Katha Corona

Fashion During Pandemic - Aastha Pokharel One thing’s for sure, we entered pandemic as one person and we will be leaving this pandemic as someone different. A flu-like disease that can pass without much symptoms, for some, quick & fatal, for others, with varying degree of pain, discomfort, and the accompanying fear. It entered every household, took our friends and families, livelihoods, peace of mind and overall sense of certainty away from us. With long stretches of lockdown, we all had to find a way to navigate, be productive, make profit and stay afloat and optimistic about a solution, a relief & an end in sight. As a model and show director, my job has basically been stalled for the foreseeable future. Projects were postponed and then canceled. The world of clothes, accessories and make-believe images seemed futile and unnecessary suddenly. The majority of humanity was now in survival mode. What’s the point of pushing clothes & capitalistic ideals at a time like this? “So where do we go from here?”, was a question we collectively asked ourselves. Lockdown gave us a long-overdue time with ourselves and our families. It was a time of restriction, uncertainty and vigilance but also introspection, pause and rest. It was interesting to observe how a different kind of routine has set in, sidelining our usual routes and repetitions. I was (am) learning to be grateful and patient. Grateful for the privilege of not having to worry about the next meal and a roof over my head. Making art and staying optimistic in the confines of our homes and screens. Patient because of my belief in there being dawn after dark and modern medicine. Although there was an undeniable sense of impending doom. At the heart of this experience personally, it’s been making art that has kept me sane and helped me make sense of it all. It was first an effort to shut out the noise and turn inwards. I felt we should gravitate towards that more than producing & consuming mindlessly in fashion. It changed my outlook towards fashion in the times of Corona. While I am finishing writing this, I have booked an at home PCR test for me and my mom tomorrow. Reminding us how it’s still very much here and we have to find a way to fight it while living with it and protecting ourselves and others. Here’s to hoping vaccines reach all the people in our country very soon and we will see better days on the horizon. 101

Flying in Uncertainty - Prada Karki Namaste, I am Prada Karki, a senior flight attendant and a cabin crew instructor at Nepal Airlines. When there was the country’s first lockdown, Nepal Airlines had operated chartered and repatriation flights to different countries. Gearing up in the personal protective equipment and other Covid gears, it wasn’t easy to do the long flights. It took us 18 hours to get back to Kathmandu base after doing the Beijing Cargo flight. Meanwhile, the stress of potentially catching the Covid loomed large. After coming back home, the most difficult part was to isolate me from my breastfeeding child. Amongst many, I had my turnaround 14 hours repatriation flight to Saudi Arabia. We had anxiety and a fear of catching the virus as many passengers would bring the fake PCR reports. In July 2020, a few of my colleagues were tested positive and we were in shock and fear as we knew, very little facts about Covid. At that time, my family discouraged me to do the flights, but after all it was my job. Amid the pandemic, there was another fear of losing the job, as many staff were furloughed in bigger international airlines and few airlines even shut down. As people now have become more confident travelling during the virus, passengers regularly refuse mask wearing mandates and becomes unruly in the process. It adds new safety concerns and anxiety to the already hectic profession. Flying has become a very different experience now. It comes as a top priority for cabin crew to follow the Covid protocols, by wearing medical masks, disposable gloves, caps, face shields and PPE. It is said that close quarters in planes may increase the risk of contracting Covid but most viruses don’t spread easily in the cabin due to advanced air filters. Though we have adapted the new normal, there is still a fear of viruses everywhere. I have a fear of third wave, which according to an expert might hit the children. Being a mother of two, I wish I would never carry it (virus) back home. 102

Finding a New Beginning Amidst Crisis - Nimesh Shrestha I had always dreamed of having a grand wedding with dance functions and parties. But as luck would have it, Corona went on a world tour and changed the story for us. Barsha and I had planned to get married after her mom returned to Nepal but due to our family problems, we had to elope. The country was still on a loose lockdown. I took my scooter, picked her up and ran away together. We had already brought her belongings secretly prior to our grand plan. We planned our wedding in a week and started preparing for the ceremony. Barsha’s mother was very supportive to us, and she informed her family later. Even though her family was reluctant at the beginning, they eventually accepted the marriage and attended the wedding function. We got married on the auspicious day of Fulpati. We had a very intimate function with a very close circle because of lockdown. People were surprised by our sudden plan. We’ve always wanted to start a family and thus, we planned our parenthood right after. We received our good news in December 2020. But I guess everyone has their fair share of challenges; amidst the good news, the doctor told us that Barsha has a pregnancy complication called Chorioangioma, related to placenta tumors, apparently seen only in 1% of the pregnancy cases. We had to go for regular ultrasounds and by then the second wave of Corona had already begun. We were already under pressure and the second wave only made it worse. Going to the hospital was riskier for a pregnant woman with complications and lower immunity. We sanitized ourselves compulsively. There were times when we had to visit the hospital four times a day for lab tests and seeing Covid patients made us paranoid. But by the grace of God, the tumor doesn’t seem to be growing, and the doctor has told us that we will have a normal pregnancy. We pray that the world will go back to normal before our baby is born. 103

A Theatre Artist’s Emotional Distress - Archana Panthi I am a theatre artist and a drama teacher. My work requires being on the stage and performing live in front of the audience. We were only at the beginning of a play’s rehearsals when the government decided to impose a nationwide lockdown. I was retrenched from the school as they were only focusing on academics. I loved the break for a while but eventually, it started suffocating me. During the first lockdown, I stayed with my sister. Three months of being locked down together had its toll on us. We went through heaps of arguments, silent treatments, and conflicts that led me to a panic attack one night and I moved out of her house immediately. During the second lockdown, I thought it would be best if I lived alone but what scared me was that I had already been experiencing major panic attacks. However, I had no choice but to live with it. As the death rates started rising, the news started disturbing me a lot and left me paranoid. I locked myself inside the house, kept washing my hands compulsively, sanitized the house, kept checking my oxygen level and body temperature every half an hour, and kept dwelling over the death rates so much that I fell sick. Initially, it was only a runny nose and slight cough but later I started experiencing other symptoms too. More than physical pain, I was going through a lot of emotional distress. The major challenge was that I was on my own with no one to take care of me. That moment I realized how much one could really do all by themselves when it comes to life or death. I did everything that people said would cure Covid. I tested negative but I still suffered from PTSD. I needed psychological help. Therapy has been helping me enormously. The pandemic has made me reflect on a lot of things, including my career. I wonder if I have made the right choice by staying in this country while my family is abroad. I question myself if things would have been different if I were with them. 104

Start-ups Amidst Covid - Anushka Shrestha I am Anushka Shrestha – a young entrepreneur, and Miss World Nepal 2019. I am a 25-year-old Commerce graduate and am passionate about capability development. The pandemic has personally been a time of great reflection. I have had the opportunity to explore my interests and passions, as well as delve deep within to cultivate and find out what my personal values are. From dealing with issues that would go unattended in the usual busy cycles of life, to practicing self-care and gratitude, this time has been significant in my personal growth. My pageantry journey was incredible, to say the least – a rollercoaster ride that would have generally been 12 months, was 18 months this time around due to the pandemic. The title has been a great asset in the sense that it has enabled me to reach a wider audience in terms of support during the pandemic. From feeding street animals to fund raising to support wage workers, to procuring and distributing health care materials, to now fundraising to support the education of all children in Nepal who have lost their parent to Covid-19 through the FMNW Scholarship program – the Miss World Nepal journey throughout the pandemic has been rather unique! The most challenging part of working within the pandemic had to be maintaining one’s mental health and sanity. Because the virus was new, on one hand, I felt, as a daughter in a family, the best I could do was stay at home and reduce the risk of possibly infecting myself and my family; yet on the others as a person with a public reach I felt I had to be out and do all I could to help on the ground – this dilemma and all the anxiety and uncertainty brought was surely challenging being able to extend support to those in need and experiencing a sense of solidarity. In difficult times, when the whole world seems to be crashing down, take a deep breath and just start where you are, do what you can, with what you have – to shine a warm light of compassion within and spread happiness around. 105

