Peace Corps Nepal — Kristi VanDenBosch

“The toughest job you’ll ever love”

Carolyn Payton, Peace Corps Director 1977-78

Part II: Nepal

Well, some days I loved it. And some days I hated it. But whichever day I was having, it was always a challenge.

I served in Nepal from 1997-1999, as a Community Forestry Extension Agent in His Majesty’s Government, District Forest Office of Makawanpur. My job was to work with my Nepali counterpart to help community groups establish, manage, and monitor their community forests. But what I spent most of my time on was women’s empowerment projects. Most notably women’s literacy classes.

I loved working with the women of Nepal. In these projects, I could feel the difference I was making. Women make up around two thirds of the illiterate population worldwide (www.UNESCO.org). Increasing women’s literacy increases women’s confidence and self-reliance. It also improves maternal and child health outcomes, increases child enrollment in school, and reduces poverty in the family and community.

Roughly a year into our service, John (now my husband) had mouse problems. His landlord was storing corn on the floor above John’s rooms, which of course drew in the mice. I got John a kitten from the village I was posted in. We named him Tigger.

Our relationship with Tigger, and Tigger’s resulting behavior, perplexed people in Kulekhani. Rural Nepalis in particular, have a very different concept of animals than the average American. For Nepalis, animals serve a purpose - milk, meat, security, transportation. But an animal for companionship was very foreign.

So while John and I were learning Nepali customs and ways, Tigger was unintentionally teaching Nepalis about American ways and the joys of having a pet.

Tigger's plane ticket from Kathmandu to Los Angelos

John and Kristi during PC Nepal training