Gurkha Welfare Trust - pension collection day, Giri
Gurkha pensioners collect their pensions quarterly from Area Welfare Offices across Nepal. The pensions are provided by the Gurkha Welfare Trust and funded by donations from Gurkha supporters in Britain and beyond.
I accompanied the eight man payment/medical team on the seven hour drive from Kathmandu to Giri. Pensioners arrive from the local area to collect their pensions and be seen by a doctor, if necessary. Pensioners can send a family member (or rep, as they are known) three times a year, but unless they are unable, must come themselves once a year. Some are carried many miles. The following day, as we drove into the hills for another shoot, we saw many pensioners making their long journeys back to their home villages.
More information at http://www.gwt.org.uk
I accompanied the eight man payment/medical team on the seven hour drive from Kathmandu to Giri. Pensioners arrive from the local area to collect their pensions and be seen by a doctor, if necessary. Pensioners can send a family member (or rep, as they are known) three times a year, but unless they are unable, must come themselves once a year. Some are carried many miles. The following day, as we drove into the hills for another shoot, we saw many pensioners making their long journeys back to their home villages.
More information at http://www.gwt.org.uk
