Seeds of the Future

Our current project in Nepal for the Dumaru family is nearing completion.

As you recall, this is what we started with. We took down their old, partially collapsed home, which they had no choice but to live in since the 2015 earthquake.

Last month, there were some Hindu festivals (and Newari ones in the town we’re working in) that put our project on hold for a week or so.

Now, it's rice-planting week in the Kathmandu Valley. Traditionally, most families have a plot of land where they grow their own rice for the coming year.

When the fields are flooded, it’s all hands on deck, with everyone in the family planting individual seedlings into the mud in about two feet of water. Even children who have been living abroad come back to help—with style.

It’s hot, back-breaking, exhausting work. If you have ever seen it—or the harvest—you will never waste even one grain of rice ever again.

All of our workers and even our project manager are helping their families plant rice in their fields. In the coming months, I’ll show you some pictures of the fields as the rice grows and carpets the valley in emerald green. For now, we are happy that people can grow their own food. But some have had to sell their land over the years and, now, they have to buy expensive imported rice in the markets.

Next week, we will be back to work for the Dumaru family, who are eager to move into their new, safe, and comfortable home. Thank you for being part of this important work. And please check out our Instagram account where we are posting a series of pictures from last year’s Mexico project. I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and happy. Wishing us all the best, Jon Ross