Music of Monsoon - Sajan Maharjan Being the “Jyapus” (jyayafu means CAN WORK) of Kathmandu valley, my family has been actively involved in agriculture and farming for several decades. It was fun to go to the field with my parents when I was a kid. Gradually, I grew up and felt irritated when my family asked me to come along in the field because digging a barren land with the Hoe (kodalo) was not a joke for an 11/12-year-old boy. Eventually, they rarely asked me to come, however, every year I engaged in monsoon work. On 24th March last year, every sector was shut down addressing the transmission of Covid-19. The entire market was in lockdown with minimum mobility of people and transportation. People suffered from hunger because they lost their jobs and they could not buy their daily food. Fortunately, we did not have to experience these kinds of challenges as we have our farmland and we could easily sustain through it. Usually, my parents take care of the entire cultivation as they have been working in the field. From the beginning, they were professionals at it, while I along with other youth lack such ideas. They usually harvest food and grains according to the traditional way of farming. However, since last year’s lockdown, I also have been engaged in farm work with my parents and we have been cultivating a few cash crops. We don’t need to buy veggies for daily purposes. The monsoon is worth remembering every year. This year, there was a plain field almost 6/7 times the size of a football ground full of rainwater, ready for planting rice. It seemed like a festival of planting; hundreds of farmers were working hard in the rain. It felt amazing as we were actually cultivating gold. It was a moment that motivated almost all youth including me to enjoy the monsoon. Everyone in the field was living the moment, forgetting the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most significantly, I learned some of the major farm skills as well, such as making boundaries (dang) in the edge of the farm to reserve the water for the plantation which is usually done by the experienced member of the family. Hence, I would like to thank the supreme power of nature for serving me with the opportunity to learn some farming skills and feel closer to nature. 106

In Remembrance of my Mother-in-law. - Sunita Vaidya Shrestha Hello everyone, I am Sunita Vaidya Shrestha, a married woman, mother, wife, daughter, daughter in law and business entrepreneur. I am involved in different social activities for the betterment of women. I am the General Secretary of Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal (FWEAN) and Executive member of SCWEC. Due to my busy schedule, I hardly spend time with my family. I hardly spent time with my mother-in-law. Being oldest of family she always wished I could give time to my family more often. Due to Corona, I got the perfect opportunity to spend time with my family. Even though my business was suffering, my mother-in-law was very happy to spend time with me. Everyone was delighted that I was around all the time. Alas, the happiness remained only for a short period of time. My mother-in-law got diagnosed with kidney failure after one week of lockdown. My husband would spend most time travelling to-and-fro between hospital and home. On one hand, there was a fear that we could be infected by Corona virus and on the other, my mother-in-law was in a critical condition. Even though enough effort and care were provided to save her life by the doctors, unfortunately, she passed away. This incident has engraved deep regrets in my heart. I feel remorse about being unable to spend the time my mother-in-law wished of me, when she was alive. Even when Covid-19 pandemic crisis gave me a chance to spend time with her at home, she is no longer with us. I learned this the hard way. I understood that family and loved ones are equally important and one should never miss opportunities to spend time with them. Business is not always everything. The other important aspect I learned was taking care of my home, family and creating better health conditions. Platforms such as Zoom & Teams were very helpful in personal management and communications. Saying this, I want to express my gratitude to “Katha Corona” for giving me this opportunity to share my story. 107





Obituary to Captain Gopal Tamang: An Officer, War Hero, and a Gentleman - Gopal Tamang My brother Captain Gopal Zimba Tamang, a 67-year-old 1/11 Gurkha Rifles veteran had settled in Dehradun. Originally from Lisen khu Pakhar, the Zeemba clan (chieftains from 18 golden Tamang tribes and 252 clans) moved to Ghailedubba, Jhapa, and then finally Royak in Darjeeling before migrating back to Kathmandu. He joined the army at a young age from Lebong receiving basic training in the infantry. He quickly moved up ranks to become Gurkha Officer. An exceptional soldier and engineer, he could re-fit any army ordinance, machine, and tools with ease. Decorated with a chest full of distinguished medals, he received the penultimate Sena Medal (equivalent to the German Iron Cross or British VC) in the Indian Army. The last memories I have with him were during his visit to Kathmandu for my son’s marriage just before Covid-19 began in Nepal. After three weeks of being together, I bade him farewell at the Airport, as he left hurriedly for another tragic family event in Shillong. Being the youngest of the five siblings and “his blue-eyed boy”, I would visit him everywhere in his postings. He would be eager to show me around and we had a wonderful time all over India and Nepal. A distinguished soldier and a war hero Gopal was posted to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi as the Adjutant de Core (ADC); to three of India’s noteworthy Presidents. He was the favorite of Kalam and spent many hours with the “rocket man” tending together the “rose garden” and the birds. He also spoke of Narayanan’s Burmese wife with whom he had a special friendship as they both loved flowers, fruits, and trees. After his tenure, he settled down in Dehradun, a lovely part of town called Thakurpur. I often visited and shared technical advice, when he was building his house due to our common interest in architecture and designs. Both of us were planning to meet our second eldest brother Bhaskar in Chitwan. He had suffered a stroke and was recuperating in Jhapa, our ancestral home. We planned to surprise Bhaskar after our happy meeting during the marriage event but fate had other plans. Gopal had taken the Covid-19 vaccines in Army Hospital, Dehradun. He had completed both doses. But on that fateful night; after the second dose; he suffered a reaction and was rushed back to the hospital by his loving wife for the past 40 years. He did not survive the complications, and doctors speculated that it was probably due to chest and lungs complications. He passed away the following evening at around 5 pm. In death, he was as courageous and graceful as in life, sending me even his own “selfie” from the hospital bed saying that he is enjoying his Covid-19 vacation! My brother Gopal is survived by his loving family of wife Parvati, sons Vishal and Vinayak, daughters-in-law, Ila and Karishma plus young grandsons Ishaan and Lakshya. They together with the extended family members will greatly miss this golden officer, a gentleman, and above all an honest, ever-smiling humble. 110

A Lesson In Learning - Tazrian Rahman Bangladesh was quite late in surrendering to lockdown and quarantine rules because of Covid-19. I remember having my first panic attack when I saw the death toll rising all across the world, while were still oblivious to the pandemic. Thankfully in March 2020, the country finally went into lockdown and although there was less pollution to deal with, the empty streets soon began to be filled with the cries of people whose survival depended on daily work. Luckily, there were people who took it upon themselves to provide the less unfortunate as well as stray animals with food and water. Very soon, many youth based organizations devoted their time to help booksellers and painters sell their products online. Other organizations and individuals took the initiative to gather funds to help pay for hospital fees and hygiene products for those who could not bear the cost on their own. In a way, humanity came together to help each other survive during these times of disaster. For someone who grew up in the capital Dhaka, it was quite intimidating to move to the south of the country to Cox’s Bazar especially during a worldwide pandemic. I bought a PPE and to wear on the plane, which in my haste of leaving I accidentally forgot at home. Fortunately, I did not contract the virus and maintained all Covid protocols throughout the flight and during my stay near the world’s longest natural sea beach. I consider myself lucky that I was able to live in a city, close to the home of sea creatures and the endless waters, far away from the concrete jungle that is my hometown. Finding myself close to nature helped me escape stress and turmoil of emotions that many others faced, locked up cities full of concrete buildings. It also gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and work as a humanitarian for the Rohingya refugee crisis. The pandemic certainly taught me to appreciate nature more, be on the lookout for others especially those less fortunate and be grateful for simply being able to breathe. 111

