All posts by amicsnepal

The place where you can not go from

Written by Joana Alsina, volunteer of Bhimphedi Children’s Home from 4th May of 2016 to 30th August 2016

There is a place in the world that few mortals know and where only the privileged have been reached. The mountains guarding as it was a fortress are gray and inhospitable during the dry season, offering a lethargic panorama to anyone who walks there. Suddenly the sky becomes a party, and as a noisy alarm relives the mountains and fields, spreading slowly across a blanket of water. Within few days gray and brown turn to bright green, the streams begin to revive, fields of corn growing unstoppable inch per day and buds of the old caterpillars hatch to butterflies so spectacular that they might be confused with mythological animal.

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There is a place in the world where there parsimony and improvisation, where timetables and plannings lose all validity, forcing outsiders to develop a sense of patience to a professional level. Ke garné!

In this place of bright colors, the hours pass peacefully and often too fast between tea and tea, surrounded by bollywoodians rhythms that flow from the radio at full sound and the smell of incense every morning to honor the infinite deities that take care of maintaining the harmony of the place.

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Always with wet feet you walk through the fields or up the street among strong small men pushing heavy carts and goats that seem horses. The bus that carries the milk reaches and distributes its cargo to the women of the town, using the opportunity to chat about the news about other villagers, laughing and shouting with their characteristic endearing and stridency. On the other side of the street starts a parade of dozens of uniformed lads with miraculous white clothes way to school, and dozens of uniformed youth also carefully disheveled way to college.

There is a place in the world where teachers play truant more often than students and where every little event is reason for celebration. In the afternoon the students return home undoing their ties and pulling their shirts out of the clamp trousers. It’s time to go back with family. In this corner of the world there is the most numerous of all, a family where brothers and sisters are counted by dozens. His home is a temple in the middle of the valley, although you should not expect to find the mysticism and peace of a sacred place… nothing further from reality! When you enter this temple, often you can see some of the its young inhabitants hanging over ten meters high trees taking the tasty spring fruits or on roofs next to the water tank that needs a simple and temporary reparation. Yes, there is a place in the world where children run and jump and climb without the help of any adult and without any soft surface where to land safely on. They fall, and sometimes they get a scratch or hound, but nothing happens, on the contrary, because these young men and women adore everything that can be found in a simple medicine kit and the shock of the moment immediately becomes excitement with the first drop of Betadine and the smell of hand sanitizer.

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Between laughter and shouts, brothers and sisters take care of each other with delicate words… or with a slap! Their relentless sincerity and spontaneity will make you feel the most special person in the universe or sink you into the cruelest misery. Nothing eludes these little beings!

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You can find them all over the temple playing guitar, rehearsing the choreography of the latest megahit, practicing complicated magic tricks, cooking wild plants, planting pumpkins, helping to bring to the world small goats or building any new (and when I say any is any) device. The members of this particular family have infinite abilities. You can also see them with bored face in the study room, memorizing and repeating like parrots the lesson or in the most critical moments, laying on the floor with the head on the notebook sleeping. But if you really want to make sure to find them, look for a screen! Computers, phones, televisions… screen addition is the strongest of the pathologies that suffer these kids.

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After much excitement it’s time to sleep. The amazing and loving mothers check that no clever kid goes to sleep without washing teeth, while elder boys gather with absolute secrecy to discuss which the most charming girl in school is. Then, very early, they fall asleep, in pairs, in threes under the fans of the hot room of the temple. Peace reign again for a few hours under the stunning starry sky of this village.

There is a place in the world that has a strange magic that prevents you from leaving it. A place where the emptiness that you feel when you are going from, can be only filled when one day, months later, you wake up and realize that all the memories are real, you were one of the few mortals who had the privilege of reaching Balmandir, Bhimphedi.

