CARING AND SHARING (Slovene and English version :))

Naslov težko prevedem v slovenščino, ker se v angleščini tako dobro sliši. V svojem življenju sem (včasih bolj, drugič manj) hvaležna za marsikaj. Za varen, topel in svoboden dom, za dobre ljudi okoli mene, za vse priložnosti, ki me obkrožajo. Cenim, da mi je pitna kvalitetna voda enostavno dosegljiva, da spim v udobni postelji in da mi narava vsakodnevno zagotavlja toliko okusne hrane, pa čeprav se je občasno malo prenajem :). Kljub nemiru, ki me občasno prežema in za katerega sem dejansko sama odgovorna, pa vem, da to, da živim v miru, torej brez vsakodnevne bojazni za svoje življenje, za marsikoga ostane zgolj želja.

Ker imam toliko dobrega v svojem življenju, bi rada to delila tudi z drugimi. Odločila sem se svojo kreativnost in svoj čas izkoristiti za to, da ti ponudim moj izdelek, če ti bo morda kaksen všeč. Izdelala sem nekaj nakita in čestitk, delam pa tudi po naročilu oziroma lahko morda popravim kakšen tvoj star in priljubljen kos nakita. Prav tako lahko ponudim tudi kakšno drugo svojo storitev, recimo skuham okusno kosilo (mogoče Dhal Bat :):)), spečem kruh, pripravim košaro lokalnih domačih dobrot (zelenjave, začimb) ali pa pripravim sladico za posebno priložnost. Pa še kaj drugega bi lahko pripravila :)!

Če se odločiš za mojo ponudbo, pa te prosim, da narediš prispevek organizaciji Conscious Impact (več tukaj: https://www.consciousimpact.org/). Le-ta je lahko kakršnkoli se ti zdi primeren, mene niti ne zanima višina. Lahko ga nakažeš neposredno organizaciji, lahko pa ga posreduješ meni in bom jaz zagotovila, da pride v prave roke. Če se ti zdi ideja zanimiva, me kontaktiraj in dodelava podrobnosti.

Če te pa trenutno ne mika, da bi si poletje popestril s kakšnim kosom nakita oziroma ne poznaš nikogar, ki bi ga lahko obdaril, pa vseeno razmisli, če si morda pripravljen podpreti organizacijo. Mislim, da kadar nekomu nekaj podariš brez kakršnekoli zamenjave je to poseben občutek, ki ne napolni le drugega ampak tudi tebe.

V vsakem primeru ti pa predlagam, da si vzameš trenutek zase in pomisliš na to, za kar si hvaležen oziroma hvaležna, ker s tem ozavestimo vse obilje, ki nas obroža, čeprav ga včasih niti ne opazimo.