Me and my Family - Dhushan Pamunuwa In 2019 I discussed with my parents and sister in Sri Lanka, that they should come visit me in Germany where I live. We planned for them to visit me in August 2020 so that we can visit a few cities in Germany. At the same time, a couple I know were planning on taking their sabbaticals and travelling to America for a holiday from May – November 2020. We were having dinner together in December 2019 and discussing our holiday plans for 2020, when I realised that it would be a nice idea to stay in their flat during that time, because my parents and sister could also stay in the same flat when they would visit me. The couple liked and agreed to the idea. I planned to move out of the shared flat I was in by the end of March 2020, with the plan that I will fly to Sri Lanka for the month of April, to celebrate new year, and when I come back in May that I would move in to the couple’s flat. In March 2020 both Germany and Sri Lanka went into lockdown. Flights to Sri Lanka were cancelled. The couple couldn’t fly to America. I was without a place to stay in April 2020. In the end I slept on the sofa in the couple’s living room in April 2020. They moved to their parents’ place in May 2020 for the summer, and my parents and sister couldn’t visit me in Germany. I tried again to go home to Sri Lanka in November 2020, but Sri Lanka didn’t allow anyone to enter the country. Since I was last in Sri Lanka in June 2019, I still haven’t had the chance to go home and I still haven’t seen my parents and my sister. I hope to go home in October 2021, but this pandemic has proved that nothing is certain. I hope you have the courage and strength to hold on in hope until you can embrace your loved ones again soon. 112

My Covid Story - Dorothy Moss 03/2020 - I was scared. Life changed, I cleaned and cooked more, I saw less of the family. It was a beautiful spring, we walked in the woods early to avoid people. We hid small presents in the woods and sent photos to our youngest grandchild. Our son sent photos back of her discovering these. She began to leave surprises for us in the woods, a beautiful drawing of a rainbow. This was our lockdown game. I could not cope with news. Government failed to protect people. How to protect my grandchildren if one of our children became ill? My constant warnings irritated others in the family, ‘wear a mask, distance, take care, take care …’ I kept speaking to women friends about solutions to Covid, medications, distancing, masks, alternative remedies, politics, gender. We learned from each other. The government let infections rise. Health services overwhelmed, people with Covid told not to go to the doctor but to ring a health call-centre. Many died at home. Instead of supporting our Health Service, billions of pounds spent on contracts to private corporations. Test and trace failed, insufficient PPE, health and care staff died (disproportionately Black and Asian). Thousands of older people in care homes died. Infections fell and vaccinations began, my fears subsided. Our youngest grandchild stopped for the night. I met more friends; we had a holiday. Life normalised a little. 07/2021- The limitations of vaccination as the sole solution to Covid are apparent. Government opened-up society on ‘Freedom Day’, 19/07/2012. They are allowing Covid to run through the population. Infection rates are very high. Deaths are rising again. Many people are unvaccinated, e.g., children, those allergic to vaccine, those fearful of vaccine - many people in working class communities, refugees newly arrived. Whilst vaccines still (mostly) prevent severe illness, they are less effective against some Covid variants. A good friend, her husband, her daughter (all double vaccinated) and her grandson are currently ill with Covid. The Government clearly allow people to die to protect their own economic interests. They want us to ‘learn to live’ with Covid. Our oldest grandchild had a baby this July, our first great grandchild. We are living with more risk. This is the consequence of the neo-liberal version of ‘freedom’ in the UK. As infections escalate, new variants will emerge and the global effort to fight the pandemic will be undermined. 113

Building Trust - Sun Min Camilla Park My name is Camilla. I live in Seoul, South Korea. My experience during the Covid-19 pandemic has do with my work, which I’m about to share with you. I work for a corporate foundation which supports non- profit organizations in various parts of the world; like Mongolia, Kenya, South Africa and Bangladesh. My work life changed drastically since the pandemic hit. I used to spend more than half of my time abroad, traveling to see our partners. All the sudden, this was not an option anymore. No more face-to-face meeting. No more on-site monitoring. I was very worried that our programs would not run as smoothly as before. I felt like the pandemic would ruin everything we’ve built up with our partners. However, my worries were for naught. Thanks to the internet and all virtual interaction tools, I was able to get in touch with anyone, anywhere in the world. I began to understand that for every challenge there is a solution. I also decided to put more trust in our partners. I believed that they would do their best even if I’m not there to check on them. And that is exactly what our partners did. They delivered solid results despite tough situations. Our bond is stronger than ever before. In Seoul, we still have close to 2000 Covid-19 cases each day. It seems like I will have to wait another year or two before I could travel like I used to. I am not worried though, as I know that our partners will do wonders! 114

We Were More Like Best Friends Kamla Bajracharya I am a frontline worker, so when Canada went into lockdown, my work did not stop. We started handling our clients over the phone or meeting them in the office parking lot while upholding safety regulations. With the large number of people losing jobs and requesting help, we were extremely busy. I begged my family and friends in Nepal to take this virus seriously and to take precautions against it. Several relatives in Kathmandu caught the virus and some became very sick. I begged everyone to stop socializing, stop partying, and stop any ceremonies. My advice was ignored— the socializing continued as if nothing happened. I was stunned with disbelief. Then the news of my brother’s death came. I heard this vicious Coronavirus took you away, dai. I have so many fond memories with you from my childhood. One, in particular, is of all the times you would bring me to school, although I was too young to attend. I begged and bothered you until you enrolled me into school with our sister. Despite your nagging, I know you enjoyed this time too. You were older than me, but because you were always away from home, your responsibilities as the youngest son of the house were automatically passed onto me. I took all the responsibilities traditionally given to sons and supported our family as well as I could. Maa and you would call me the youngest son rather than a daughter. You told me that I was stronger than you. I think that was true— I was emotionally stronger than you. I still am. Naturally, you eventually started your own family, immersed yourself in it, and forgot about us. We gradually drifted apart and, before I knew it, became strangers. You moved on, and so did I. Blood relations did not matter anymore. We could either forgive or forget, otherwise, we would never move forward. I chose to forget. You once said the distance gave you peace, so for your sake, I decided to stay away from you. Reconnecting would’ve been more painful anyway. All these thoughts might seem hurtful, but I still cherish those first 24 years of my life with you. We were more like best friends than siblings, and for that, I will always hold you in my heart. Rest in peace, dai. 115

It Has Been a Blessing in Many Ways - Karla Refoxo I live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and this makes my story of Covid perhaps very different than many others. Certainly it is very different than the experience of my sisters in Nepal and in Spain, two countries that are my homes away from home. In the US, financial subsidies were offered by the government. I applied and was granted one that is special for small businesses. Receiving the loan has made it possible to not work in the same way as I was working before, and to not have the fears of not being able to pay for rent and other necessities. Before Covid, I was earning most of my income by selling the jewelry at events. All events and most wholesale and retail orders stopped during this time of Covid, which initially caused me great worry. I was afraid I would not be able to continue my business and I knew that I would not be able to place orders with the people I work with (and love) in Nepal. However, because of the loan and not traveling for events, during this time I was able to complete a project I have been working on for 10 years. This has resulted in a new offering of an Oracle Deck and book which is a product that compliments the jewelry line which I design and have created in Nepal. This in turn helps enable me to keep the jewelry business going during a time when it has been very slow. I feel that Covid is a protector of nature and the environment. There were fewer cars, airplanes, less pollution, and more time for nature to regain her strength and bring a bit more of a balance into our beloved Earth home. There is more awareness of the importance of this, and more recognition for the need to really care for our world. I pray this is true in Nepal as well, and also I realize that this is a difficult thing to ask when people are suffering. My prayers go out to the people of Nepal with the hopes that the people of this country and others come to aid and realize the importance of helping each other. 116