Behind the curtains

Written by Daniel Roig, coordinator of the Bhimphedi Children’s Home

This blog is a stage where you can see some of the things that Amics del Nepal does in this village in a lost valley of Nepal. But behind the curtains there are many people working to make possible that all these, initially, disadvantaged boys and girls can have a happy childhood and the opportunity to learn a lot in Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

Together with the support of the sponsors of the Bhimphedi project, it is essential the work of many people who in an imaginative, altruistic and supportive way organize activities to raise money for Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

In this post I will explain some of these magnificent initiatives that have been carried out in recent months!

Marina Viñas has been organizing for 4th time a type of Christmas Bingo: the Nepali Quinto with the association el Ciervo de Sabadell.

But in addition, last November el Ciervo de Sabadell went even further, because his theater company, coordinated with Ateneu del Món, organized a play in Sant Quirze in favor of Balmandir: A great evening of theater of the always surprising Agatha Christie.

The students of the sixth grade of the school Joan Blanquer of Castellar organized a solidarity market, among other activities where all students participated to bring the reality of Nepal near to all of them.

Tonyo Fibla is already the third time he has collaborated with us (especially with the group Cetrill of Benicarló). This time he has organized a workshop of Nepalese cuisine.

The most tireless collaborators are Ricardo and Jorge, who have spent years with the “Taper Nepal” project with dozens of events, presentations, sale markets of Nepalese handicrafts and solidarity yoga sessions.

We also have new collaborators, such as Ester and Xipi from the Códi 0 egg farm of Lleida, who have organized a solidarity snack a few days before coming to visit the Children’s Home with their four children (who have been a sensation in the village with their golden hair).

Imagination, altruism and solidarity in power, to put our grain of sand for a better world. Thank you very much! Let’s keep it up!

In front of the courtains

Written by Daniel Roig, coordinator of the Bhimphedi Children’s Home

Anuj and Raju are two children rescued from the street by the police when they were very small. So, we do not know of any relative of them. But you do not feel pity for them because they do not have a bad life. They study 3rd grade in English medium in the Bhimphedi Community School in a beautiful village in Nepal. They live in a house with many brothers and sisters who take care of them (staff and volunteers), a house with garden, kitchen garden, soccer field, computer room, swing, with guitars and movies every Friday.

They have been especially happy this week because February 14th was Raju’s birthday and two days later Anuj’s, and they celebrated together. First they did it in the school, they brought candies and all the children sang “Happy Birthday” when all the kids are ready to enter their classes.

At home we also organized a very fun competition to see who was going to get the prize: a starred tissue and a chocolate bar.

First test: Fishing bottles

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Second test: Blind score

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Third test: go to the other side unnoticed

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Fourth test: Getting the packet (but it was not possible to get them if they where just competing, they had to collaborate to succeed both. And they did!

Special test: Open the present as fast as you can to get an extra chocolate tablet

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In the package they found their birthday presents, in each package: a pencil case full of school supplies and a very modern jeans.

The following week was not bad for these kids neither, because it was the festival of Shivaratri and we made a huge bonfire and we ate, danced and sang around it! If you want to know more about this festival you can see the posts we wrote in previous years: Shivaratri 2015 i Shivaratri 2016.

 

But this is what you can see on the stage, but behind the curtains there are many people working to make possible that all these initially underprivileged children have a happy childhood and a chance to learn a lot in Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

On top of the sponsors, it is absolutely essential the work of many people who altruistically organizes activities to raise money for the children’s home.

Do not miss what happens behind the curtains in the next post!

The Detective Siwakoti

Written by Daniel Roig, coordinator of the Children’s Home

Ashok Siwakoti is a youngster grown up in Bhimphedi Children’s Home. A sharp, funny, outgoing, honest boy, always ready to give a hand. As a member of Amics del Nepal, every day I am proud that we have been part of his life and personal growth, and we still are part of it.