Zakaj sem se odločila za podporo ravno organizaciji Conscious Impact, čeprav je veliko ljudi po celem svetu in tudi v moji državi, ki potrebuje podporo? Ker želim narediti nekaj za Nepal, ki mi je dal toliko! Ker sem organizacijo Conscious Impact spoznala od blizu in videla kako funkcionira, žal samo za en teden ampak je bilo dovolj, da mi je njihov način segel v srce. Vseč mi je bilo predvsem, da se trudijo dolgoročno in trajno nuditi podporo ljudem, ki so izgubili veliko. Da je njihov namen pristen in realen. Da skrbijo za domačine in hkrati tudi za volunterje in zase. Saj verjamem, da lahko daš drugim šele, ko poskrbiš  zase. Dejstvo je, da veliko stavb po potresu izpred dveh let še vedno ni obnovljenih. Ogromno ljudi živi v začasnih rešitvah, ki so sedaj postale njihov dom. Nekaj lesa, malo pločevine, skupaj z zemljo naredi sicer streho nad glavo, glede na količino dežja in mraza, katerega je deležen Nepal, pa to nikakor ni dolgoročna rešitev. Conscious impact se je lotila podpore na poseben način, in sicer s proizvodnjo lastnih opek iz lokalnih materialov (peska, zemlje in vode) z dodatkov malo cementa, za kar so se seveda morali najprej izučiti, saj je namen, da se ponudi potresno varna gradnja. Sami zelo radi posredujejo vse znanje tudi naprej, kar je dejansko zelo pomembno pri temu, kadar želiš nekomu »pomagati«. Lahko nekomu ponudiš denar, ki bo sčasom skopnel, ali pa znanje, ki mu omogoči, da se dejansko sam postavi na noge. In tudi to mi je bilo všeč, saj nudijo domačinom podporo pri izobraževanju, prav tako pa imajo super projekte, v okviru katerih gojijo rastline in jih nato ponudijo domačinom za simboličen znesek. Zakaj ne zastonj? Tudi to so poskušali, ampak so ugotovili, da je boljše, da se ponudi izdelek tistim, ki so pripravljeni nekaj sami vložiti, saj se bodo ti bistveno bolj potrudili za uspešnost projekta. Ravno jutri se končuje kampanja s katero zbirajo denar za razširitev proizvodnje kave s katero želijo doseči, da se bodo lahko v domačem okolju zaposlili in ne bodo v tolikšni meri odhajali v tujino, hkrati pa zagotovili več zelenja, dreves na tem območju. Domačine so tudi naučili kako gojiti kavo ter jim našli kupca, ki bo kasneje zrna odkupil, torej gledajo naprej. Že ob življenju znotraj kampa je bilo opaziti, da se zavedajo vpliva, ki ga imamo na druge in okolje. Uporabljali smo biološko razgradljiva mila, pomivali posodo s pepelom, sami kompostirali in prvič sem preizkusila tudi kompostni wc, kar zanimiva zadeva :)!! Močno je tudi občutiti pomoč in solidarnost znotraj kampa, skupna skrb, skupinsko kuhanje in pomivanje, jutranja joga, najbolj pa mi je bil všeč krog zahvalnosti pred večerjo – vsak je takrat povedal, za kaj je tisti dan hvaležen. Meni je bilo sprva to sicer malo nenavadno, ampak dejstvo je, da ko nekdo deli s tabo eno osebno stvar, se tudi sam bolj odpreš. In resnično sem hvaležna za tole izkušnjo!

Hvala pa tudi tebi, ker si si vzel/a čas in prebrala mojo izkušnjo in mojo idejo :)!! 

Kako dejansko izgledajo stavbe dve leti po potresu, pa si poglej v naslednji galeriji. V nekaterih ljudje živijo, nekatere so namenjene živini, nekatere pa so prazne. 

Zanimiva pa je tudi zgodba Narayana, katerega sem osebno spoznala in v njemu začutila ogromno sočutja (https://www.consciousimpact.org/new-blog/2017/6/23/mamas-interview)! 

CONSCIOUS IMPACT

This year I spent three and a half months in Nepal. Seeing in person how much the country still suffers the effect of two earthquakes from two years ago made me feel humble - I think the Nature is so powerful that we should really respect it more. It made me feel grateful for a safe home and all the luxury I have in Slovenia. I feel so much admiration towards everybody who has suffered through this natural disaster and still has so much hope and love to share!

Immediately after the earthquake there were a lot of people helping Nepal. Now, two years after, only few are left although the effect of the devastation is still much present. I know there are a lot of people worldwide, including my own country, that could use support. But this time I decided to try to make a contribution to a small community in Takure, Nepal. Because I have been there to see and feel the needs of the community that should be fulfilled. Because I believe that the Conscious Impact organisation has so much to offer and their approach to helping others is very unique and real. Because I believe that by sharing our knowledge, experiences and also material things we are caring. Caring about others to me means also caring about ourselves, because we are all human beings with the same basic needs. 

I am grateful for a safe home, for loving friends and family and for so many things that most of the time are taken for granted - drinking water, a comfortable bed, the abundance of food provided by nature and also for being free, safe and in peace. I consider myself lucky because I don't have to worry about being hungry or having to sleep outside, or even worse, having to fear for my life. Having all this makes me want to share a little and give back to Nepal at least a little, as it has given me so much. 

I invite you to think at least for a moment for all the things you are grateful for. The things you have, may it be material or immaterial. Appreciate them. Be conscious.

And if you feel like sharing just a little, please consider donating to an organisation Conscious Impact. 

ABOUT CONSCIOUS IMPACT (more at: https://www.consciousimpact.org/)!

I can say that I got just a taste of the project because I stayed only for a week as I was leaving Nepal soon. The whole project is based on helping others with the emphasize on taking care of yourself at the same time. Which I think is really important because you can give only what you have. It was amazing to hear the story behind the organisation from one of the founder, Orion, his description of the project is so strong and real that you can feel the positive, conscious impact that it aims. There are more programs this organisation cares about, but the best thing I liked is the vision of the sustainable impact it wants to achieve. They want to help the locals not just by doing something and then leaving but by creating some support long term.

