VIKES Joint Study Trip to Nepal

In September, we took seven journalists from the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a joint trip to Nepal. The trip was part of our EU project and it was carried out in collaboration with the VIKES local partner Centre for investigative Journalism of Nepal. 

The eye-opening journey took the journalists to the worst affected areas by the 2015 earthquake. The group interviewed local journalists, members of the discriminated Thami community, victims of human trafficking, as well as human rights activists.  Some of the most memorable moments were the interviews with the residents of the women’s shelter and the visits to the camps of the earthquake and landslide survivors. 

The preparation of the programme started already in April this year, when the reporters met each other in our training event in Helsinki. 

During the trip, the group worked together and we witnessed how the self-confidence of the future foreign correspondents grew as they gained new experience. The expertise of the Nepali journalist colleagues diversified the reporting. The local journalists also got inspired by the visit and thought that some of the questions raised by their European colleagues are lacking from the Nepali media. 

We are looking forward to seeing the results of the journey soon in Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovakian and Czech media! 

Please see some pictures from the trip below. You can find more photos here.

Interviewing the earthquake survivors from the Thami minority in the Suspa Panikpokhar camp. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen  

Our group of female reporters were interested in hearing about women's life in Nepal. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen 

Visiting a farm in Makaibari, Dolakha district. Photo: Anurag Acharya, CIJ Nepal 

The group of reporters listens silently as their colleague Rajindra Mandhai (second from the left) tells about the earthquake while standing on the ruins of his own house. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen 

Some of the most memorable interviews were done in a Women's Shelter in Charikot town. In the picture: the founder and Head of the shelter Sirjana Karki. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

The rebuilding after the 2015 earthquake is in the hands of the locals. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen.

The group with the staff of Himal Khabalpatrika newspaper in Kathmandu. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen.

Local health and social science teacher is interviewed by Santa Logina (Latvia), Katarina Kovacova (Slovakia) and Milda Tarcijonaite (Lithuania). Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

Interviewing students and teachers in a  local school in Jure, Sindhupalchowk district. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

Anette Parksepp (ERR, Estonia) is interviewing a local woman who has just started building a new house in Sindupalchowk. Anurag Acharya (CIJ Nepal) translates. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

Texts and photos: Project Coordinator Maiju Mitrunen, VIKES

Participate in the discussion on Twitter with #M4Dproject 

Also, read the comments by the participants from the previous posts by the other project partners!