Phoenix Fund Donor Trip 2008 | India and Nepal
Words and Images by | Joni Kabana
Design by | Von VinHasa
Our group created quite the melting pot of personalities, and miraculously, we all got along even during times of strife and uncomfortable conditions.
Back L-R:
Tom, Margaret, Stephen, Joe, Kim Sharon, Jean, Fred Not pictured: Joni
Front L-R:
Here we are.
cross the developing world, communities are emerging from conflict, oppression and natural disasters. One key to successful, lasting recovery is economic development. Small businesses, including farmers, have the quickest recovery potential, but are often not included in initial large agency grants.
The Phoenix Fund gathers private seed capital to start-up projects in some of the world’s poorest countries. It is designed to encourage high-risk high-reward ventures in communities recovering from war or social upheaval. Large foundations and government agencies are often less willing to support these kinds of urgent and innovative programs. Through charitable contributions, Mercy Corps capitalized the Phoenix Fund in 2005 to finance dynamic start-up programs in countries such as Mongolia, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, India and Nepal.
Mercy Corps Country Directors manage comprehensive programs in more than 35 countries. These Directors submit proposals to the Phoenix Fund, which are evaluated Mercy Corps staff and advisors with extensive experience in economic development and business. Grant approvals are made promptly to provide timely access to funds. Once approved, Country Directors and their staff implement and manage the project, typically in partnership with local organizations and communities. Successful proposals outline how funds will meet critical needs and achieve enduring change. We look for proposals that include:
SELECTING GLOBAL PROJECTS
* Livelihood creation: creation of a significant number of new jobs * Income increase: higher earnings by a significant number in the community * Social contribution: positive impact on conflict resolution, health, education, and community development * Proof of concept: development of clear metrics to secure follow-on government and foundation funding * Scalability: project can serve as a model for additional funding and in other countries Measurable outcomes: tracking and reporting of economic and non-economic
The annual budgets of most Phoenix Fund proposals range from $25,000 to $75,000 - a small investment in U.S. terms, but a substantial sum in developing countries. If a project is selected for funding, Mercy Corps ensures sufficient resources for that project to achieve measurable results in 12 to 18 months. The 2008 Mercy Corps Phoenix Fund Donor Trip participants travelled to India and Nepal to view, first hand, how these projects were being implemented. India: employees of tea estates are making handmade paper for greeting cards, wallpaper, paper bags, lamp shades and for packaging tea and other food products. There is high demand for handmade paper in the region, and we expect full-time jobs affecting 1,000 people to be created through this new enterprise. Other tea estates are interested in our outcomes and in replicating the project. Nepal: small cardamom farmers need assistance in planting, producing and drying the product. The worldwide demand for cardamom exceeds supply and, by improving agricultural and marketing practices, household income for a few hundred farmers will increase significantly. More than 1,000 families will be positively impacted.
A child whose father works in the paper factory.
Darjeeling Day 1 We arrived in Bagdogra and made the journey up the steep mountains; bumpy roads, back and forth and back and forth.....passing through Ghoom, and then on to Darjeeling. We arrived at night, and could not see out in front of the hotel, which was perched high on a cliff. Just about everything is perched on a cliff here!
The next day, we awoke to a wonderful fog filled sunrise, and then we saw the magic of Darjeeling. I had no time before we left to see the paper factory that the Phoenix Fund is supporting, but I managed to get one quick snapshot in. We are high in the air! I feel like a bird! We all got into 4-WDs and started on the 3 hour journey over the mountain range to see the paper factor. They also grew cardamom. There is much political unrest in this Indian state, as they are trying to separate from India. Because there are few
My room was cold, but incredibly beautiful. I heard a knock on the door, and in came a man to build a fire in the fireplace. He also brought a hot water bottle and placed it in my bed. I have never slept with a hot water bottle on a cold winter’s night, and I highly recommend it!
roads into Darjeeling, and no airplanes or other means of transportation, the city is vulnerable if there is a separation and it is not a friendly one. Cutting off the road would devastate this lovely and magical place. I hope to get out into the city tomorrow. I keep saying that this trip so far has been a bit of a photographer’s nightmare in that so much time is spent in the cars and buses since we are visiting very remote places, and I just watch all of the amazing subjects go by. I know that this leg of the trip is emphasizing the educational aspect of the field work
that Mercy Corps is doing, and I am grateful for this. It is an honor to sit in a room and hear how they are impacting a village, and listen to the debate on how to help the villagers improve the processes of the paper factory so that it yields the best possible return for the people in the village.
