Eva Holmberg-Tedert (in the middle) and Jyoti Botsford (at Eva's left) with the medical, nursing and midwifery students in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Humla is considered as one of the most remote and isolated regions in Nepal, reachable only by foot or small aircrafts which are irregularly landing in the district headquarter, Simikot. It is situated high in the Himalayas, in Karnali zone, North-western Nepal, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region. Its elevation ranges from 1,524 to 7,337 meters above the sea level. This region has two very contrasting faces: On one hand, breathtaking landscapes, untouched nature, the purest air and organically grown food. On the other hand, isolation has left Humla in a very precarious position where poverty and harsh living conditions are making this beautiful area a tough place to live and thrive in, especially in regards to health assistance and education.
When Eva travelled to Humla, she had to take a flight and trek for nine days through the Himalayas in order to reach Pema Dechen's village. However, Eva was determined. Pema Dechen had proven to be an outstanding student and was willing to take her education further and help people in her area. The Society for Street Children of Nepal received a donation aimed at supporting a motivated Nepali student through medical college, so Eva was traveling to Humla in order to visit Pema Dechen's parents to discuss an opportunity for Pema to embark on a medical degree in Kathmandu.
Pema Dechen's parents were delighted that her daughter was given this opportunity, the whole community welcomed the idea to have a local medical doctor among them and Pema was over the moon to be able to further her studies and help her people in the future.
I need to pause here: this is huge.
There are various variables to consider:
1.A student from a remote area in the Himalayas going into Higher Education.
2. Studying a medical degree.
3. Becoming a medical doctor and returning to her village to serve the community at the same level than the shaman.
4. A GIRL.
Ten years ago, when Eva started talking to the street children in Kathmandu, she realised that the main reason why they had ended up in the streets was because their mothers had died. She kept enquiring and she learnt that the most common reason for women to die at a young age was childbirth. Eva likes to work both on the current problems but also on its causes. The problem: lots of children end up in the streets after losing their mums in childbirth. A cause: Nepal needed more health care professionals and birth assistants. A way forward: there are girls in need of a dignifying education. The education for medical professionals project was born. Ten young girls are currently benefitting from this initiative and the number is growing. These girls study in Kathmandu but will be returning to their places of origin all around Nepal to help their communities for at least five years.
Butterfly Wings is a documentary film that tells the story of an ordinary woman, Eva Holmberg-Tedert, doing extraordinary things. We are filming in October 2017 in Nepal. We are launching a crowdfunding campaign on the 4th of September to finance it. Click here to find out more about it or watch the short video below for more information.