Kapilavastu is one of the poorest and most underserved regions in the Nepali Terai, despite its historical significance. This is the place were Prince Siddhartha, the future Buddha, was raised and lived until the age of 29. The foundational ruins of hie father's palace remains a sacred place for locals and an important pilgrimage stop for Buddhists from all nations.
Close to 140 historical sites related to the Buddha have been identified within this region. There is also evidence, in this region, of ancient sites of potentially profound historical significance, as yet untouched by archaeologists.
Currently almost 600 thousand inhabitants are a cultural mix of largely Awadhi, Muslim, and Tharu peoples. The economy is agrarian, with paddy rice and sugar cane as the major crops. A large portion of the young people rely on foreign employment. This is also a marsh region of ecological importance and biodiversity.
During the past year, our local volunteer team, headed by Rockey Tripathi, reached out to the Kapilavastu villagers to assess the feasibility of conducting a large-scale medical camp. It seems this area has not seen a medical camp in some 10 years as it is located rather remotely.
Fortunately, the local school principal and his team were very supportive, and volunteered the school as potential venue. On further inverstigation, the site lended itself well to our needs. Local residents offered to supply lunch and chai tea to the entire team. We purchased the vegetables and they did the rest!
Come follow our journey through the below photo carousels:
Our pharmacy supplier delivers to Peace Grove Institute and the journey begins....
Local Faces and Colors
Featuring our EMT LERN team
HFN Dang, AMNs, and our International Medical Team treat over 1000 patients in 2 days!
Everyone generously volunteers and adapts