It Made me Feel More Appreciative - Karoline Hestnes Despite Covid, my life is better than that it has been for many years. After a few broken relationships, an earthquake and losing several family members, starting with my mum getting diagnosed with severe cancer in 2010, I ended up getting a nervous breakdown and depression. I felt lost and lonely. The year my mum got ill was the very same year I was supposed to move to Nepal to work with sustainable fashion. After mum sadly lost the battle I still had the opportunity to go to Kathmandu and I ended up living there for 4 years, After the big earthquake in April 2015 I went back to Oslo without knowing that was when I moved back to my home country, In 2019 I had to prioritize my mental health and I went to the doctor to ask for help. I had my first therapy session in January 2020. Then Covid hit and Norway went into total lockdown on the 14th of March. A few days later I became very ill with a high fever, but I wasn’t allowed to go to the doctor or the hospital because they said I wasn’t ill enough.I was really afraid and I stopped watching the news as I found it too terrifying. After 2 weeks I slowly started to feel better and tried to make the most out of my life indoors. Covid had us staying inside our homes while the earthquake situation in Nepal made us stay outside in open space. It made me feel more appreciative during this worldwide crisis. Luckily I continued to get therapy online. My mental health got better and then I found out that I was pregnant which was a very positive surprise! I was in good shape throughout the pregnancy and in April 2021 I gave birth to a healthy and beautiful daughter. Becoming a mum has made me more present in my own life and I’m trying my best to embrace every moment. I feel strong and powerful and sometimes I feel small, vulnerable, lonely and fragile. I try my best to «mom up» and be the rock that my daughter needs even though the world is shaking. This is my fav quote by Voltaire and goes like this “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboat”. I’ll try to keep on singing. 117

My Covid Experience - Jane Pearce I was in a meeting at the WFP Rome headquarters when the news came through that Italy was planning to shut schools. We all stopped and looked at each other – a blanket of cold settled over us as we realized that this mysterious virus, that seemed to come from nowhere, was real and frightening. That day was the last time I went to the WFP office. Over the coming days, the vice of the lockdown tightened and as shocking statistics of deaths and infections rose, we also saw several heartwarming community actions: we lit candles near our windows in memory of those who died, at midday we clapped for the healthcare workers and sang songs from our windows in the evening. It provided a sense of community and solidarity in a time of enormous uncertainty. I was habituated to working in remote environments having worked in numerous war zones so I adapted easily to working remotely. For my team I introduced a morning meeting at 9am, expecting they would meet with their individual teams after- this was a communications exercise. Others checked in on whether everyone was coping with the isolation. We worried about younger staff who were away from home, colleagues with small children to homeschool and work, and staff who worked tirelessly without ‘switching off’ all hours. We introduced a regular ‘all staff’ meeting to check in on work and how we were doing personally. We sent funny cartoons and pictures of our home offices to foster a sense of togetherness. My personal coping mechanisms were to maintain as much as possible a ‘normal’ routine. I would ‘dress’ for work and be at my computer at 8.30am, breaking for lunch and then shutting down at 5pm. I set up remote exercise sessions with my personal trainer and as I had a small dog, I went out with her several times without breaking the rules. With a group of friends we established a remote ‘bookclub’ that would meet on Mondays, allowing us some time for intellectual talks and to ‘socialise’. But my lifesaver was my neighbour, Stefano, who wasn’t working and who took over the ‘life’ administration for both of us- mainly preparing meals. We had fresh fish delivered each Friday and a regular supply of vegetables would arrive several times a week from the local farmers market, a butcher would deliver meat and a wine merchant delivered delicious wines chosen by Stefano to compliment the elaborate meals he planned. Our friends and colleagues envied us! I feel that I did ‘Covid light’, I wanted for nothing, my income did not change, and I was fortunate that nobody close to me died or was seriously affected. What it did was help me reassess my life, appreciate a slower pace and value friendship and community spirit. 118

Covid-19 – Kahani - Lawrence Hartnett The end of 2019 brought the news that a Corona virus was causing havoc in Wuhan, China. All sorts of batty rumours about its cause spread, as did the virus itself, christened Covid 19. It arrived in our present hometown Kolkata, via travelers from the UK. This virus spread like measles or chickenpox…infecting thousands in Bengal, just as in almost every state of India, and causing deaths like the plague. People were advised to stay indoors, after being told the virus would be over in 21 days so didn’t take it too seriously. Various kitchen utensils were banged loudly, and lights and lamps lit. Unfortunately this approach didn’t work. Finally Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in March last year. By then thousands had died. There were several lockdowns, each one with restrictions being lifted gradually. Today we send the watchman out to do our daily shopping, and get the rest of all our staple foods and supplies delivered through Amazon. Masks are worn when anyone comes to the door – and sanitizers, hand washing, the whole exercise, if anyone comes to meet us. Our daily newspapers undergo steam ironing, and all fruit and vegetables are soaked in a sanitizing solution, rinsed and sun- dried before being either stored or cooked. We do go out, only for emergency bank or medical work (like for the two Covishield shots we had), or to receptions held in our building. Our children who live abroad want us to be extra cautious as they cannot travel at this time. Apart from the rare occasions which require a physical presence, our meetings, church services, and family chats are all online, as are funeral and memorial services; thanks to the technology available. Like millions of others, we have our Zoom wardrobes. We miss walks, shopping physically, and visiting people. We have also learned to cope without our live-in maid, and our driver. We take care of all our house-hold chores and have no outside work since schools have been conducting only virtual classes, for well over a year. The sorrow of losing close friends to the cruel and insensitive Covid-19 lingers. We continue buoyed up by our hope in Almighty God who remains in control in all circumstances, and by the constant communication with family and friends. Covid – 19 has taught us that what really matters is having each other with God by our side. 119

Love and Art in the Time of Corona - Erik van der Schaft She said it would be fine. She said she was healthy and so were her eleven flatmates. She said I shouldn’t worry. But I did. Spooked by those early stories – every breath or touch could and would be fatal – I didn’t think I should see Aisha anymore, at least until we knew more. She lived with many others from around the world and they didn’t just share rooms, but beds as well. This was and is how many workers in Dubai live, saving money to send home, to save up for a future that never seems to come any closer. Aisha, like many of her flatmates, was a social butterfly who refused to give up her shared meals, her shopping trips, her pampering days. She defied the emerging pandemic, convinced she was indestructible. And I bowed before King Covid, accepting his reign. Aisha didn’t understand why I feared the tiny body snatchers, even as I tried to explain that being much older than her, overweight and halfway down the bodily deterioration route would mean I’d get very sick or might even die. I admired her strength, her will to live a joyful life, but I knew I couldn’t see her for quite some time. So she left me. I became a virtual recluse, looking out my sand-streaked window on the 15th floor, seeing how this magnificently dynamic city came to standstill as I did. Dubai and I went into hibernation. And it helped: I didn’t get sick, and Dubai’s situation became manageable. Going to the shops no longer required an appointment. My attention span became so short that TikTok was now my favourite pastime – and making digital collages instead of physical artworks. Quantity over quality helped me push thoughts about Aisha away. I always thought of myself as an occasional introvert within an extraverted existence, but I wallowed in my solitary life. Until I met Latifa. Like a genie, she has made the wishes I never knew I had come true. She says it will be fine. She says I shouldn’t worry. And I don’t. 120

Waste Management in Bhutan - Chogyal Lhamo Kuzuzangpola. I am Chogyal Lhamo from Bhutan. The Corona virus pandemic has been a health emergency for countries around the world. It has been especially challenging for developing countries like Nepal and Bhutan. With job losses and pay cuts the most testing circumstances has been the loan repayment. The economic recession has affected many people’s mental health and put up a barrier when asking for love and support due to physical distancing. Since our firm has to deal with waste materials to curb the psychological issues and the financial debt we came up with a project to address the most challenging predicament of the era. The target group has been jobless single mothers. They were trained on making products out of waste thus curtailing the predicament of waste management. Local consumers were selected to be the audience. To increase the market reach, a website where the buyers can contact the women has also been setup. The total income generated and market audiences of the products were explained to the group. We encouraged the women to make more of such products so that they could become financially stable from the recycled waste. Luckily, we did not have a lot of infections in Bhutan, as King and Government itself was efficient on controlling from beginning and we have very less infected people in our country. This project has helped to promote the idea of a zero waste country and inspire others to come up with waste management solutions, eco-friendly products ultimately building a healthier environment. It gave me immense joy and satisfaction to bring together these women. The primary effect for this project was to diminish the psychological impact that people were suffering from during the pandemic. However, we ended up financially aiding these women and this has been a perk for the project. It has altered the life of individuals in many ways and has been a privilege for me. Despite all the lights, these hard times have not been without silver linings. This crisis is bringing together individuals into communities. Green Bhutan Waste Management 121