“But I see all of these amazing faces and I just can’t wait to get out there”!
Darjeeling Communications Students
On our first night here, we met the director of a Communications school and I quickly asked to sit next to him at dinner. After hearing about what he is trying to do with his students in photography, we arranged for me to spend some time teaching the photography teachers about advanced techniques and composition. This was one of the most fulfilling days I have had in a very long time. Mikma Lepcha and I set off for the town and I gave him my camera to use. We talked about choosing subjects, lighting, composition, tips for breaking down barriers between photographer and subject, storage ideas, and many other things. I was saddened to see that he does not have a laptop, and must keep all of him images on his one flash card. I gave him a CD and also transferred his files to the Communications Director’s jump drive for storage at the one old laptop that has a failing battery. Seeing Mikma’s passion, coupled with his extreme lack of resources is very difficult to witness. I vowed to do something about this and already have several ideas. Darjeeling has no studios, and if one wants to get a semi-professional camera, they must travel far away to get it. I went to the photo store and met the owner who was an absolute delight. Das Photo has been in business for many years, and I was able to purchase some images his father took around 1930 of Tibetans outside of the photo shop. We talked about their lack of resources, and ideas on how to stimulate the photography business in Darjeeling.
Global Business & Differences
Our conversations volley from questions about the culture here in Darjeeling to how the paper factory can be self-sustaining after their first year loan. As one could imagine, opinions abound from the various donors based upon their deep understanding of business and economics. The director of the Phoenix Fund, Jean Hart, is a pillar of strength and grace as she navigates the at times rowdy discussion. What works in the US does not work the same way in India, and it is fascinating to watch how the mighty ideas we all have to bring more efficient workflow and market venues to this small business are quickly transformed into areas of concern due to the minimum yet eager infrastructure. Should they store the paper in a warehouse? How can they double production? Does the boiling pot of water need draining each time? Is the use of wood for the fire draining the forests? Is there a market for this product? Was that in the original proposal? How many jobs are being created? What happens if this fails? H ow much help should Mercy Corps provide before they are self sustaining?
Mercy Corps’ motto, Do No Harm comes up frequently. We settle on coming up with a list of areas that need improvement in order for the business to have the best chance of being successful. Many of the items on the list could easily be implemented if this business was in the US, and we all exchange knowing looks that expectations need to be adjusted. It is heartening to see us all come together to try to assist this tiny business. Not one person is disengaged, and although there are many things to see and do in Darjeeling, the desire to help this country is foremost in our thoughts, overriding the sights, shopping, and restaurants.
Political Strike in Kurseong
After leaving the tea factory, we hit the road to get to our next hotel in Kurseong. We had noticed some increased unrest in the area, with people packing into and on top of jeeps, chanting and yelling for their political causes. When we arrived at the Kurseong Tourist Lodge, we were quite cold and hungry. During dinner, we heard that there might be a strike the next day and that it was in our best interest to leave very early in the morning. We awoke before dawn, and miraculously, all of us were ready to go on time. Most of us did not shower, because this hotel did not have hot water, and we were already very cold. We got into four Jeeps and headed out. Soon after leaving, we were making our way down a narrow and dark road when, all of a sudden, a woman jumped in front of us. Before we could register what was happening, several men started yelling and came over to the windows of the vehicles, screaming something in a language we did not know. They reached in and grabbed our keys and we knew this was more than just a little delay. After a while, our driver finally negotiated with the men, and got our keys back. After a long delay (with us passing Cliff bars around for breakfast our Darjeeling contact was able to talk with the head of the political striking party and we were set free to go back to our hotel to wait out the strike. Armed men guarded our door, and we were not permitted to leave the town. Besides feeling very cold and tired, we did remarkably well with keeping our heads calm. The guide books came out, and we all boned up on the history of the countries we were visiting, among other restful activities. Steven kept us alive with humor, while Tom and I exchanged thoughts on tech gadgets. Kim, Margaret and Jean took a wisely needed nap, and Fred read books. Joe and Sharon took a few walks when the coast appeared to be safe. Later in the day, as I was looking out of the padlocked gate, I saw Mikma! He came over to the door and asked me if I wanted to take a walk into the town. Tom was there, and we both jumped at the chance to see what was going on while having a local person guide us. Twelve hours later, we were allowed to leave the hotel.