Ashok has been a very active member in the family of Bhimphedi Children’s Home. We remember him playing the main character role of Sagarmatha drama show (directed by Miquel Comas), being the best student of the house, singing and playing with his younger siblings, helping volunteers (even to translate the song “Water Paani” of Monica Sans)…

Long time ago, in a not too far land, there was a problem with waste, which could be found everywhere.
One day came a huge and mysterious bucket. Everyone was scared, but curious to know what it contained.
And from the bucket, the captain Sagarmatha appeared.
Captain Sagarmatha, armed with his cutxo (Nepalese broom) with his speech, …
his army of assistants and …
his catchy songs …
sung by all the children …
and accompanied on guitar …
tried to convince to the amazed public that it was time to solve the problem, working together it was possible!

Ashok is already 17 years old and two years ago he left the Children’s Home and moved to Kathmandu to continue his studies. Since then he can only come to visit his siblings occasionally because he is always busy with school, work or courses. But when he visits the happiness on his face and his brothers’ and caretakers’ is more than evident.

I am lucky that I go to Kathmandu quite often, so I can meet, chat and have a good time with him. Whenever I take any of his younger siblings from the Children’s Home to a Kathmandu hospital and they must stay a few days in the capital, Ashok takes care of them while I have other jobs to deal with.

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Ashok and Pemba (on the two sides) taking care of Lave, who came to Kathmandu for a medical visit from the Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

Even right after the earthquake, a very difficult time in Nepal, Ashok went with Miquel to visit Patan Children’s Home when it was impossible to contact by phone. Everything was fine!

A month ago, Ashok made possible something quite extraordinary. It was a day like any other. Ashok was at the hotel where he works and a colleague ask him to join to a dinner with his friends. Ashok immediately accepted.

Chatting with these new friends Ashok said proudly that he had grown up in Bhimphedi Children’s Home. There are so many Children’s Homes in Nepal, there are so many children at risk here… Another boy also had a story to tell: “I have a friend from my village who has one brother in a Children’s Home. They had to admit seven years ago and later they lost all contact… “.

Ashok continued chatting with this guy, and he got to know that he was from the same district, but Ashok didn’t know the village. There are many villages in Dolkha district, and some of them are really remote…

Ashok: – What is the name of the brother of your friend?
Other kid: – Ramesh Thami.
Ashok: – Ramesh Thami??? This is the name of one of my brothers Bhimphedi in Bhimphedi Children’s Home!

The next day I had the phone of this girl and we called her. She was the sister of of Ramesh Thami and the smaller brother Som Thami! The 18 years old girl, works in Kathmandu taking care of a house. His older brother, already married and with a son, lives in the village of the Dolkha district (one of the most affected by the earthquake), and we could get the number of their aunt, who lives with his two children on the outskirts of Kathmandu in a house made of metal plates.

And thus is how the detective Siwakoti found, after seven years without contact, the family of Ramesh and Som Thami. The two brothers love now to talk on the phone with their family. Before, they had no one to call to. We brought them to Kathmandu for two days to meet their sister and aunt. Now they are very excited about the idea of going the next holidays to their hometown and meet their brother and celebrate the festivals all together!

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When I left for two days the Thami brothers with their aunt, oncle and cousins.
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When I picked the brothers, two days later. This time on the picture you can see their sister.

Thank you Detective Ashok!

To know more about Ashok Siwakoti, read the text he wrote for this blog, here!

Saraswoti Puja

Written by Daniel Roig, coordinator of the Children’s Home

Although there is no fixed number of deities in Hinduism, there is the popular concept that there are 330 million of gods and goddesses. Naturally there is no list with all their names, and many are considered different avatars (manifestations) of the same gods.

Of all these gods, naturally, some stand out and have much presence in the lives and culture of Nepali people. Brahma (the creator of the Universe), Vishnu (the preserver or protector of the Universe) and Shiva (the destroyer or Judge of the Universe) form the Trimurti, the three aspects of the supreme universal God. These three aspects symbolize the whole circle of “Samsara” in Hinduism (the cycle of reincarnation).

There are the three goddesses and consorts of the Trimurti. Saraswoti (goddess of intellect and art), Laksmi (goddess of prosperity) and Parvati (goddess of fertility and love) form the “Tridevi”.

