Balance and Bravery: Caleb’s Trek to Nepal
by Caleb Meeks, Flint Director of Innovation
February 9, 2024
In October 2023, Flint team member Caleb Meeks visited our partners in Nepal. His experience there was a wonderful reflection of what YOU are doing throughout the world through your support of Flint’s programs, and most importantly, our partners! Thanks to Caleb for sharing this story!
Our driver revved the engine, attempting to navigate a thin, eroded dirt road clinging to the mountain. Bogging down in deep ruts, the vehicle leaned ominously toward the edge, giving us a bird's eye view of the sheer slope stretching far below.
"STOP! ...We can walk the rest of the way. Don't go further!"
The commanding voice was Mathai's, our normally jovial teaching partner from India who had joined me in Nepal as our workshop facilitator. As the driver laughed, reversing from the precarious mountain pass, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. Our local host, Bikash, laughed and assured us that the road was safe. Still, he respectfully helped us find an alternative walking path. We began our trek, us foreigners huffing and puffing, using hand and foot to lumber up to our destination.
To our Nepali hosts, the climb was simply the backdrop of everyday life; for us, a challenge of balance and bravery!
"What have I got to teach such tough people about sustainability?" I asked myself. I was soon to learn.
Mathai (green jacket) and Bikash (black baseball cap) hiking up the path with members of the local community who attended the workshop.
Days later, in a poorly lit bluish-green rectangular room with no windows, eighteen Nepali men sat at four tables, rapidly exchanging words in hot debate. These eighteen leaders represented five groups that care for orphaned and at-risk youth in their communities. Our goal is to help them better fuel their community service and feed their families through a three-day workshop on entrepreneurship.
So, what were they debating?
"Is business inherently wrong?"
A poll revealed that 17 felt business IS inherently wrong.
This thin and crumbling pass has had their internal backseat drivers saying, "STOP! Don't go further!"
Conversation among local leaders.
I shared a smile with Mathai. It’s strange that a concept so integral to my American culture could be a real stumbling block for our Nepali brothers.
Time to back up and explore the terrain.
Mathai respectfully facilitated the conversation, and two hours later we took a second poll; all 18 agreed that business CAN be a good in the world. Progress!
Let's ascend from there.
One of my main responsibilities at Flint is to organize mindset and entrepreneurship workshops like this one. Many times, the participants are already actively serving their communities, like these 18 Nepali men who work with our partner, Agape Asia, to serve local orphaned and at-risk youth.
These workshops are led by talented local trainers, like Mathai, who are like sherpas guiding them out of the valley of extreme poverty.
With Agape Asia's help, our goal is to help these leaders develop businesses that provide for their own families and make their service sustainable. These changes don't happen overnight. For every person, transformation is a challenge of balance and bravery.
Sometimes it feels like we’re huffing and puffing, crawling on hands and knees toward each other and toward our destination. The trail out of poverty is not an easy one to trek. It is fraught with obstacles like cultural barriers, geographical distance, and systemic oppression. We can only summit the peak when we go together, when we carry each other's supplies, and when we bring some trusted guides. But it’s amazing what new horizons we can see when we reach the top.
In 2023 you helped Flint to trek alongside 67 people in Nepal working in grassroots community development to become self-sustaining through business. And now that we have helped to pave the way, these local leaders can bring so many more along with them. We are moving forward with balance and bravery, and we’re so thankful for all of you who trust us enough to come along.
