Carpentry Tools and Services Demonstration

The School of Carpentry & Construction opened its doors for two Saturdays in June to give public demonstrations of its new carpentry equipment and services. Local carpenters, craftsmen, and apprentices spent hours examining the machines and getting their questions answered about how these new tools can improve their work.

Victor, one of the Carpentry & Construction students, explains the various uses of the band saw, which is an entirely new tool in Kumbo.

Students from the School of Carpentry & Construction led the tours and gave the demonstrations. They explained that local carpenters can have access to all of the tools through the new Specialty Woodworking Service Program. Through this program, carpenters will now be able to bring in boards to be cut, sanded, and finished by trained Carpentry & Construction Technicians.

Stephen demonstrates the mortising machine, a tool which will save carpenters from hours of chiseling out joint mortises.

For both the professional craftsman and the amateur woodworker, this service will provide increased value and productivity to projects while decreasing time and labor. After the demonstration a local carpenter commented, “With these tools I will be able to make better furniture and so much more quickly!” The Himalayan Institute Cameroon hopes that this service will enable carpenters to increase the size of their businesses, and as businesses thrive and grow this will create more opportunities for employment.

Edwin demonstrates the safety precautions that are used when operating the table saw.

For more information about the School of Carpentry & Construction please see: New Carpentry Tools for Kumbo and Carpentry Class Launching.

Yoga for Nurses

As part of its ongoing community outreach, the Himalayan Institute Cameroon is now working with a local hospital to teach nurses practical yoga techniques. Juliette Fai, a teacher at the Shisong Nurses School, invited yoga instructor and HIC volunteer John Daskovsky to come teach in her Alternative Medicine class. Fifty nursing students in their final year of school were in attendance for the class.

The class learns some basic Joints and Glands exercises—excellent for stimulating the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems.

After beginning outside with some simple warm-up exercises and stretches, the class moved indoors to discuss how these same exercises could be modified for bed-ridden patients. Bringing movement and increased circulation to bed-ridden patients was a primary focus of the class, and so, a few self-massage methods were taught to supplement the Joints and Glands exercises.

Stretches and exercises from seated and reclined positions give nurses more ways to assist their patients.

Kegel exercises, the abdominal squeeze, and Agni Sara were taught as a means of improving digestion and increasing energy. After pregnancy, many women have a difficult time bringing strength back to their abdomens. The nurses in the class were excited to learn new exercises to increase strength and burn fat.

Learning the abdominal squeeze on all fours.

Next, the class brought its focus to breath techniques and exercises. Several exercises were taught to identify the difference between diaphragmatic and chest breathing. Students experimented with crocodile pose to better feel the movement of their diaphragms and to strengthen their diaphragmatic breathing. After practicing diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing was introduced as a way to calm the nervous system, and bring health and balance to the body. To help support these practices, HIC volunteer Amanda Masters demonstrated the use of the Neti Wash Neti Pot. Congestion is a year-round problem in Cameroon caused by the dust of the dry season and the cold and wetness of the rainy season, so the nurses were thrilled to learn a safe and inexpensive method for cleaning their noses.

Students practice alternate nostril breathing.

The class concluded with a guided relaxation. The nurses hope to use this guided relaxation exercise to help patients relieve stress and to give rest to patients who are having trouble sleeping.

HIC volunteer John Daskovsky presents yoga books to class instructor Juliette Fai.

The HIC donated several copies of the books Yoga: Mastering the Basics and Exercises for Joints and Glands to the nursing school’s library. Nurses at the school will be able to use these books as references to further their own study of yoga and to teach the exercises to patients. Collaboration with hospitals and nursing schools is a new way that the HIC is working to bring affordable holistic medicine to the people of Cameroon.

HIC Spotlight: Marten Nyar

In the midst of the Himalayan Institute Cameroon’s major humanitarian initiatives, the remarkable stories of those responsible often go unreported. This section of the blog seeks to showcase the diverse range of backgrounds, talents, obstacles, and triumphs represented in our local staff and contacts.

Marten Nyar first came to the Himalayan Institute Cameroon in the summer of 2007. Since then he has worked steadily to identify and address the challenges that the community faces in the area of construction. Marten is uniquely qualified for this job having 20 years experience in construction trades and 12 years experience making handcrafted furniture. Marten learned to make furniture as an apprentice in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before opening his own furniture shop. Now, he has taken these experiences and created an apprenticeship program in Kumbo, Cameroon which will teach advanced wood finishing techniques to local craftsmen. Much of the equipment and techniques that will be used and taught in the class are entirely new to Kumbo, and Marten hopes that this will enable woodworkers in the area to make higher quality products in a shorter amount of time.

Marten now makes his home in Kumbo with his wife Mary and their family.

Marten and family pose at Mary's shop.

Preparing the Land

The Himalayan Institute Energy Farming team at the Tibetan Rabgyeling Settlement has set to work preparing the land for planting young pongamia seedlings. Currently, the seedlings are doing very well at their nursery where they were planted only a few months ago.

A tractor from the Rabgyeling Settlement Farmers Cooperative has been used to clear the thorny brushes and creepers that cover the plantation site. Himalayan Institute volunteer Virat Xavier said, “I’m very happy to see the tractor! We are on track and ready to start the plantation phase.”

After clearing most of the land, the Energy Farming team has now begun to take measurements, place markers and dig pits where the pongamia will be planted. To help generate local employment, a team of a dozen local workers were hired for several weeks to dig all of the pits by hand.

The pits are dug in a 4 meter by 5 meter grid throughout the plantation land. After being dug, about a pound of neem cake is added as an organic pesticide as well as 5 pounds of organic compost. After the pit is partially refilled, the seedling is placed in the pit and the remaining soil is then put in. The extra soil that is left is used to form a ring around the base of the tree. This ring is used for micro rainwater harvesting. When rainwater falls, it naturally collects in the basin and can be slowly absorbed into the soil instead of running off. The moisture is further protected by a layer of mulch from local crop waste, such as from a rice paddy or hay, which is placed in a thick layer around the base of the tree.

The local community is excited about the project. Seeds from the pongamia trees can be turned into biodiesel, which will provide the settlement with a new cash crop, more jobs, and increased self-sufficiency.

Elderly monks from the local monastery rest at the entrance to the pongamia plantation.

For more information about the Himalayan Institute Energy Farming project at the Tibetan Rabgyeling Settlement, see “Energy Farming Plants New Seeds”.

Carpentry Class Launching

On June 1, the School of Carpentry and Construction began its first 10-week vocational training course on advanced woodworking techniques and furniture-making. The school pioneers a range of new tools, equipment, and design techniques to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of all carpentry and construction trades. The class is already off to a running start with lectures and practicums underway.

HIC volunteer Marten Nyar gives the first lecture of the class.

Every Monday morning there is a lecture that introduces a new tool and skill set. The rest of the week is spent mastering those skills during practicums and discussing the various applications during subsequent lectures. On Friday of each week, the students are tested on their ability to handle the machines, demonstrate the skill sets, and verbalize the process. By articulating their knowledge during the test, the students show not only their personal understanding, but also their ability to convey these concepts to others. The HIC believes in a train-the-trainer style of education, and hopes that some of these students will be the instructors during the next training course.

A student practices using a hand belt sander during the first practicum on wood finishing techniques.

Upon graduation, select students will have the opportunity to join the furniture production or service program, where local craftsmen can take advantages of the school’s wide range of carpentry equipment.