Saraswoti is the goddess of the arts, creativity, intellect and letters. In almost all the compounds of temples in Nepal you can find a small independent temple dedicated exclusively to this goddess. You can recognize her by her four arms, sitting on a lotus flower, dressed in a white “sari”. Often holding a book and a vina (stringed instrument). Her vehicle is a swan.

The day of worship to Saraswoti (Saraswoti Puja) is considered the end of winter and is very celebrated in Nepal. People believe that this day is the best day to start learning something. Parents and schools take young children to temples dedicated to Saraswoti to write their first letters on the walls with a chalk.

On this day students worship books, pens, notebooks… Musicians worship their instruments and artists worship their tools.

The schools of Bhimphedi also celebrated this special day. The teachers and students made a ceremony and everyone was offered with some food in honor of Saraswoti.

It is a really special day in the community school where all parents are invited, students show dances and school awards to the best students of the previous year: The three students with the best marks in each class, the student with the least absences, the tidiest student…

Some children of Balmandir danced (Basu, Samir, Raju, Sarita, Purnima, Santa, Sumit, Bishnu and Ramesh) and also won some of the prices: Basudev, Raju, Sushil and Bishnu for their marks and Manuj, Bishnu (again) and Ashish tied with the best attendance, missing only 2 days out of the 209 school days. Hopefully next year it will be even better.

Life in Bhimphedi and Kathmandu

Written by Ashok Siwakoti, beneficiary of Amics del Nepal

I lived in Bhimphedi Children’s Home for 12 years. I was 5 years old when I was taken to Bhimphedi from Naxal Children’s Home. At the beginning our children home was managed by government itself and later after few years it was taken by the NGO called Amics Del Nepal which is still supporting us. Everything started being good (food, accommodation, inside environment) during that time. We became very happy to have those facilities.

We rarely met foreigners before. Like the New Year comes once a year we also use to meet a foreigner once a year. Later we started meeting them more and more often and have good conversations with them and we improved our English and speaking skills.

Few years later, Amics del Nepal started sending a couple of volunteer every month. They taught us a lot of things and prepared many different activities with all of them. Every year new and old volunteers come with many different projects for development and betterment of Bhimphedi and Balmandir living style.

Living in Balmandir was very good as I had many friends and we all lived like a family. We celebrated every festival and birthdays, we danced and sang, we used to help each other and sometimes fight as well. I spent my best time in Balmandir and I keep wonderful memories from there.

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Ashok, when he was a child, with some of his brothers and sisters.
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And jumping from roof to roof.

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Life is so simple and funny in Balmandir. After waking up we used to have a cup of tea and study a little bit. Then, after having Dalbat it was time to go to school. After school there was time to play, eat and do the homework before falling asleep on our bunks. That was my daily time table when I lived there.

The care from the caretakers (we call them big sisters in Nepali: didi) and center chief of the home and the love of our brothers and friends was enough for me to be happy. I always felt Bhimphedi Children’s Home like my home and I will feel it forever. It is a very nice place to live.

We can stay there till grade 10, some of the kids complete it when they are 19, some when they are only 15. I was 15 years old when I finished 10th grade and I moved to Kathmandu for a new life.

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Two years ago, Ashok ready to leave what had been his house for long time. That time, he was moving to Kathmandu to continue his studies.

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After leaving Balmandir I was like a new born baby I didn’t know anything. Everything is so different outside. Lifestyle completely changed. New place, new people, new school, new environment, different life and I felt often alone and afraid in the beginning. But Amics del Nepal has a staff to follow up once we leave from the Children’s Home. Dani kept giving me information about everything, motivating, giving advices, supporting financially when necessary and promoting my ideas. He helped me to find place to live, job, college and so many things we need once we live outside Balmandir. So I didn’t feel that much alone and helpless.

But at that time there were some big earthquakes in Nepal and life became more scary and difficult. And the blockade didn’t help either. It became almost impossible to cook when cooking gas was nowhere to find, and light supply very scarce.

Amics del Nepal support at that time as well so I will always be thankful for that. I could do a course in EduLift before starting College. I did cooking classes at Cocina Mitho Chha and Computer classes and I still practice with one of the laptops UPC-reutilitza provided.