The fact is that a lot of buildings, mostly homes in Nepal haven't been rebuilt since the earthquakes two years ago. People are still living in improvised places that are not a long term solution. Conscious impact offers alternative methods for rebuilding homes. They make their own bricks from local materials (sand, earth and water) and by adding just some cement. This way they give jobs to the locals providing them the opportunity to work at their home close to their family rather than having to go abroad like so many others. These bricks have been used to build a school and a senior centre and are meant for rebuilding lots of homes. For one family they also provided earth bags which is an inexpensive method using mostly local soil to create structures which are strong and can be quickly built. They are also involved in the building of the orphanage very nearby.

What I liked about this project was looking at the bigger picture. Besides helping with the reconstruction of the buildings they want to help with the education and also their agriculture program is amazing. Just by coming at the camp you can see that it is really important to be aware of the impact we have on the surrounding and trying to make this impact as small as possible, regarding the life of the camp. Everybody there uses biodegradable soaps and for washing the dishes we were using ash which doesn't pollute the environment. They have their own garden where they grow some vegetables, do their own composting and even have a compost toilet - it was the first one I have seen and it looks very interesting :)! But the best thing is that they want to share the agriculture knowledge with the volunteers and the community so they started to grow trees and some plants. I love their coffee tree campaign - they bought coffee seeds and made a nursery to make seedling which are sold to the locals. They explained that by selling them (for a price that is much less that it costs to make one seedling) they assure that only people who are really interested will get involved in the project rather than just giving them away to people who won't really care about them. And this makes the project more successful. I like it because they are not just doing something for the good feelings of the volunteers or the organisation, but they consider different perspectives and try to make a real, positive and conscious impact! Check out the story of a local guy who has been growing coffee trees for a while (https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousImpact/?fref=ts).

All this combined with the atmosphere inside the camp - helping each other, working together, sharing special knowledge (like yoga in the morning), representing nonviolent communication and caring about each other makes this place really special. I can't say that it is easy for me to live in a community but here I felt safe, relaxed and appreciated. And having gratitude circles before every dinner during which people openly tell each other what they are grateful for is very heartwarming. Thinking about what we are grateful for makes our everyday life more precious and present. 

Because of the short time I spent there and feeling a bit sick I didn't manage to experience the true potential of this project and I didn't have a chance to share with others my true potential, but the taste of it was very sweet :). 

As I feel really strong about supporting this project I decided to make a fundraising project of my own, using my creativity to get some donations.

ABOUT MY FUNDRAISING:

I decided to use my knowledge and my free time to make some jewellery and greeting cards. I would like to give them to people who like them and want to have them. Here is just an example of my products, I can make things according to your wish or even try to fix your old jewellery. I can offer also some other service, like cook a great meal, bake a bread, deliver a basket full of local products (vegetables, spices) or maybe prepare a desert for some kind of celebration :)! 

In return I ask you to make a donation to Conscious impact. You can make a donation of any kind of amount you feel comfortable with on your own and just let me know which of my product or service you would like and we will arrange the details. If it is easier you can give the donation to me and I will make sure it reaches the Conscious Impact.

And for people who don't need anything, I invite you to consider a donation anyway :). Giving something without wanting any of the material thing in return is a special act of loving kindness. And I believe that giving kindness to others actually means giving some of it to yourself. So simple :). And bear in mind that every donation is much appreciated no matter how big it is!!

I am grateful for everybody that took their time and read about my experience and my intentions! And a special thank you for all those who decided to take part in my idea of sharing and caring :)!! Be happy :)!

June 30 2017

Moje letošnje dogodivščine od januarja do maja so zapisane, nekaj tukaj, preostalo pa v mojem srčku. Tokrat sem se po krajši Tajski nadgradnji Tai Chija osredotočila na Nepal. Izbira je bila prava. Malo sem spoznala zanimive projekte, katerih namen je nuditi podporo pri obnovi po uničujočem potresu, malo sem meditirala, malo raziskovala mogočne gore, vmes pa še občudovala preprostost, iskrenost in posebno energijo, ki prežema to čudovito državo. Kogar zanima kaj dogaja na drugem koncu sveta ter  

June 30 2017

Od novembra 2015 do aprila 2016 sem se potepala po Kitajski, Tajski, Maleziji, Burmi in Vietnamu. Spoznavala sem Kunf Fu, Tai Chi, lepe pokrajine in zanimive ljudi, predvsem pa samo sebe. Moje dogodivscine sem opisala v blogu.

