International volunteers (and staff) descend on a tiny village in rural Nepal (Sattale, near Farparbari) and spend time in the nearest big city (Hetauda). We stay for 5 months. We spend our days on site and base. We spend our money close by. And we have money to spend. Even those of us on a shoestring budget have some money to spend. And we have things we want to buy on base or in the village: beer, Kit Kats, Coke, soda water, Cheese Balls, momos, chow mein. And there are things we buy from Hetauda: Dairy Milk, olive oil, soy sauce, ketchup, wholegrain bread, chicken burgers, iced mochas, cappuccinos, fries, salads. Plus the essentials: mattresses, blankets, pillows, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, razors, suncream, etc.
This is a great thing, bringing foreign money into Nepal in general and into these areas specifically is really valuable. The local businesses are happy that we are spending money with them. This money helps them to increase their stock, to feed their families, to pay school fees for their children, to pay medical expenses, to make improvements to their homes, to spend in other shops to keep the wealth circulating, etc.
As a side note, it is worth mentioning that the development team and community coordinator when they are setting up these projects do let the local community know how long we’ll be here. I expect the shop across the road has sold more boxes of Kit Kats in the past few months that it has ever done before and may ever do again (we really do eat a lot of them – I say we, I mean me). And quite soon, it’s going to need to manage its stock levels and not replenish at the same rate.
While it can be easy to go to the same three shops (I’m certainly very guilty of this), it is a good idea for us, while we’re here to be aware of our impact and to share the wealth.
I have certainly spent a lot more money at the shop directly across the road than at others in the village, but I have been trying more and more to go to the others. When I go to Hetauda, I try to get things from the local shops (rather than the supermarket) and use the supermarket for what I can’t get elsewhere. Laziness and convenience often trump good intentions though and I do end up buying things from the supermarket that I could get for practically the same price at 15 other shops. I have my favourite cafes and restaurants, and I definitely spend more money in those than in others, but I do try to go to other ones too. I’ve spent more nights in one particular hotel in Hetauda but I have spent at least one night in 3 others.
I should remember all this more often than I do, but I’m hoping that by writing it all down and sharing it here that this will make it harder for me to be lazy in future.
And clearly, the right thing for me to do in this situation is find a shop I’ve never been to and buy more chocolate!
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