Ayo Gorkhali

Ayo Lumley

'I didn't expect such a hateful reaction' read the headline in Saturday's Daily Telegraph. The article in question featured an interview with Joanna Lumley, a name now intrinsically linked to the Gurkha's and 'that' campaign in 2009 that saw Gurkhas who retired before 1997 with 4 or more years service win the right to settle in the UK.

The 'hateful reaction' refers to the public's annoyance at her actions, specifically the public of Aldershot and Farnborough. They are upset at the sudden influx of Nepalese in their towns and are voicing this through facebook groups. Arguably, though, this 'hateful reaction' goes further than just their feelings towards J-Lum and in fact points at a deep rooted xenophobia found in British communities. Aldershot and Farnborough are simply bringing to light Britain's fear of the unknown and dislike of foreigners that threaten to bring change to their daily routine.

I would suggest that Ms Lumley was naive to think that Britain, insular on many levels, would welcome the Gurkhas with open arms. Once the energy of her campaign faded after such a public triumph, it was the people of these towns that were left with the reality of what was about to happen. This misplaced naivety, though, was not meant to cause harm to either party but was simply because she is one of the lucky people who know and love the Gurkhas and perhaps she assumed that her love for these people would be felt by all who met them. I understand her love for the Gurkhas because I am also one of the lucky people who know them. We had a posting in Hong Kong where the General commanded a Brigade of Gurkhas in the early '90s and since I was 4, they have been a big part of our lives. Familiar Gurkha faces coming and going over the years and always associated with some of the best times of my growing up,; plates of Aloo Dum, trips to Nepal, big smiling 'namaste' greetings. They are, without a doubt, some of the kindest, most generous people I will ever come across from one of the poorest but most beautiful countries I have ever visited. I feel a great sadness to think that their arrival is met with negativity.

Proud to have been a Gurk

But what of the Gurkhas who have now settled in the UK? Certainly, many came quickly and slipped through the net the Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT) was hurriedly putting into place to ensure that they understood the impact of this huge life upheaval. Pre 1997, the Gurkhas were based in Hong Kong and Brunei so would never have experienced life in the UK. Suddenly, the door was open and a better, though unfamiliar, life beckoned. It seems to be assumed that they are happy to be here but in reality, the opposite is true. Few speak the language, they are in an alien country with a totally different culture, they have been out of the Army for years and times have changed from what they knew. Many are now not sure why they came in the first place. In Nepal, the pensions they recieve make them kings in their generally poor villages and those who joined post 1997 and are no longer in the Army only remain so their children can recieve a better education. They will eventually return to their home country once that has been completed.

These elderly Gurkhas and their families, the bravest of the brave, who have fought for our country, could well see out the rest of their lives in these towns, surrounded by resentment. They don't necassarily want to be here and Lumley pushing to change the resettlement rules might not have been the right thing to do. We shouldn't forget, however, the sacrifices they have made for us and perhaps, in return, should afford a little hospitality towards them  because, as Ms Lumley correctly points out, 'the bitter irony is that, if these protesters ever went to Nepal, they would receive the warmest welcome and the best of everything from some of the poorest people in the world.'

-----

My family and I experienced true Gurkha generosity when we went to stay with Capt Deb Saheb in his village, Ghermu, in the Lamjung district of Nepal, Nov. 2010

The view from the village

Breakfast Nepali style

Deb Saheb with the family

-------------

You can find out how The Gurkha Welfare Trust helps advise on resettlement here in particular, the information regarding the Residential homes that are planned for parts of Nepal, with one already running very successfully in Pokhara.

Some of the residents at the Pokhara residential home

Job anyone?

With hero Andy Newell

I love my job at Help for Heroes. Really, really love it. Some days, I love it more than others as is only natural but I never dislike it. It's interesting, challenging, inspiring and talk about job statisfaction. I know that in some small way, what I do really does make a difference to the lives of others. To top it off, I work with some great people who are friends as well as colleagues. Perfect, I hear you cry, can't be any room for complaint there then. Unfortunately, though, there is just one, teeny, tiny problem...it is not London based.

For the past 2 years, I've remained firmly attached to the umbilical cord of home life, enjoying the benefits; the cooking, cleaning, washing, the expense free existance (well, apart from the extortionate £20 a week rent). Occaasionally I wonder, 'if I moved out, what would my parents talk about?' I do know the answers of course, her Ladyship would talk about the cats and bridge playing and the General would talk about classic cars and great military triumphs but I'm not sure they'd necessarily listen to each other.

Lets celebrate, Rosie's finally decided to move to London. Hurrah!

So anyway, I now realise that this tie needs to be cut and it's time to hit the bright lights of the big city. I have started casually browsing the internet to see what might be out there. I decided that the best route to go down is to apply for anything and everything that takes my fancy, no matter experience required or seniority of the position. I'm workiing on the basis that by casting my nets wide, I'm guarenteed to end up with something.

There are some hurdles I need to over come at the moment. The first one is that I'm not 100% sure what I want to do, probably one of the reasons I'm looking at anything and not focusing on one specific area. At H4H, my primary role is digital communications and I'm yet to decide if this is where I want to stay. The other one is easier to over come but is my lack of CV, of experience in interviews, of application writing. My current and only job was gained as a result of nepotism over ability and the General was my CV.

