn't been in Nepal, I would have found her and her eating habits to be quite strange. But coming from a place where you eat meat once a week, I can definitely understand why eating large amounts of meat in one shot simply don't sit well with them. I on the other hand joyfully devoured all the 'masu' (meat) she didn't want.
By the time I arrived in Qatar, I was ready to sleep the night in the airport. But the gentleman after the security check told me to line up somewhere else. After doing so, I soon realized that it was standard procedure for passengers with a layover longer than 8 hours to get a hotel room. No complaints there, just some disbelief. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel room alone - always with family or some other people, it's just a waste. Since I had to wait for the shuttle, Qatar Airways (QA) decided to give me a free dinner voucher at the airport. So I enjoyed my second dinner (one fo the most tender lamb curries i've ever eaten in my life with some guy dressed in a suit and tie serving me fanta in a ghetto cup at the airport cafe.).
I was SO excited to have meat, but also somewhat guilty of the fact that I was enjoying so much when those in Nepal where I just came from live in such grave conditions. So, I decided not to participate in the third dinner offering from QA at the hotel (it was a buffet). The student side of me had actually kicked in as I was saving myself to consume some gourmet breakfast the next morning. If that wasn't a big enough contrast, the room that they gave me was hands down the nicest designed room I've been in. It had 3 different methods of wiping yourself down after dropping your offering to the porcelain god. Doha, Qatar was extremely nice, but very heartbreaking as well. It was a sad reminder of the unequal distribution of wealth in the world. Ke garne? (what to do?)
Both are ways of surviving. The typical Nepali does it minimally and the developed world person does it in comfort. But what does it really mean to live? During my time there, the pastor at Ganeshwor church spoke about the same thing over and over again - it was the theme of the church for the year. "We not only survive, but we live". Indeed, how often are we consumed with survival? We are concerned about the foods that we eat, so we learn about nutrient. We are concerned about ourselves and operating efficiently according to our skills and talents, so we take psychological tests, IQ tests, DNA sample tests. We are concerned about appeasing God, so we go to church, give tithes, etc. But to what extent shall we concern ourselves with these things. Physical, mental and spiritual things can keep us from the heavenly Father - who is only interested in our hearts before Him. (Psalm 51:16-17). I nevertheless, indulged in a long warm shower at high pressures to clean myself thoroughly. The way Nepali's live is hard and tough, it's very ruggid and will take a while before things change. In a place such as this with a whole lot of corruption it's really difficult even for those interested and capable in doing good to actually do anything.
But fear not, my friends, God will continue to convict the hearts of people. May we His children seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Let Him be made known that we might have strength to endure tomorrow. To Him be the glory as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever Amen.
I got on the plane next to an older Nepali woman. I wasn't sure what to call her as I'm only accustomed to women either around the same age or around my mother's age. So I defaulted to use 'didi' which means older sister. When asking how she was, she was the ONLY person who ever responded with a 'ramrosa' (very good). Most often, people say 'tik-cha' (OK) which is the most common thing to say to anything. Because I think it's culturally wrong to be angry or upset, people always say that they are fine. This is one thing that pissed me off SO much. I know realized why my mother was so indiginant when I used to start & conclude my journals with "Today was fine." It says nothing. Nevertheless, it was too bad our conversation was abruptly ended at my lack of Nepali and inability to converse with her.
Meal time came and I was suddenly put on the spot to translate fish and chicken. Chicken was no problem, but I was at a loss for fish. So I ordered the fish and showed her that and then asked 'kakra' (chicken) or this.. she choose this, not realizing it was fish which she didn't eat. No problems though, cause she gave it to her adopted 'babu' (little boy) for the trip ( i.e. me). Anyway, I quickly came to my senses and realized that she was Nepali and probably eats a Nepali diet. So I went thru all the things that a good Nepali should eat and sure enough, she was happy with carbs, but she didn't take any sugar. So I ended up writing on the placemat her food preferences so that she could keep it for the remainder of her journey to Los Angeles. She'll be staying there w/ family for 6 months. But seriously, if I hadn't been in Nepal, I would have found her and her eating habits to be quite strange. But coming from a place where you eat meat once a week, I can definitely understand why eating large amounts of meat in one shot simply don't sit well with them. I on the other hand joyfully devoured all the 'masu' (meat) she didn't want.
By the time I arrived in Qatar, I was ready to sleep the night in the airport. But the gentleman after the security check told me to line up somewhere else. After doing so, I soon realized that it was standard procedure for passengers with a layover longer than 8 hours to get a hotel room. No complaints there, just some disbelief. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel room alone - always with family or some other people, it's just a waste. Since I had to wait for the shuttle, Qatar Airways (QA) decided to give me a free dinner voucher at the airport. So I enjoyed my second dinner (one fo the most tender lamb curries i've ever eaten in my life with some guy dressed in a suit and tie serving me fanta in a ghetto cup at the airport cafe.).
I was SO excited to have meat, but also somewhat guilty of the fact that I was enjoying so much when those in Nepal where I just came from live in such grave conditions. So, I decided not to participate in the third dinner offering from QA at the hotel (it was a buffet). The student side of me had actually kicked in as I was saving myself to consume some gourmet breakfast the next morning. If that wasn't a big enough contrast, the room that they gave me was hands down the nicest designed room I've been in. It had 3 different methods of wiping yourself down after dropping your offering to the porcelain god. Doha, Qatar was extremely nice, but very heartbreaking as well. It was a sad reminder of the unequal distribution of wealth in the world. Ke garne? (what to do?)
Both are ways of surviving. The typical Nepali does it minimally and the developed world person does it in comfort. But what does it really mean to live? During my time there, the pastor at Ganeshwor church spoke about the same thing over and over again - it was the theme of the church for the year. "We not only survive, but we live". Indeed, how often are we consumed with survival? We are concerned about the foods that we eat, so we learn about nutrient. We are concerned about ourselves and operating efficiently according to our skills and talents, so we take psychological tests, IQ tests, DNA sample tests. We are concerned about appeasing God, so we go to church, give tithes, etc. But to what extent shall we concern ourselves with these things. Physical, mental and spiritual things can keep us from the heavenly Father - who is only interested in our hearts before Him. (Psalm 51:16-17). I nevertheless, indulged in a long warm shower at high pressures to clean myself thoroughly. The way Nepali's live is hard and tough, it's very ruggid and will take a while before things change. In a place such as this with a whole lot of corruption it's really difficult even for those interested and capable in doing good to actually do anything.
But fear not, my friends, God will continue to convict the hearts of people. May we His children seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Let Him be made known that we might have strength to endure tomorrow. To Him be the glory as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever Amen.
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