Coming Together - Maria Hogh Heilmann Everything changed from one day to the next. As a founder and co-partner of Aiayu, a small Danish clothing brand, life has always felt full and challenging – each day filled with plans, budgets, and decisions to grow the brand I started over 15 years ago. Looking back, everything seems easy in comparison to what we are navigating now. Initially, we were unsure if Aiayu would survive. Lockdowns at home, in Denmark, and the countries of our suppliers made our ability to manufacture and sell products completely uncertain. And while I was admittedly preoccupied with my own “backyard” at first - my family, friends, and business here in Denmark – I quickly realized that while we were collectively facing the same global pandemic, the reality of what that means for people in different parts of the world was, and still is, radically unequal. The deep responsibility we feel towards the people around the world whose livelihoods depend on Aiayu motivated us to push forward and find a workable solution. Without a second thought, we decided to stick with our production partners, regardless of whether they could fulfill our orders in their entirety or even at all. Our partners are rarities in an industry where brand-driven demand for low prices and quick turnarounds have made exploitation the norm. Beyond our personal connections to them, we fiercely wanted each one to come out on the other side so they could continue paying fair wages and providing safe work environments for their communities. This forced us to undergo a process of radical prioritization, retaining only what was truly necessary to keep our suppliers and ourselves going. Everything else, however important it may have felt in a pre-Covid world, needed to go. If I must identify a personal silver lining in this crisis, it would perhaps be that Aiayu is stronger after being forced to reduce to the essentials, the strong bonds with our partners being a central part of that. I began Aiayu many years ago from a desire to do things differently – and the pandemic has caused us to re-commit to that truth more ardently. Now, we are even more active in bringing that awareness into the way we run Aiayu every day. My “backyard” is no longer just my immediate circle here in Denmark – but the impacts and ripple effects that we as individuals and as a business can create. 122

Covid-19 and the Mandala of Lifelong Learning - Roshan Chitrakar February 15th, 2020 (the Noble Corona Virus was already the talk of the town): I and my wife with the double masks covering our faces were on board Korean Air to LA via Seoul. For us, it was an agonizing 17-hour-long flight and 9-hour wait in the transit at Seoul airport. Fortunately, we were OK, but the fear of contracting the virus and, in turn, giving it to our son’s family, who we were visiting, didn’t go away until after 15-day window period. As days go by, the daily infection rates kept rising globally. Our plan to return Kathmandu on April 11th had to be cancelled. We were lucky to have our son’s home to stay and the 3-year-old granddaughter to spend time with. On August 24th, my good friend Bimal Phnuyal called me. We talked about, among other things, Covid-19 and the global panic and sufferings it resulted in. We were cautiously pleased that Nepal, until then, was not badly affected. Economic consequences, however, had been extremely severe, especially for migrant workers. It was heartbreaking to watch the YouTube depicting the free meals offered to such workers. One young man was seen constantly in tears. He held his breath as he took in the free food and spoke, said he was a reasonably paid Chef in a local restaurant. Bimalji, meanwhile, shared with me the idea of starting a discussion group on Life Skill Education which I supported wholeheartedly. It couldn’t be timelier, as it’d allow a platform to widen and deepen discourses on critical life-skills, e.g., on the importance of being informed of facts about and resilient against Covid-19. Quite a lot of social media posts, even from powerful leaders, were spreading mis/disinformation. It took the world by surprise when President Trump speculated that bleach could be injected to kill the virus. Within days after our discussion, Bimal ji launched the weekly Life Skill Group meetings, which over the year, evolved as a Mandala of Lifelong Learning with its 45th Session just held on July 17th, 2021. I’m pleased that the group-dynamic is constantly pushing people to be true lifelong learners. The meeting deliberations have resonated a collective sense of being resilient to face unthinkable life-challenges and a feeling that the Mandala has continued to evolve to be locally rooted and globally connected, a pet-phrase of Bimal ji and a concept which the very term itself signifies. 123

Finding Hope and Happiness - Dr. Mona Shrestha Adhikari Whilst the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic continues we are learning to adopt new ways of living. Living in Geneva in these uncertain and curious times, running my company - Enterprise for Management, Economic Reform and Gender Equality (EMERGE) and working remotely with young girls and women entrepreneurs making the best of existing resources has been a very enriching experience for me. It is an experience that has filled my life with renewed hope, happiness, and contentment. Back in March 2020 when the Covid-19 numbers were rising, I wondered how my company could be of help to young girls and women entrepreneurs back home. As I also serve as an adviser to the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs Associations of Nepal (FWEAN), we held several conversations and conducted a needs assessment and based on its findings we organised webinars on ‘mindfulness’ that aimed at reducing stress and promoting holistic well-being. Motivated by the initial feedback received, we conducted over two dozen mindfulness webinars for various groups of girls, women, and organisations, which gave us confidence to scale-up our interventions. This also led to EMERGE and FWEAN partnering with Thulo.com to implement a project supported by USAID-Tayar Nepal which helped revitalize women’s business through e-commerce alongside their improved wellbeing. Enriching and harnessing one’s knowledge and skill is a life-long activity. Even with lives and livelihoods lost and shattered, not all is gloom and doom. The pandemic has been and continues to be an eye-opener, a pause, and a time for review and reflection on our own physical and mental health. My personal experience has been very gratifying as I received testimonials from the beneficiaries, which further reinforces my belief that small steps taken with the true spirit of support, partnership and hope can make big impacts. I made new connections, revived old ones, and reached out to dear ones with whom I had lost touch. This phase in my life has helped me see light despite all the darkness, reassuring that finding hope and happiness is within reach. 124

Covid-19 in Australia - Jenny Smith I live in Adelaide, the capital city of the state of South Australia. Due to the climate and topography, Australia has vast expanses of land that are mostly unpopulated, with the greatest density of people living on the eastern coastline. Responding to reported cases, at various times since March 2020, the 8-different states and territories of Australia have closed their borders, with limited repatriation from overseas. Often one must apply for “Cross-border travel registration” with directions to quarantine and have Covid-19 tests. Sufficient bulk orders of AstraZeneca and Pfizer, the 2 vaccinations available for Australians, were not made by our Federal Government last year, with only-12.0% now being fully vaccinated. Older people and those working in the aged care and health sectors have been targeted first. When Covid-19 first became a global issue in March 2020, I was vat an eye-camp in Nepal, and had to organise a hasty return flight to my place Adelaide, where-upon I had to isolate for 2-weeks. My city has subsequently undergone a few “lockdowns”. South Australia is currently in a 7-day lockdown, yet my household has been directed to isolate as I was at a shop at the same time as a Covid contact. We have to be tested on days 1, 5 & 13 at drive-through facilities. This has proved to be somewhat stressful with the large number of people queueing in cars at testing sites. Indeed, my daughter, 2 grandsons and I spent 9-hours 7:30pm-4:30am in my car waiting to have 1st-test. Fortunately, we had some food and drinks, iPad and phones to help us through as we crept along in the queue in the cold and dark (it is mid-winter here with o/night temperatures 2-9oC). It was a real trial of our patience.We have subsequently lined up for our day 5 tests at a different facility, which took only 75-minutes to complete. There is no doubt that this global pandemic is a massive collective trauma, having gross impacts on everyone whether in a developed or emerging country, and the effects will be long-lasting. 125