Monastery In Ghoom, India On our way out of town, we stopped at a monastery in Ghoom, India. Kim got a kiss from one of the monks!
Boudhanath Stupa Behind the Hyatt Hotel is one of the most sacred Tibetan stupas, named Boudhanath. This image is from the stupa, inside one of the temples during a Puja ceremony.
Makaibari Tea Factory
We visited the Makaibari Tea Factory and got our first dose of climbing steep terrain. It seems that any time we ask “how long will we be?” We get an answer like “20 minutes”...and it really means two hours. Two hours is really four hours, and so on. The same is true for difficulty in climbing, or simply being out in nature in rugged terrain. This little jaunt through the tea fields and into the village was a piece of cake in relation of what was to come ahead.
After traveling for several hours down from the Darjeeling Hills, we made our way through Bagdogra and on to the Nepal border. By this time, it was dark and we were very tired and hungry. The border crossing procedure was very odd...
When we entered the new cars, we noticed that they put some signs in the front windows. Apparently there is political strife
After driving through chaotic roads with rickshaws, jeeps, motorcycles and people coming at our cars with lightening speed (how do they manage to not get into crashes?) we came to the border and saw that it was darkened, with hardly anyone around. Apparently, they turn off the electricity to save energy. One by one, we all went into a room where the Nepalese border officials were sitting by candlelight. It was an eerie feeling as they looked over our passports and asked any pertinent questions. Since it was dark, we had a difficult time locating all of our bags and getting them transferred from the Indian vehicles to the waiting Nepalese vehicles.
here as well, and by placing this indicator in the window it would allow us to roam freely without the threat of police or political party stops. We did get stopped several times, however, but our guide was able to talk our way through.
Border Crossing Into Nepal to Bitamrod, then Ilam
Photo by Joe Barthmaier
Fikal, Illam Nepal After driving up in elevation, we finally reached Fikal at 5500 ft, our campsite. We were freezing, hungry and exhausted. As we drove up in elevation, we knew this was not going to be an easy place to stay due to the cold temperatures, darkness and lack of the type of bathroom situations we are accustomed to. Most of the participants live in relatively luxurious homes, and I wondered how everyone would fair with this type of accommodations. We entered the campground, and the first surprise was seeing our tents. We had thought that tent camping meant something like yurt camping...the typical ever so present high expectations of a Westerner. The reality was that wew were to be assigned to two people per PUP TENT. Bathrooms consisted of a hole dug in the ground, but there was a tent surrounding it, so we were happy. After we shifted some coats, hats, gloves so everyone was covered, we sat down in the dining tent to eat a much appreciated meal. A bottle of whiskey and chianti came out, and spirits soared! We had a delightful time eating by candlelight and sharing stories with
the Mercy Corps country manager and project manager from Nepal.
tent, prepping for breakfast. At about 3am, we noticed there was a fire!
Just as almost everyone went off to bed, Tej, the Nepalese project manager told us that he had access to the internet. We had struggled to find a connections in India, and now the blog could be updated on the top of a mountain! He got his PC out and started working away. Tej is a very, very funny man and we laughed and laughed until about 1:30 am, especially when we started to hear everyone snoring in tandem.
Jean calmly said, “Joni, I believe the dining table is on fire.� We looked more closely, and sure enough, it was! The flames were getting higher and higher, and then we realized the cameras were stored in the dining tent since our luggage did not fit into our small tents. Running to get the bags we were relieved that they were only slightly warm to the touch but undamaged.
When we saw how late it was, we headed off to bed. The sherpas could be heard moving around in the kitchen
THANK BUDDHA FOR JEAN!