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Ashok doing the cooking course of Cocina Mitho Chha.
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Ashok receiving the diploma of the cooking course.
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Ashok working as a waiter in the gardens of the parliament, in the celebration of the approbation of the first constitution of Nepal.

I started studying in a private college after getting a grant and I was working at the same time taking care a building. It was an easy job but I couldn’t learn much there, I was long time alone and I couldn’t get holidays.

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Ashok in his first work.
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The college where Ashok studies.
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Ashok in the moment of admission in the college, after getting a government grant.
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Buying the college books.
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The uniform.
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Ready for studying plus 2 in management in SANN International College.

So, after almost one year working there I change the job. I was hired in “Un Dia Blanco Eco Inn Guest House” where the volunteers of Amics del Nepal usually stay when they are in Kathmandu. The job is not difficult but I am learning many things at the same time.  I have a lot free time so I am enjoying my job and life. Studies are also going good.

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Currently Ashok is finishing plus 2 and working in night in the Un Dia Blanco Guest House.

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Now I am learning guitar too. Monica, from Amics del Nepal, made it possible. She provided me with a guitar and found a musician to teach me. I’m really enjoying of the music classes and my guitar.

I will always be very much thankful to Amics del Nepal.

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School trips

Written by Daniel Roig, coordinator of the Children’s Home

Nepal is a country geographically diverse and interesting where we find the highest mountains in the world (the area of the Himalayas), 3000 meters high hills of lush vegetation (the area of the Hills) and plains that remind us of the Indian jungles (Zone of Therai). Nine of the children in the Children’s Home could visit some of these areas with their school friends these past weeks:

 

5th grade trip to Chitwan – Nature in Therai

Fifth grade is the last year that kids of Bhimphedi can study in the community school. From sixth they have to shift to the public school or go to another village (option chosen by all who can afford it).

This is why every year the community school organizes a day trip to farewell the students who have studied for 7 years at this school property of the community of Bhimphedi. This year the three kids from the Children’s Home studying 5th grade have been especially fortunate because they have gone to visit the natural park of Chitwan. They visited another Nepal they did not know: the jungle plains where you can find elephants, crocodiles, deers, rhinoceros of single horn…

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Some of the girls of class 5 with their teacher Manisha.
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Already on the bus, ready for the 3 hour trip.
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Once in Sauraha, on elephants, they went inside the jungle of the national park.
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From the top of the elephants they could see spectacular views,
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crocodiles,
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and one horned rhinos, without any fear.

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At night, on the way-back-home bus, everyone sang and danced.

10th  grade trip to Pokhara and Gorkha – The Himalayas and history

Students of grade ten currently preparing for their final exams, they organized a trip of just a night out to not to harm their study. But do not think that this prevented them to do an ambitious plan: to catch a bus for eight hours to reach to Pokhara on the Annapurna feet. From the lake at 800 meters high you can see the mountains of 8,000 meters.

But it would be a shame to return direct to Bhimphedi, so the next day they did six hours of bus to reach to Gorkha, a historic town:

Prithivi Narayan Shah (1723-1775), King of the small kingdom of Gorkha, conquered many of the mini-kingdoms around and moved slowly toward the Kathmandu Valley. There he began to conquer kingdoms around to be able to isolate the valley. Impatience led him to attack twice on the city of Kirtipur, situated on a hill from which he was planning to do the final attack on the Kathmandu Valley. But in both cases he lost and paid a high price in his ranks. Finally he got the city of Kirtipur, they had to surrender due to the blockade of food and water supply. But the king was not merciful and cut off the noses of all the men of the city.

From Kirtipur, Prithivi Narayan Shah submitted to the other cities of the valley, establishing a single kingdom powerful enough to remain outside the influence of the British Empire, unlike the kingdoms in present India.

Already satisfied and exhausted the kids of class 10 took the bus again and did more than 10 hours of road to return to Bhimphedi. The next day the class of grade 10 was pretty empty.