Wake up Call - Catrin Fröhlich In the spring of 2020, I suffered from multiple-stuckness-disorder. As large parts of the world were locked down to prevent the pandemic from spreading, the country I live in was additionally stuck in an augmenting political, economic, and financial crisis. As if to match the outside, my spine gave in to two prolapsed disks which complemented the immobility from the inside. At some point, despite the pain, the suffering, and the fear on all levels, I felt somehow hopeful that this shocking pandemic would wake us up. That we would start collaborating more- across all borders and divides. That we would consume less and love more. That those teaching children, caring for the weak, those providing us with food, water, clothes, and shelter would earn enough to make a living. That we would learn from the (somewhat) collective action on Covid-19 and apply those lessons to act quickly on hunger, climate change and environmental destruction. Now, more than a year, four waves of Covid-19, lots of death and other disasters later I am stunned by how little our systems have changed. How billionaires got even richer. How some people can’t get vaccines and others refuse to take them. How much we are polarized and fighting. How we are still failing to act on global warming. How we continue to witness oppression, violence, and hunger. And how the country I live in is still sliding deeper into crisis. Maybe the pandemic, much like a prolapsed disk, was a wake-up call that showed us our harmful patterns. But despite the awareness it brought, we spent so much energy surviving, caring, worrying, and mourning that we did not have much power left to really create new systems. Maybe it is time to nourish ourselves with compassion, with stories of change, with hope and with celebrations of our small successes so we can train those new muscles we need to fundamentally build new movements and patterns that are healthy and sustainable. 126

Hoping for the Best - Coty Jeronimu Covid affected every country and people around the world. But while in the west, people were supported through various means, it was not the same for business here. Working as a consultant in the Textile business focused on environmental and social issues, I heard many complaints of non-payments and suppliers being in big trouble in countries with colossal textile production. Being the owner of a start-up yarn brand, selling luxury yarns for the hand knitting community, we tried to maintain our orders with our Nepalese suppliers. However, transport prices increased enormously, and we phased difficulties to ship our raw materials to Nepal to transform them into products, so we lost many orders. The snowball effect was that we also had to reduce the production orders for the simple reason that the material was not there. We tried our best to help our spinners, and we provided food and basics for several families and, at a later stage, an oxygen machine. When our supplier workshop had to deliver orders, they went into quarantine with all the workers to deliver the goods in time. Something we highly appreciate. It is essential to support each other and work hand in hand, in close collaboration with our suppliers. On the other hand, the Covid period helped us reflect on risk management. We are increasingly looking into searching for raw materials coming from Nepal, avoiding the problems we faced and affecting our suppliers. Materials sourced from Nepal will facilitate the production process and increase work and livelihood for our suppliers and workers. But first, we hope that this difficult period will pass, and we can all go back to everyday life! 127

Greetings from Italy - Liria Trielli “Whoever controls the people’s fears becomes master of their souls” - (Machiavelli) As the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the globe, we were all delivered into the mouth of madness. Many people had died in Italy, the health system was not prepared to face the crisis and thus things went haywire, autopsies for Covid-19 were banned for several months and treatment protocols were ineffective if not harmful. Most of the deceased were over 80 in Italy. Right from the start it was said that the only solution would be vaccines, any other type of treatment has been hindered. On the other hand, if you want to force an experimental gene therapy there must be no valid alternative. But the real pandemic was none other than fear, which came as wave of oil slick and swallowed everything in its path. The first thing to disappear was the smile of the people hidden behind the masks, followed by hugs up to every social contact. Moreover, the elderly have become marginalized, left to die in isolation. Nobody could say goodbye to their loved ones and funerals were not allowed. The churches were closed, and the streets of the city became deserted. Consequently, the economy collapsed. Our life, culture and all forms of art have been interrupted. The media continue to sow terror in the hearts of the population, creating separation and conflicts. Indeed, most people are asleep, indoctrinated by television and unable to ask any kind of questions. Our ancestors died for the right to freedom, and we surrender freedom and sovereignty for the illusion of immortality. This is nothing more than a world dictatorship that is riding the wave of the pandemic, which will be able to erase the identities of people and restore the economies of individual states, to replace them with a globalized world where human beings are slaves without rights. If we want to stop the drift towards a dystopian world, we must find respect for ourselves and say no to liberticidal legislation, to health dictatorship, and to our tunnel vision. We must learn to develop critical thinking and consciousness. 128

Getting Stuck in a Foreign Country During Covid - MD Saif I had been wanting to spread my wings and having found a job in a country that I never had the opportunity to pronounce up until that month, I packed to leave for Kyrgyzstan. My job was to teach English at one of the high schools in the capital, Bishkek. As was the norm before the calamity befell, I started teaching the classes. Two weeks into it and we got notified that the classes would stop as Covid had spread into the country and the number of infections was on the rise. The first lockdown period had started. I had barely started to get to know anybody in this strange country and suddenly I had to stay indoors, keep to myself and all I could think of was how I was going to deal with being completely alone in a country I know nothing about and where I don’t even speak the language. One morning, I woke up exceptionally uncomfortable. I literally crawled out of my bed on all four because I didn’t have the energy to stand up. I gathered the little energy I had and dragged myself to the bathroom across the other end of a long hallway. I remember feeling something similar when I skipped dinner sometimes when I was much younger and to fix that all I had to do was eat. So, despite barely being able to hold myself upright, I walked down to get my breakfast. I made it to the building just fine but the moment I entered the dining hall, all the smells made me sick to my stomach. There was an old table outside,I sat there contemplating when it dawned on me, I had Covid. I was extremely hungry; an old man was passing by, and I asked him if he could bring me some food, but I couldn’t eat anything. I went through some of my toughest days and even though being isolated was the best course of action, I couldn’t help but miss home every moment of it. The fever only lasted a couple of days, but I kept forcing myself to eat whatever was being given and thank goodness I recovered without any major issues. The ordeal left me mentally stronger than before but (2/10) would not recommend it. 129

A Young Girl Inside a Woman - Thananya Shrestha I’ve been blessed with a long and happy life so far. Covid-19 pandemic didn’t affect me as much because we had already retired. Staying home, living life on the slow and sweet lane has been our reward after years of hard work earning, living, etc. What turned out to be a big challenge was how to keep myself physically and mentally healthy in the midst of all the lockdown and psychological depression. How to remain positive, be happy, keep our spirits high so we can travel the world again when the wait is over. Surrounded by this gloomy situation, music has proved to be my remedy. Music has been my pleasure, private solace ever since I started piano lessons when I was seven years old. I love listening to all genres of music from pop to classical. This pandemic helped me discover another genre: K-Pop. I had heard of the Korean band BTS but never paid much attention to them until my niece introduced me to the group. She had been a BTS “ARMY”, an enthusiastic part of their fandom. When I started watching and listening to the boys on CDs, YouTube and their online portals, I fell for them and turned to be an instant grandma ARMY myself. I found BTS different from other boy bands. They wrote, produced and choreographed their own songs. Their lyrics are positive and inspiring to young people struggling to grow up, pulling them out of depression, asking them to love themselves and recognize their own value. BTS is not afraid to sing about societal and political issues. They are now taking over the world with catchy melodies, flawless choreography and epic productions. They have hit world billboards charts and inspired young musicians all over the world. I recently found a wonderful Nepali K-Pop group called Strukpop on YouTube. I’m now traveling into the world of BTS & ARMY. It keeps me happy, feeling young, wild and free... There’s always a young girl inside every woman (no matter what age). 130