From November 2015 untill april 2016 I was travelling through China, Thailand, Malaysia, Burma and Vietnam. I was learning about Kung Fu, Tai Chi, beautiful countries and interesting people, but most of all about myself. My adventures are described in my blogs.

July 8 2016

Almost my last blog about my travelling experience...the lovely Vietnam 😍! So many friendly people, amazing nature and great food.The beer is also nice, it managed to cool me down in the warm weather and also it is very efficient as an anaesthetic :)!

http://followingthewind.sqwiz.com/en-US/a-159202/the-lovely-vietnam

THE LOVELY VIETNAM

May 24 2016

BURMA - THE LAND OF CONTRASTS

IT IS TIME FOR ME TO INTRODUCE TO YOU BURMA AS EXPERIENCED THROUGH MY GLASSES :). DON'T GET SCARED, I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF WORDS WRITTEN THERE AND READING IT IS PROBABLY RESERVED ONLY FOR THE BRAVE ONES, BUT FOR THE REST, JUST BY LOOKING AT THE PICTURES YOU CAN GET AN APPROXIMATE IMAGE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY!!!

I noticed the simple local life and different standard for tourists. In some touristic places I felt like a barrier between our worlds. We couldn't use  

MY BURMESE ADVENTURE

March 26 2016

I loved Malaysian diversity, although it was short trip, just 10 days, but it was sweet :)!

http://followingthewind.sqwiz.com/en-US/a-151382/mixed-malaysia

MIXED MALAYSIA

October 25 2015

Opis mojih letošnjih "zimskih" enomesečnih dogodivščin:
5.) zaključek poti: Kambodža in Laos

MY ADVENTURES DURING MY ONE MONTH OF TRAVELS:
5. )TWO MORE COUNTRIES - PASSING THROUGH CAMBODIA AND A GLIMPSE OF VIETNAM

http://followingthewind.sqwiz.com/en-US/a-135877/blog-no-5-two-more-countries-passing-through-cambodia-and-a-glimpse-of-vietnam

Blog no.5: TWO MORE COUNTRIES - PASSING THROUGH CAMBODIA AND A GLIMPSE OF VIETNAM

October 25 2015

Opis mojih letošnjih "zimskih" enomesečnih dogodivščin:
4.) južni Laos

MY ADVENTURES DURING MY ONE MONTH OF TRAVELS:
4.) LAOS - 4000 AMAZING ISLANDS - SI PHAN DO

http://followingthewind.sqwiz.com/en-US/a-130138/blog-no-4-4000-amazing-islands-si-phan-don

Blog no. 4: 4000 AMAZING ISLANDS - SI PHAN DON

Blog no. 4: 4000 AMAZING ISLANDS - SI PHAN DON

October 25 2015

Opis mojih letošnjih "zimskih" enomesečnih dogodivščin:
3.) osrednji Laos

MY ADVENTURES DURING MY ONE MONTH OF TRAVELS:
3.) LAOS - LEAVING THE CHILLY NIGHTS BEHIND

http://followingthewind.sqwiz.com/en-US/a-130137/blog-no-3-leaving-the-chilly-nights-behind

Blog no. 3: LEAVING THE CHILLY NIGHTS BEHIND

October 25 2015

Opis mojih letošnjih "zimskih" enomesečnih dogodivščin:
2.) severni Laos

MY ADVENTURES DURING MY ONE MONTH OF TRAVELS:
2.) NORTHERN LAOS

Mhttp://followingthewind.sqwiz.com/en-US/a-130135/blog-no-2-the-beginning-of-laos-adventure-northern-laos

Blog no. 2: THE BEGINNING OF LAOS ADVENTURE - NORTHERN LAOS

October 25 2015

Opis mojih letošnjih "zimskih" enomesečnih dogodivščin:
1.) začetek: Tajska

MY ADVENTURES DURING MY ONE MONTH OF TRAVELS:
1.) THE START: THAILAND

(http://followingthewind.sqwiz.com/en-US/a-130103/blog-no-1-starting-my-one-month-of-travels-thailand-2015)

Blog no. 1: STARTING MY ONE MONTH OF TRAVELS - THAILAND 2015

August 19 2015
Following the wind

Following the wind

Following the wind updated their profile picture.

August 19 2015
Following the wind

Following the wind's cover photo

Following the wind updated their cover photo.

August 19 2015
Following the wind

Following the wind

Following the wind updated their profile picture.