Harry and Susan visit the Gurkha Welfare Scheme

Nepal

Hello! And welcome to the blog! Today I will be saying why I have stencillised all of my writing.

Well, the reason I stencillised my 1^st and 2^nd sentences is because I went to a GWSAWC (Ghurkha Welfare Scheme, Area Welfare Centre). The army uses the Stencil font a lot. The Gurkhas are a special military unit in the British and Indian Armies. The Gurkha regiments are made up of British (or Indian) and Nepalese soldiers.

The Gurkhas carry fearsome knives called kukris. Every time they get out their swords they have to draw blood, so if there is no enemy then they have to cut their own finger!  

A kukri - ouch

While Mum and I were at the GWSAWC in Syangja in Nepal I learnt all of the military ranks.*(In all militaries they have the same ranks apart from militias which have no official ranks.) It turns out that the Gurkha Welfare Scheme (see above) is actually to decrease poverty. They do that by providing pensions for people who fought in the second world war for Britain and by making schools for pensioner’s grandchildren. They also make water pumps for EVERYBODY! (Ask your current teacher what a “pensioner” is.)

"Please tell me they are not all here just for us," says Harry
"Afraid so," says Mum

A water pipe installed in someone's home
(well in someone's garden actually) 

Before we learnt about the water pumps and schools we met up with Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Fenn and he gave us a briefing on the GWS and Nepal. In the end, we learnt that the military isn’t all about blowing people to smithereens, it’s actually more about keeping peace and providing pensions (unless you’re a Taliban fighter…)                                                                      

*Ranks in military: (worst to best) (first 4 ranks are non-commissioned. Basically their orders are blow the enemy to smithereens.) Rifleman, Private, Corporal, Sergeant, (now entering commissioned ranks. Basically they`re told to do special orders.) Warrant officer, 2^nd Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General, General and finally, Field Marshall.  There are lots of “minor ranks” in between the non-commissioned ranks (E.G private 3^rd class, 2^nd class, 1^st class. there is also master sergeant, staff sergeant, pre-sergeant). We do not have a Field Marshall now as none are appointed in peace time.

Well it seems I have written all I can write. It looks like I’ll just have to say… Goodbye! Click.

No Harry didn't cut himself with a kukri - it's a very red bindi