sdfsdf sdfsd Congratulations!!! The Thames International College is very proud to support the “Katha Corona” team in their noble effort to bring the Corona Stories of people to light. If not for their effort to document it, these heart-wrenching stories are bound to fade away with time. As an institution, we truly believe that we have a responsibility to make a meaningful contribution to society and to support such efforts initiated by others within our community. Established in 2001, Thames International College, under Tribhuban University, Nepal, is a premier academic institution offering a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. While the School of Business and Technology offers bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, Bachelor of Business Management, Bachelor of Information Management and Bachelor of Computer Application, the School of Social Sciences offers majors in Social Work, Psychology, Journalism, Mass Communication, Sociology and Rural Development. Besides the full time programs, the college, through its Center for Continuing Education, also offers Bachelor of Business Studies and Master of Business Studies to professional and adult learners. The college takes a liberal arts approach, introducing learning that empowers students as individual and prepares them to deal with the complexity, diversity and change of the modern world. The liberal arts approach provides students with broad knowledge as well as in- depth study in their specific area of interest. Students are also encouraged to become independent and self- sustaining individuals with the motivation and ability to continue their personal and professional development during the program once they have graduated from Thames. The liberal education provided at Thames develops knowledge of human cultures and society, develops intellectual and practical skills and finally develops applied learning and personal and social responsibility. With compliments, Rajendra Man Sherchan Chairman Thames International College 132

sdfsdf I feel very grateful to be able to have something so close to my heart and to contribute to this amazing katha Corona team. Covid-19 has not been easy for anyone. I am an artist and during the first lockdown, I worked from my home studio and created a lockdown series called “Golden Mask” based on the necessity of the MASK in the pandemic to continue my art journey. The value of the MASK during this Covid-19 pandemic for our safety has become the most important thing in the world. I started painting lots of images relevant to this difficult time. Art gave me comfort and joy. One of my paintings from the golden mask series is now on the cover of Katha-Corona’s book. I still remember the day when Julia first talked about the online platform of Katha Corona. In a tough situation like Covid-19, where all the people were frustrated, the platform gave an opportunity to freely write about their feelings. It also gave people information about the pandemic situation on its online platform in the form of a story. I was very impressed with the variety of stories it published, from doctors’ struggles to nurses who were not able to meet their families as they had to take care of Covid-19 patients. I wanted to also do my part, so I decided to post one of my paintings on an online platform and later they asked me if they could keep it as the book cover of Katha-Corona Book. How could I say no to this noble cause? I am honored to be able to contribute something because this book is an art form in itself. It narrates stories of 100 people in 100 situations and it’s about 100 learning opportunities as well. About Erina Tamrakar She is a visual artist with a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Tribhuwan University. She has been working as an artist in Nepal since 1990. She is the co-founder of the Kasthamandap Artists Group and E-Arts Nepal. In addition to her 20 solo exhibitions in Nepal, Korea, Japan and many international platform her works have been exhibited in many national and international galleries since 1990 and she continues to do so. She is also an award recipient of so many awards, including the 2011 - “Young Achievers Award” by Today’s Youth Asia, 2005 - First Prizes in the National Art Exhibitions and 2011 Award in Japan by “Old Wind, Chinichi News Paper”. 133

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I, Beenu Mathema, president of BM Foundation, would like to congratulate the Katha Corona team for publishing heartfelt Covid stories of people from all walks of life. Just like most people, I too was one of the victims of this life- threatening virus. Hence, BM Foundation takes immense pride in contributing to the success of the Katha Corona. I had also tested positive for Covid-19 Delta variant. My heart started beating rapidly as soon as I read the word positive. I had only recently lost one of my dearest uncles to Covid-19 and it terrified me. The first thing that came to my mind as soon as I got my re- sults was, “who is going to feed my daughter and my husband?”. My daughter had never even stepped in the kitchen, let alone cook and my husband would always be occupied with his hectic work schedule. It was then i realized the importance of joint family. I isolated myself right away and my daughter made me her first meal that evening. We would have virtual family dinner. Finally, in only 14 days, I had tested negative. I was very happy that I could now cook meals for my family and meet my near and dear ones. My biggest takeaway from this experience is that we have to cherish our family and friends every time as life is unbelievably unpre- dictable.t I feel blessed to be included in contributing to the Katha Corona Book. It is a meaningful documentation of the times and tribulations of people in the aftermath of Covid-19. There were so many sad stories that I felt the need to add a positive light. All challenges bring out the best in you or bring you to accept the reality that is life! Thank you, Sarojani, Soni and all the SCWEC team for encouraging this opportunity. May all Be blessed. I, Beenu Mathema, president of BM Foundation, would like to congratulate the Katha Corona team for publishing heartfelt Covid stories of people from all walks of life. Just like most people, I too was one of the victims of this life- threatening virus. Hence, BM Foundation takes immense pride in contributing to the success of the Katha Corona. I had also tested positive for Covid-19 Delta variant. My heart started beating rapidly as soon as I read the word positive. I had only recently lost one of my dearest uncles to Covid-19 and it terrified me. The first thing that came to my mind as soon as I got my results was, “who is going to feed my daughter and my husband?”. My daughter had never even stepped in the kitchen, let alone cook and my husband would always be occupied with his hectic work schedule. It was then i realized the importance of joint family. I isolated myself right away and my daughter made me her first meal that evening. We would have virtual family dinner. Finally, in only 14 days, I had tested negative. I was very happy that I could now cook meals for my family and meet my near and dear ones. My biggest takeaway from this experience is that we have to cherish our family and friends every time as life is unbelievably unpredictable. 135

sdfsd sdfsd I am here because of my daughter Luna Shrestha Thakur. First of all, I wanted to congratulate all the team members For Luna, Katha Corona is not just a book, it has become for putting 100% effort into making Katha-Corona a her life since March 2021. I have seen her crying with successful venture. When my daughter narrated the it, smiling with it, living with it. In the initial stage, she concept of the book, I was elated beyond happiness to lost a lot of weight because of the pressure and work be a part of the concept and support the good cause. As and I being a mother, was too cautious for her. I even a mother, only I know the effort, the time and the emotion asked her to give up on the project, but it’s my daughter, attached to it. My daughter Jyotsna is constantly working whenever she takes on a project, she puts her heart and and making up for it to the extent that we get so irritated soul into it. even hearing about the Katha-Corona. She said, “Mum, don’t worry, don’t scold me, but support At one time, she was eating, drinking, and sleeping with me now and one day you will be proud of me.” Today, Katha Corona, but finally their passion came out very well when she showed me the manuscript of Katha Corona, and I wanted to be part of this venture only because of I am indeed proud of my daughter. Not only my daughter, their hard work to create such a great concept. Time is but everyone on her team, as well as the 100 writers the best healer, and we tend to forget all the good and and all contributors, worked tirelessly to create this bad things that have happened in our lives with time. beautiful masterpiece, and my contribution of assisting Covid-19 needs to be forgotten with time as well, but we with publication is a small step in comparison to what the should keep the testimony for future generations and this entire team had given to it. I wish all of them the very is exactly what this book is doing. Once again, Thanks to best. the team and kudos to all the storytellers. 136

sdfsdf First of all, I want to congratulate the team on this Magne Jørgensen visited Nepal for the first time at a book by me and my company, “Creative D studio.” The computer science conference in 2006 and immediately Pandemic time has become one of most unforgettable fell in love with the country and the people. Since 2006, moment of my life because I got the break of my career. he has taught at Kathmandu University every alternate After effortlessly working for 34 years in photography, this year, offered scholarships, supervised students, and was the first time I got a continuous break of 50 days. I supported humanitarian work. He met Luna Shrestha spent these precious 50 days with my family, which I will Thakur in 2016 when she was doing relief work after cherish for the rest of my life. After 50 days, my work load the earthquake in Dhulikhel and since then he has been started again, but this time it was quite different. supporting lots of projects under her supervision. We have to work by following the new norms of the Every Christmas, he becomes like Santa and helps Covid-19 protocol. When we started the photo session someone in need. One Christmas, he supported cherry for the Miss Nepal pageant amidst the uncertainty of blossom plantations in Bhattedada and the following the 2020 pandemic and lockdown, we did it by opening year, he assisted many families in purchasing smoke- an exhaust fan in the cold November for air circulation free stoves. He also helped a woman in the village to because we were all afraid of the contraction. There was sustain her shop and another woman in Morang with her the stigma of shaming and blaming for people contracting operation costs. When he was briefed about the Katha Covid-19, which made our work very hard during the Corona Project, it took him no time at all to lend a helping pandemic. hand, as he felt it connected the whole world together. 137

