To live and work in Humla is an experience on its own. Life circumstances are so harsh and difficult, that the people express their sorrows, joys and dreams often in songs. RIDS-Nepal has started to use this well known custom of singing about "Issues of Life" for its development work. As the people are rather used to learn through singing than through formal learning in a school setting, songs create a fertile ground for better and quicker understanding. Together with the local people, the RIDS-Nepal staff wrote songs about the live, drudgery, beauty and hardship of Humla, to use them in our community development work. We also use them in the video film "Sunshine In Shadows" we produced in 2000 about all aspects of life in Humla, which includes the last 5 years work of RIDS-Nepal. Through pictures, songs and poems and narration RIDS-Nepal brings you the life of Humla home.

We want to present you with 17 songs recorded by RIDS-Nepal all related in some ways with the work we do, as people to pick up the message in the songs far more quickly than from normal conversations. You can play each of these 17 songs from the Audio Player you see to the right of this page. Some of the songs are discussed further below.