The first job I applied for was in digital communications in an office that comes under the Department of Educations. I don't think I could really be a civil servant and I'm not overly keen on children so it wasn't too bad when they emailed saying something about budget reviews and not advertising for the job anymore.

I spy with my little eye... a plot to blow up something important

Next application filled out was to be a spy. Seven straight hours of Spooks in one day coupled with a love of Le Carre novels, I thought I was the perfect candidate and would probably walk the various online tests. Everyone knows Harry Pearce runs MI5 with a bunch of over achieving, pouty 30 year olds at his beck and call don't they? I imagined glamourous danger; honey trapping rich Russian oligarchs and foiling bombplots at the last minute, dashing from one place to the next in my impractical heels, hair remaining perfectly coiffured throughout & not a bead of sweat ruining my perfect make up, while Londoners remains oblivious to their vulnerabillity and my bravery. Turns out, my dream of being the next Eliza Manningham Buller will never come true, my verbal reasoning needs some practice. Oh well, I've never been known for my discretion so really it is beneficial to the safety of the great British public that I continue my job hunting away from the field of national security.

After this inital venture into the world of job hunting, I feel I've come to a stand still. Where do I go next? (Argh, maybe I'll stay put after all). Thank goodness for friends then, who step in and whip you back into action like the Journo. I was moaning about my current situation, much to her exasperation. 'Stop bitching about it and do something. It's like fat people who complain they're fat and still eat cake. Be proactive. By Tuesday, I want you to give me a covering letter and CV' she ordered, like a mini- Sergeant Major with a better wardrobe.

So that's where I'm at, the Journo pushing me into the next chapter of my life. And if this chapter is as amazing as the last one has been,  I'm really looking foward to writing it.

I might have to take drastic action soon

The Shaw Trust

Last Wednesday, I woke up at an hour I haven't seen for a while so I could head to Neath in Wales to meet with a fantastic charity called The Shaw Trust, a little known organisation in most areas but one making a big difference by supporting disabled and disadvantaged people to prepare for work, find jobs and live more independently.


The Shaw Trust has been running for 30 years  and one particular way in which they help make lives easier is by illustrating to organisations the level of accessibility their websites provide to people with disabilites and I was visiting them to see how well the Help for Heroes website meets these standards. Although working for a charity that looks after people with a huge range of impairments, this was an area I had never even considered as being a potential struggle and feel rather embarrassed to admit that. But how many of you would think of it as being a problem? If you are in a world where you live and work around able bodied people that don't experience these issues then it might never cross your mind.

Their small office was home to about 15 people with disabilites ranging from dyslexia to blindness. I was going to be spending time with some of them to see what various disabilities need to make the digital sphere as easy for them as possible. 

My first stop was Kevin, a chatty Welshman whose movement had been severely restricted, especially down the left hand side of his body, by a brain injury. This means that he has to use the 'tab' keys to navigate his way through websites along with a series of key codes e.g. ctrl & f might take you to the Finacial Reports page on a specific website. Kevin also gave us a brief demonstration on 'Dragon', a voice control device which was an alternative way of take you through a website. The drawback of 'Dragon', however, seemed to be that you needed to spend some time teaching it to recognise your voice. I have no doubt that this was a very useful tool but I think a lot of patience was needed, certainly more than I posses!

JAWS being used

Mike was the next person to show me how to access a website from his perspective. Mike has been blind since birth. Sound is his sight and a programme called JAWS, a sound reading software, guides him from page to page. I was told that it takes about 2 weeks to become a competent user and Mike had been using it for a very long time. Listening to the speed at which he has JAWS set was incredible, like when you set a voice recorder at high speed and the voice played back seems somewhat alien. I had a short turn using JAWS, with the computer screen turned off. With in a few seconds, I had already pressed an incorrect key combination which sent JAWS in spin and it made itself pretty clear it wasn't happy with me. Mike was very good humoured about it and set me straight quickly but I didn't find it easy at all.

From Mike, we spent some time quickly with a chap who was visually impaired and explained the importance of colours on a website because some colour and text combinations can be difficult to read. Next was a chap with learning difficulties who helped analyse whether a website was easy enough to understand.

Finally, I met Darren. Darren was profoundly deaf and communicated via sign language. This is where my lack of understanding really hits a new low, especially given that I have a profoundly deaf uncle and cousin (although they don't sign). For some reason, I hadn't even thought about what needs a deaf person might have, possible because I just thought that they could read a screen. In today's virtual world though, it's hard to find a website that doesn't use video as a key communications tool and with YouTube the phenomenon it is, it is increasingly important to make sure it is possible for someone with hearing problems to understand it. To address this issue, organisations need to look at adding subtitles or signers to their videos.

I learnt so much in the few hours that I spent with these guys. Even though I have met and spent time with many of the guys and girls who have been wounded in the line of duty, seen the troubles they face and the way they face them head on, this was an eye-opening experience. It reinforced that there are so many things that I take for granted and don't even consider could cause issues for someone less able than I am.

---

For an example of an organisation making their website as easy to use as possible, I think the BBC's My Web My Way is worth looking at.