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On the way to Pokhara, playing the guitar on the bus.

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On the background of this photo you can see the Anapurnas and the Fishtail.

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View of the stairs that lead to the Castle of Gorkha.

The trip of 6th, 7th  and 8th grades – The hills and religion

Children of sixth, seventh and eighth grades decided they did not want to be less, so they prepared a picnic. It is very common that families, schools, neighbors or cultural groups organize such a day trips: Take a bus to go to visit a temple. And there, near the temple, to have a good meal prepared over a wood fire. And of course they take a good speaker to play Bolliwood music and start dancing and singing to help to digest the heavy food.

Life and religion, food and celebration, dances and songs. Nepalese are able to mix modernity and tradition like no other can do.

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For all other children of the Home do not worry because, although they didn’t go for a trip they had fun and good food in the center! Look at that chicken “croquetas”:

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A Christmas Story: The boy who lived

Written by Cristina Morales, member of the Board of Amics del Nepal, with the collaboration of Miquel Comas and Daniel Roig.

Drawings by Ramesh Syantang boy of 14 years of Bhimphedi Childrenps Home, who has lived 10 years with Jay.

Jay has a smile that grabs you and does keeps with you and takes you to the highest cloud sky beyond…

Now is one of the eldest in the house, where he is loved by everyone: he helps in the kitchen and the children, always ready to play football rather than to do homework… with a confused apperance, sometimes it seems that he plays to hide what he understands; he does not speak much, but his look is noble as the water of the rivers of the Himalayas.

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Jay with a friend, studying, playing and sleeping in Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

Jay does not like the surname “Balak”. It is not his real surname, but the one Nepal Children’s Organization gave to him when they took him, it means “child” and means that the person has no known origin or caste, there is a stigma to it… so he decided to change the name and take Anish Rana as own.

Sometimes Jay/Anish wonders why he has lived for 14 years in Balmandir the Children’s Home of Bhimphedi. Some nights, while listening to the laughter and confidences of the caretakers, carrying utensils in the kitchen when almost everyone sleeps, watches the sky full of nearby stars and dreams awake that somewhere, maybe in the mountains or perhaps in the hot plains of Terai, now there is a woman who looks to the same Nepalese sky, remembering a child that was lost long ago…

Jay has grown up, it’s time to leave the house and start a new life. He carries with him the gift of solidarity: an education, a secure environment for his childhood, proper food, personal care, affection, friends and family of a different kind: Amics del Nepal, working, with the help of so many people of good faith, so that Jay and many like him have more opportunities in the future.

As a condition to integrate into society and find better jobs to be independent, Jay should get the Nepali identity card. Not knowing the exact origins of a person, this process is very complicated. For Jay/Anish it will be very difficult to get his ID…

Searching for distant memories still stored in his memory, suddenly, one day Jay/Anish could say to Krishna, the director of the Bhimphedi Children’s Home, a name that reminded him of his place of origin: “…laghara…”.

And with this name Krishna decided to embark on the adventure of going to all the villages with a similar name to “Laghara” near the police station where Jay was found, to try the foolish and risky task of finding a relative of the boy. Hours in bus, three days of frantic visits to offices of police, meeting with people of different communities, local government officials…

One night, a family from a village from three hours walk reached the police headquarters. They heard the news of this young reunited. Won’t it be the son who they lost 14 years ago while accompanying his mother to cut grass for the buffalo?

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Jay, thanks to Krishna (Former Center Chief of Bhimphedi Children’s Home), finds his family in the far west.

The marks behind the ear and hand do not lie. Nor his factions… a miracle! whole family burst into tears of joy. The next day more and more people come from the village to the police station to see with their own eyes the boy who lived!

14 years ago, a mother left with her three years old son to go to cut grass for their cattle. It is a very common job in Nepal, anyone who has seen it has been disconcerted watching Nepali women loading huge piles of grass hanging from their forehead walking up in the steep paths of the Nepali hills as if it was not a superhuman job… The name of this boy who accompanied his mother was Dipendra Malla son of Jay Malla.

