by Jo
Canoeing in Nepal, in Africa, South America and other far-flung places is an amazing experience, not only for the biggest, steepest, scariest rivers in the world and breath-taking scenery, but also for the vastly different cultures and hospitality of the people we meet river guides become firm friends, families in incredibly remote villages have opened their homes to us and shared what food they have. So it can be really great when we get chance to give something back, and not just through the big charities, but to the actual people and villages weve spent time with.
We went to Nepal with Adventure X, http://www.adventurex.co.uk/ who have helped build a medical centre in a remote village and are working with Jagan of MTB, a mountain-biking outfit in Pokhara, giving street kids a chance of an education as well as teaching them mountain-biking, and you should see those kids on bikes!.
They are now keen start a major new project supplying drinking water to another remote village and also help the people in the slum areas around Pokhara. Because there is no sanitation, only one water tap and the young, old and sick have to sleep in the same shelter, the big killers are TB and cholera.
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Malnutrition and diarrhoea are also real problems, especially amongst the kids. So life is tough, shelters are just cardboard and plastic and cant withstand the rains, but there is no shortage of kindness and smiles and the kids are just as excited at seeing their photos on digital cameras.
We have some of the best times of our lives in these countries, so it feels an honour to give something back and get involved in these projects.
Thanks to Jagan of MTB and Ben and Jo of Adventure X for helping make this happen.