A hungry kami knocks on the door of shop 2.

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

Joined
Mar 5, 1999
Messages
34,096
Kami told me this story and it along with the other stuff mentioned below broke my heart but I'll share it with you anyway because it has a happy ending.

Three or four weeks back a kami showed up at shop 2. He was a middle aged fellow, obviously in pretty poor shape. He said essentially this:

"Pala, I have had no work for some time. I am a good kami but there is little work for us and the work that is there pays very little. To tell you the truth I am hungry and so is my family. If you could just give me a little work I would be ever so grateful. Just a day or two would help me so much. I hate to beg but I am not begging for food or money or anything else, but only for the chance to do some work for you."

Kami Sherpa gave the man 1500 rupia (more than most kamis make in a month), told the man to go buy food for himself and his family and to show up for work the next day. The man did just this and has been working steadily since and is doing a good job.

This man sent me the following note which was delivered by Pala:

"Respected American Brother, you and Pala are like gods to me and my family. We pray to you and for you each day. You have no idea what you have done for us. Having enough food to eat, a warm place to sleep in the night, and some clothes to wear is a wonderful blessing. I and my wife and children all thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

And this was not the only message I received. As I suspected, none of the kamis can read or write so they got together and hired a young student who knows a little English to pen their letters to me. All the letters were essentially the same as the one from the hungry kami.

And, they sent gifts to me -- a cheap topi, a little book, a Nepali calendar that costs ten cents in Nepal, a traditional Nepali isticot (vest, maybe a dollar), and a couple of other small items.

They sent what they could but what they sent was sent with love and gratitude. When I looked at those small presents and read the letters they had written I sat down and cried like a baby. The kamis have no way of knowing this and would not understand even if I told them but their words and actions justified my existence in this world and there is nothing more valuable they could give me. In the final analysis, I am in their debt, they are not in mine.




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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
:
I am crying with you Uncle.

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
The civilized man sleeps behind locked doors in the city while the naked savage sleeps (with a knife) in a open hut in the jungle.

Himalayan Imports Website http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html

 
Bill,

This was a very moving post. I commend the efforts of. This is just one more reason I am a HI customer. It seems there are so many wonderfull things going on at shop 2. I am proud to be an HI customer.
smile.gif


Regards,

Tom Carey
 
Namaste Pala, Uncle Bill. This is moving indeed. It is hard to know that these craftsmen have so little and we so much.

What you are able to do at your shop, Pala, is not only good, but honourable as well.

 
"Through their grief you bring joy".
Because of your compassion, there is honour.
Dhanyabad Pala and Uncle Bill for this.

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JP
 
Pala made an astute comment regarding this -- He said, "We are not getting wealthy in terms of paisa (money) but we are getting weathy in terms of good karma."

I posted this story so everybody could share the blessings. Because, they also said to thank all our customers who give them work. I am only the messenger, both coming and going.

Pala is a tough old Gorkhali but when he told the story tears came in his eyes.

Uncle Bill
 
As a buddy of mine,who had fallen on hard times once said,"It `aint no disgrace to be poor,bur it`s mighty unhandy."
 
I received personal email about this post from several people and one of them observed that the kami would only beg for work -- nothing else -- and commented on the kami being able to maintain his honor. I replied to this email quoting a saying that I have heard in that part of the world which is this:

"Do not give a man a fish, give him a pole and a line."

I take great satisfaction in the fact that we were able to do just this.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Here on the West Coast of Canada (where fishing has long been a way of life), we have a very similar saying:

"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed his family for a lifetime"

We may be worlds apart in how we live, and many miles between, but true wisdom is universal.
smile.gif
 
Pakcik Bill.

Alhamdu-li-(A)llaah! I ask your permission quoting your story for my motivation session with my three sons - I'll tell them so that if ever they face downfall in life and become hungry, be like that hungry Kami - while if they have enough to eat and something extra in life, be like Pala & Pakcik Bill.

May Allah give his hidayah to you, Pala, your family! all of us & our families as well!

[This message has been edited by mohd (edited 13 September 1999).]
 
Many thanks Big and nephew Mohd.

That hungry kami still had honor even though he was hungry.

This man and his family came to see Pala off on his journey and they all cried to see Pala leaving. They were very worried that they would not have work if Pala left. Pala assured them that he would be returning with more work for them and not to worry.

Underemployment and unemployment in Nepal runs about 80%. Having work is a true blessing when you consider that 80% figure.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
This story brought tears to my eyes as well.

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Namaste,
Jeff Paulsen

"Oh, a magic khukuri. Why didn't you say so?"
 
Those employment statistics are brutal, Uncle Bill.

It says a lot about a family if it can maintain its honor even during such adverse circumstances.

Granted, it helps them greatly to receive the aid of honorable and charitable individuals such as Kami Sherpa.

Just my two cents.

-Dave
 
My first two hours in Nepal made me realize that what these people needed more than anything was a way to earn a little money.

Sadly, the way the US government tosses money and commodities around does not always work as it should. Government corruption eats up a tremendous amount of both. Not only in Nepal but in all third world countries we try to help.

The way we do it is the best possible way. We give work and money directly to the people it helps most and without a lot of government interference because it is a private enterprise.

Now that the gossip session is grinding down I am hearing more kami stories which I will eventually post.

Many thanks for all the kind response to this. The blessings from the kamis go to everybody who has ever purchased an HI khukuri so share all.



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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
If the world could see the wisdom in this situation, we might have a start at keeping mankind from the endangered list.

Floyd
 
Forgive me for stating the obvious, but just in case someone hasn't spotted it yet, this is *exactly* why free enterprise is better than most forms of socialism. If the Nepalese gov't would just "get the hell out of the way" Bill and Kami could do all *kinds* of things...like bring in power tools and maybe even better steel and other materials and bring OUT all kinds of metalcrafts, not just Khukuris.

In two generations tops they'd be doing high-end machine parts while keeping the traditional bladesmithing biz around as a "preserving their roots" thing.

Wouldn't that be cool?

Jim March
 
Here's how it works. Let's say the US government or any do-gooder government for that matter sends a couple of hundred thousand dollars to Nepal or any third world country for another matter to do something like improve crop production via pest control and fertilization. It works the same everywhere but we will stick with Nepal for the example.

This must be done as either an NGO or HMG project. Run by Nepalis. Of course, the project manager is a very kush and political job. He who plays his cards right gets the job. The first thing he does is set up an organization, all manned by relatives and friends -- they all get handsome salaries and generally do very little. Then he must equip the organization with a nice office, good equipment, and of course a couple of motorcycles and vehicles which for all practical purposes become the private property of the project people. They take nice vacations into rural areas to do their research. They have meetings in the restaurants of five star hotels. They may have to take a trip abroad for research purposes. By the time they are ready to buy some bug killer and nitrogen there is no money left. I have been personally involved with a couple of these do good projects and was appalled at the greed involved.

As for commodities. I routinely saw the USDA cans (olive green and marked not for sale) and bags of rice, etc., sold in the bazaars in Kathmandu and other places. I never heard one person say they got any commodities free.

In the Solu Khumbu some government crooks tried to sell the Sherpas commodities which the Sherpas knew were gifts for them. The Sherpas, Buddhists though they were, became so infuriated over this they killed the crooks and took what was rightfully theirs.

Of course, I wrote many letters to Washington revealing all this and nobody really cared.

When I say we are doing it the right way I am speaking with the voice of experience.



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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
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