Photo by Joe Barthmaier
Cardamom We were able to attend the First Annual Cardamon Festival, where they had poster boards depicting planting and processing, and they passed out samples of cardamon cookies and tea. Here are some images of the welcome we got in Phidim.
Night time in Akasebhangyng The sacred fire brought out more dancing and drumming.
NEPAL The Panchthar Premium Cardamom Project Grant investment: $49,979 Project dates: July 2007 to June 2008
Background For the last 30 years, farmers in Eastern Nepal have grown cardamom as a cash crop on small plots of marginal lands, but farmers have received relatively low prices for their cardamom from exporters. This was in part due to the farmers’ inferior ways of drying their cardamom, which was often ineffective and consumed large amounts of wood. The farmers also did not have sophisticated marketing strategies, lacking the necessary education and market knowledge. They were often disorganized and suffered from social exclusion. Under these market conditions only the richest, often high-caste farmers benefit from recently improved road access and cardamom drying technologies. Community members in Lingten plant argeli cuttings. Project Goals The goal of the project is to increase the incomes of marginalized, smallholder cardamom farmers in the eastern hills of Nepal. The specific objective is to enable cardamom farmers and exporters to increase their global market share of premium large cardamom sales. To achieve these market development goals, the project team will work with 100 cardamom farmers to pilot and demonstrate two replicable methods of impoving their terms of trade with cardamom exporters. The project will also help two cardamom exporters to improve their ability to compete in the global cardamom market. These two exporters will pilot improved processing, grading and international product marketing.
• Selected two areas in Sidin and Nagin where we will pilot the project. There we identified marginal, small-holder cardamom farmer participants and briefed them on the project and its objectives. Mobilization and other activities will start at the beginning of September, in time for the harvest season. • Met with potential cardamom exporter participants in Kathmandu and the eastern region. Next Steps • Hold a stakeholder workshop in the district, to introduce all local stakeholders to the Mercy Corps Country Representative, Director of Agriculture and Livelihood (HQ), and Program Officer; finalize our partnership with the chamber of commerce; and visit all the farmer beneficiaries and brief them on project deliverables and activities. • Continue meeting with exporters in the region. Make a decision on the two exporters after the stakeholder workshop. • Evaluate market centers in border towns in India. Mobilize farmer groups and train them.
Activities This Quarter
Monitoring and Evaluation
Highlights from our recent activities • Hired Project Manager Tej Thapa, who will be responsible for the overall implementation of the project. Obtained a project office and are in the process of hiring a full-time social mobilizer to help the project manager. • Held initial planning meetings with local government agencies, international and national non-government organizations, target beneficiaries, and potential partners in Kathmandu and the project district.
As the project has just started at the beginning of July 2007, much progress has been made to set the project in motion. We’ve assembled our staff and office and identified the farmer beneficiaries.
Right: A full grown cardamom plant. Above: Cardamom seeds.
Credits and Contacts Be the change through Mercy Corps: www.mercycorps.org Fuel the dreams of entrepreneurs through the Phoenix Fund: www.mercycorps.org/donate/somanywaystogive/665 A heart-warming gratitude is extended to all of the Mercy Corps’ staff in India and Nepal for opening their doors to their beautiful countries and for taking precious time to coordinate the travelers’ stay. In addition, we thank the donors for permitting us to use their images, their photos, and especially to tell the story of their travels.
Photography | Joni Kabana www.jkabana.com | jkabana@jkabana.com Read more on Joni’s blog: www.xanga.com/jonikabana All images© 2008 Joni Kabana Except where noted Additional photography by Joe Barthmaier, pgs 2,3,18,19,21,22,23 Margaret Hinshaw, p 31 Mikma Lepcha, p 6 Thanks to all the students who participated in this project. from the GD249: Digital Publication Design class at Mt. Hood Community College Graphic Design Program Contact Christina Maier, chris.maier@mhcc.edu www.mhccim.com
Book layout and design by Von VinHasa | shortwaverecords@msn.com Special thanks are extended to ProPhoto Supply which loaned photography equipment for this trip and other trips when Joni has been involved. www.prophotosupply.com
All proceeds earned from the sales of this book will benefit Mercy Corps media-related efforts in India and Nepal. On-demand printing and publishing through Lulu.com