But that day something unexpected happened that would change that boy’s childhood. In a moment of distraction, he lost sight of his mother! The boy walked and walked, but he could not find his mother again. Finally he reached to an urban area, where the police picked him, but he was only able to say “Jay”…

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Jay, after getting lost in the forest, walked and walked till he reached to the citye where the police station is.
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The police takes Jay when he was walking alone lost.

His family was looking for him for weeks, but finally they had to accept the tragic “reality”, his son was dead. No sense to keep looking, much less to go to the city, three hours away, to talk to the police at that time of civil war between the Maoists and the rulers, many people died at that time…

Police label Jay as orphan, and gave the surname “Balak”. They put his photo in the newspapers but he was never claimed, so he was transferred to Bhimphedi Children’s Home, where he lived for 14 years under the tutelage of NCO and Amics del Nepal.

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When the police was unable to find the kids family they took him to Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

But now, on any day of autumn, it seems that life has wanted to reward the determination of those responsible for the Children’s Home to help Jay/Anish/Dipendra to find his origins, and the boy with the captivating smile has gone from being an orphan to have mother, father, two brothers, one sister and uncles, cousins… everyone is very happy and surprised of this event!

Two months later, Anish already has his Nepalese citizenship, there his name is Anish Malla and now he is doing all steps to correct the information in the certificate of secondary education. He has even got time to register for further education in the closest city to his hometown.

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Jay has found his parents in the far west.

This Christmas story is a true story, example of other stories of this 2016 of boys and girls from Bhimphedi Children’s Home, as Susmita Syantang, Bipana Khadka, or the brothers Ramesh and Som Thami, who, thanks to tireless work of those responsible of Balmandir-Bhimphedi-Amics del Nepal, have given the most important gift the them, to rediscover their roots, to reconcile them with their origins and make them unique people, important and loved by their family.

On behalf of the entire team of Amics del Nepal, I wish the best for this 2016 Christmas and that this New Year fills our lives of Happiness and Solidarity.

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Jay will make a kite fly up away.
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Jay dressed to go to the school in his last year of secondary level.
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Jay leading his team in a game in Balmandir.
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Jay with the face full of flour after completing a game.
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Carrying some of his small brothers in Bhimphedi Children’s Home.
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In a walk to the forests of Bhimphedi.
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Helping with some works in the Children’s Home.
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With a “tica” celebrating a Nepali festival.
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When Jay finished the secondary level he work some time as a cook and in the project Awasuka.

 

Hail and the Magical Kings to start the 2017

Written by Daniel Roig, coordinator of the Children’s Home

In Bhimpehdi 2017 has had a big start, meteorologically speaking. It was already three months since last rain drop, when the rainy season ended on September. But on 1st January, it rained and hailed a little bit. But that was nothing compared to what awaited us the next day.

After a sunny morning as usual, at one and a half without any warning it became cloudy in a second and it began to rain, not just rain, hail also. Two hours nonstop prevented classes to run because all schools have roofs made of metal and are very noisy. Many orchards were damaged, such as the beans.

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But we were worried about whether our greenhouse endured the bombing of stone ice. So as soon as it stopped raining all children went to look at the greenhouse, and found that it had held very well, and also, it kept a pleasant diversion on it. Piles of stone that was waiting for the kids to be harvested and converted to the “snow” man of Bhimphedi!

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After the hailstorm apart from the beautiful double rainbow, the temperature went down hard. It’s usually not very cold the valley of Bhimphedi, here never snows. Therefore we are not very well prepared for the cold, we do not use chimneys or heaters in houses, nor the hauses are very well insulated.

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Fortunately, the “Magical Kings” had come to Balmandir! An expedition of treckers had come to Nepal through Tarannà Travel Club; and two members of the expedition Anna and Josep contacted Amics del Nepal few days ago to give us four huge bags full of winter clothes, cases full of colors, balloons…

The cases and the balloons we will be using them to celebrate birthdays, but winter clothing has come at the right time! At night, after the hail, the wind turned cold, and the children, one by one, came to the office where we keep the material to choose a coat and socks. Thanks Magical Kings and enjoy the Himalayas! We are already prepared for the winter!

