While the trip in itself is an unheard of story in today’s age of nonstop flights, the duo did not come all the way to Nepal to simply visit, but they came with a mission.
“When we decided to go to Nepal, we wanted it to be a meaningful journey and not just a holiday,” says Fons, who is an avid traveler, and adds, “I used to work with disabled children in Latin America, and I had heard of the Karuna Foundation in Nepal which also works with disabled children.”
Karuna Foundation was established in Kathmandu in 1997 by a wealthy Dutch entrepreneur who has a disabled child. The goal of the organization is to finance research on healthcare for children with disabilities, and to improve medical facilities in Nepal with its slogan of ‘Saving Children from Disability, One by One’. Over the years, Karuna Foundation has extended its branches in Kavrepalanchok, Rasuwa, and Sunsari districts.
Fons and Renske met the General Director of Karuna Foundation, Betteke de Gaay Fortman, in the Netherlands to discuss possible ways of helping the foundation.
“We decided to put up the logo of Karuna Foundation on both sides of the car, and we also raised some funds for the organization before we started our journey,” says Renske. The costs for the trip, however, were entirely borne by the two with their personal savings.
Fons and Renske quit their jobs and started their trip on April 4. They passed through Belgium and arrived in France the same day. The couple had decided on the countries they would visit beforehand but they had not made any fixed plans regarding the length of stay in each destination. From France they headed into Italy, followed by Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and India.
“Throughout our journey we talked about the Karuna Foundation and its works with the people we met,” say the two. Every two weeks, they would update their journey’s blog on their website.
“We arrived in Iran during the elections, and it was pretty amazing to witness such a historical moment,” says Fons and continues, “Unlike the preconceptions that people have about Iran, we had a pleasant time there, and the people were very hospitable.”
Throughout their month-long stay in Iran, Renske had to wear a hijab on her head.
“It was very difficult for me because I couldn’t look at other men in the eye, I always had to walk behind Fons, and I could really feel the suppression,” she shares.
“In Delhi, we bumped into a senior officer of the local YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) who also works with disabled people, and we exchanged information,” says Fons. Renske adds, “In a couple of places in India, people wanted us to take their children to Nepal for treatment, and it was very difficult to say no to them.
“Karuna Foundation functions very differently,” informs Renske and explains, “The foundation does not just donate money to people with disabilities but it trains members of a community on how to make their lives better. Foreigners, like us, are strictly forbidden from directly working in the field in order to prevent the locals from becoming dependent on us. This is the reason why we support them.”
Fons and Renske entered Nepal on August 26 through Mahendranagar, where they stayed over for a night. They went to Bardia, Butwal, and Pokhara before entering Kathmandu on September 4, exactly five months after the start of their journey from Amsterdam.
The two will be staying in Nepal till January. While they are here, they will be working with the Karuna Foundation to monitor the effectiveness of their projects, and publishing a report on it.
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