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sdfsdf z}n]z >i] 7 d sl/a @* jif{ u}/;/sf/L ;+:yfdf x'Fbf ljleGg kl/ofh] gf÷sfo{qmdsf] Hello, I am Riya Shrestha. I am an IT graduate, working ;+of]hg, k|lzIfs, ;|ft] JolQmnufot cWoog÷cg;' Gwfgdf ;n+ Ug ePF . dfgjLo as a QA Engineer and content writer. I enjoy reading ;f| ]t ljsf;sf] nflu d cfkmn} ] / c?;uF ldn]/ ljleGg ljifo÷;jfndf Dofg'cn, books and writing, which is why I have connected with l/;f;]{ as' , xG] 8 as' / cWoog ;fdu|L n]v+] . To:t} ljleGg lstfasf] cgj' fb / this project. efiff ;Dkfbg u/]+ . tL 1fg, ;Lk, Ifdtf, cg'ej / cg'el\" t Hofb} dxTjk\"0f{ 5g\\ . I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to proof read of] sf/] fgf syf k':tsdf gk] fnL efiffdf nl] vPsf syfx¿sf] dn} ] efiff all the content of the book and learn about the different ;Dkfbg ug{] cj;/ kfPF . pxfxF ¿af6 n]lvPsf tL jf:tljs syfx¿df stories of all the people. I appreciate all the hard work ljrf/, cg'ej, dfof, kL8f, lhDdj] f/L, ;Dj]bgzLntf, bl} gs efu] fO cflb and effort that went into making this book come into ;d]l6Psf 5g\\ . existence. I wish all the best for all the team members. Nawanit Sharma is a teacher. Originally from Biratnagar, Hi! I’m Saif! I’m pursuing my degree in the field of he is a big believer of yoga and keeps practicing it and education technologies and I’m passionate about art, encouraging others to do so as well. He loves helping photography, languages, and learning creative skills. people that’s why he has been a big supporter of katha Corona - either sharing the stories or motivating others I’m a contributor as well as the editor for the stories to write theirs. presented in English. Working on the project was a humbling experience as I went through stories of all sorts He has read all the stories of online Katha Corona and of hardships brought on by the pandemic. But there was have captured learnings after. one theme present in all the voices in the book and it was hope. 139

sdfsdf sdfsd Suruchi Travel is proud to be a contributor to this book. It was established in 2010 by woman entrepreneur Nita We wish the best wishes for this book’s success. Suruchi Poudel. The specialty of it is to host all kinds of events Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd. has been one of the pioneer travel like weddings, product launches, advertisements, agents from 1990 till date, with 32 years of excellence in anniversaries, beauty pageants, and fashion shows. travel service. We have also received a 2013 Guinness World Record The travel industry has faced many hurdles in the past 2 for organizing an event of non-stop talk show program years, and now with the dwindling cases of Covid-19, we for 62 hours and 12 minutes on the News 24 TV channel, are hoping for the best in the travel industry. which was hosted by Rabi Lamichhane. SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Council Nepal “We are honoured to support an important project like (SCWEC) is very proud to be a part of this esteemed Katha Corona. We hope the many remarkable stories and book. It is a member-based council established on experiences from this global pandemic inspire readers in March 29, 2001, the mission of which is to promote the present and in the future.” entrepreneurship and establish the right business culture for women in Southeast Asia. It is committed to promoting Yala Mandala is a design-led lifestyle brand striving to women’s entrepreneurship with the tangible goal of create a contemporary way of living for all through Nepali increasing business opportunities. During the pandemic roots. Their handcrafted products range from jewelry and women entrepreneurs suffered more and this book is the apparel to homeware and decor. reflection. 140

sdfsdf It is a public-private venture that is five decades old, Since its establishment, “Sanjay Textile Udhyog” has established in 1963. Our company has helped the public been playing a vital role in promoting domestic handloom immensely during the pandemic by providing basic textiles in Nepal and abroad. It has been working on necessities like rice, dal, salt, sugar, oil, tea, gas and maintaining the quality of the process of weaving, knitting fertilizer. fabric and has been producing different varieties of cotton cloth. We have also donated in many places where people can’t afford the daily essentials like in hospitals, age-care and We are thrilled to be able to contribute to the noble cause child-care center. It has 93 offices scattered in different of reminiscing history through this book, Katha-Corona. places in the country. It was established in 1997 and is situated in Thamel, Tara Oriental is our high-end, sustainable cashmere Kathmandu. It is one of the leading cargo companies brand specializing in knitwear and accessories. Our in Nepal with good experience in providing excellent contemporary designs are for both urban men and service. women who value authenticity, sustainability and comfort. Our products are all made in-house in our It deals with export and import via Air/Land-Sea shipment factory in Kathmandu, where our mission is to protect the delivering to the airport/seaport and door-to-door with local artisans and treat them ethically. The high-quality secured packing and handling. Alpine Cargo also deals natural fibers make our knitwear long-lasting and an easy with DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, Skynet, EMS and DTDC as to care. Additionally, giving back to our community is our delivery partners. mission. 141

dgsflGt z/] rg d/] f] hLjgsf] dxTjk\"0f{ kf6fx] ¿dWo Ps xf] sljtf . sf]/fg] f sx/df “The Solitaire is pleased to co-create and co-design this dfgjhfltn] ef]Ug'k/]sf] bv' , kL8f, zf]s, d[To,' dfgl;s tyf zf/Ll/s pTkL8g dynamic book on sharing stories and experiences of our / cfly{s Iflth:tf cgluGtL ;d:ofx¿ bV] bf, efU] bf d/] f] dgdf plAhPsf fellow friends and family members during Covid. p5fnx¿ sljtfsf] ¿kdf kl| tljlDat eP . dn} ] klg d]/f] hGdlbg] a'jfnfO{ u'dfpgk' /s] f] lyof] . aj' fsf] cGTol] i6 /fdf| ;] Fu ugk{ fOPg . oL cg'ejx¿ d/] f We are proud to be a part of this unique initiative, and dfq lyPgg tL ;Dk0\" f{ JolQmx¿sf lyP, h;n] sf]/fg] fsf sf/0f ;bfsf nflu we hope that the stories in this book informs and inspires cfˆgf lko| hgx¿ ud' fPsf lyP . o; dxfdf/Ln] lgDTofPsf] eo;uF } lsg, our present and future generations to be resilient. Hope s;/L, s;n] / sxfaF f6 o:tf] ;'Id tTjsf] k|fb'efj{ eof] eGg] k|Zg ;d'G›sf] it gives the strength for our readers to endure any 5fnemF} dgdf t/+lut eP / o;s} pkh x'g\\ d/] f sljtfx¿ . challenges in life!” The worldwide pandemic affected the travel and tourism Classic Printing Press was established in the year 2008. industry directly. When there are health concerns, you It has 14 years of experience in printing and designing need to give priority accordingly but so the connectivity is services. In this time of 14 years, we have designed important as well. There are people who need to travel; many books, magazines and papers. vaccines, medicines, emergency equipment which need to reach the destinations. Our role for logistics became It is the first time in our printing history that we are printing more critical. With that responsibility, Turkish Airlines did for such a novel and unique concept. We are very much repatriation flights, cargo flights. Turkish Airlines followed delighted to be part of this journey as it contributes to all the health protocols raised by countries. We use HEPA future reference of the pandemic. We wish the Katha filters in our flights which cleans %99.97 of all particles Corona team the very best. in the air. Hope the days will come soon to continue discovering the world, widening our world. 142