From the Bhimphedi Children’s Home we hope that you all have had a very happy Christmas and you have a 2017 full of happiness!

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The Caretakers of Balmandir, Beli and Maya, with their new clothes.
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Some of the big kids of Bhimphedi Children’s Home, with the new coats brought by the “Magical Kings”.
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Manisha with some of the kids preparing Kiran’s birthday.
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Kiran about to blow the candles.
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Bijay gives the birthday present to Kiran. Kiran considers Bijay and his wife as his own family, because the wife of Bijay works in Maiti Nepal and she was who admitted him to Bhimphedi Children’s Home. Since that time they have kept the contact.
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Kiran looking his birthday presents, one was a beautiful case full of stationary material brought by the “Magical Kings”.

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While the kids were eating the birthday food, Kiran played songs for all of us. Beautiful birthday!.

25 months 100 posts

Written by Daniel Roig, coordinator of the Bhimphedi Children’s Home (Balmandir – the temple of the children)

Post number 100 after 25 months of life of the blog of Amics del Nepal in Bhimphedi

It’s been 25 months since I came to Bhimphedi Children’s Home to coordinate the work of management and support of  Amics del Nepal in the Children’s home of Nepal Children’s Organization. Since then there has been continued presence of volunteers supporting the permanent staff of the house. From the first moment I joined here, we decided to start a blog to explain all the work and projects that we are doing to all the people who love this home of kids in this distant place. The project sponsors, the former volunteers and their family and members of Amics del Nepal, I hope you enjoyed the first 100 posts, photos and experiences, that make a beautiful archive of experiences of many people.

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Joana Alsina writing the post number 99, while she stays with the kids. The kids are studying for the last exam of the second term.

Not an easy job, all the volunteers here fear the moment when they are assigned with a post. It’s long process. First we have to think about the shape (should we include video or only photos?), then we have to take photos of the event (often, especially when we do some improvement in the home, we forget to take the picture before, or while working…), then we have to write the post, revise it or ask someone to review it. We have to translate it into the other two languages as well… and review the translations. Put the text on the website, choose photos, reduce the resolution and upload them to the web (when internet connection allows us), write captions (in three languages), choose the different options of the post and finally publish it. Oh! We also have to send the summary to Anna Carreras, so she can publish it on Facebook!

In these 25 months 100 posts, we have experienced all kinds of experiences: staff changes, children who have already left the home and some other small children who have joined, earthquakes, a commercial blockade, 72 volunteers (and some have repeated experience), each and every one of the Nepalese festivals, treasure hunts, my wedding, Nepalese recipes, maintenance works and improvements… Here in Nepal, we can say that “reality surpasses the imagination”. We never run out of topics to make new posts… on the contrary, sometimes we are overwhelmed, and we have to summarize, merge, postpone or forget topics that we wanted to share.

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Looking at all the adventures, experiences and new friends in these 25 months 100 posts, I feel gratitude, satisfaction, excitement and curiosity and anticipation for the next 25 months 100 posts. Nepal surely will not disappoint us, there is no better script writer!

Each of the 100 posts we have published has also been announced in Amics del Nepal Facebook, thanks to the perseverance and infallibility of Anna Carreras, responsible for the management of social networks of Amics del Nepal.

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Anna Carreras publishing the 99th post on Amics del Nepal Facebook. Thank you Anna!

But for the next 100 posts have added another option for those who want to follow our blog. In the sidebar of the blog, under the language option, you can sign up for the mailing list and you will receive a monthly email with the news of the Balmandir’s blog. Join now and you will not miss on the following 100 news of the Bhimphedi Children’s Home!

Step 1: Enter your email, select the English option and press the “OK!” Button.

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Step 2: In your email you will receive a confirmation email. Click on the link in this email and you will already be registered!

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Step 3: Receive a monthly email with the news of the blog!

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