Written for Guillem Pujol,volunteer at Bhimphedi Children Home’s
These last days Valeria visited us, she was one of the first volunteers who started Awasuka project. With her also came her mother and brother, with this opportunity and being the Dasahin days we made a lot of activities with the boys and girls of the house!
Then you can find a summary of those!
Trekking to Dorshin
The last Saturday and taking an advantage that the children had holidays of the school, we went to Dorshin! The trek was so nice and beautiful, it came all the children, babies and also the oldest and, at the end, we were waiting for a stunning surprise!
No less than good waterfalls to refresh up, after the exercise we had done and to be able to recover for the return!
Balmandir children playing in a river
It was a great experience that it will cost to forget .
Boys, girls and volunteers with Valeria and her family.
Creps workshop
Another activity that we did with Valeria’s family was a kitchen workshop, and what we cooked?
Well, we cooked a lot of delicious CREPS! In this case they were only the youth boys of the house who participated in this activity, because the youngest was still going to school and therefore they were in class.
Valeria and Didi look if they can use the paella for make creps
But the children didn’t miss to try these delights, because Didis took them in their Snack Time directly to the school and still hot.
Bishnu with hands in the doughAll the team workingKamal i Ramesh making creps
No matter how intense theses moments were, Valeria’s family has had to leave us to continue with their fabulous trip through Nepal. We hope you visit us again shortly and go all very well!
Written by Josep Mas, volunteer of the children’s home in Bhimphedi
It is monsoon time when the landscape acquires an intense shade of green and a scent of earth and vegetation. The plants in Bhimphedi valley grow at dramatic speeds, and the sound of the rain keeps you company all day long. How is life in Balmandir Chilrden’s Home with the arrival of the rainy season? Keep reading to know more about our activities, games and outings these days… and about the arrival of a new brother!
Vegetation blossoms in Balmandir gardens with the arrival of the rainy season
Despite the rain, there are sun spells every now and then, and the activity in Balmandir doesn’t stop! Let it be painting, playing, or making origami works…
A sunny morning?! Time for painting!Lov and Ramesh during an exciting button football match.While making origami works time flies, and our collection of small art pieces keeps growing!
There are also those who impatiently wait for the door of the computer room to be opened. Power outages happen on a daily basis, but as they say here, “ke garné!” (what to do about it!)
A small crowd eager for for some computer time!
One of the trends these days are trolley strolls across the garden, something that everybody enjoys, and not only the kids!
But not everything is staying in Balmandir. Nature is all around, and rain is not an excuse for giving up on small outings! In fact, puddling in all possible ways makes the walk much more interesting!
A walk in the rain to Bhimphedi hanging bridge
Small Ekendra did not miss the stunning views from the arms of Kiran, despite the hood!
Going to school is also much more exciting under the rain. Everybody hurries up to get hold of a raincoat or an umbrella before leaving, to avoid getting drenched from head to toes….
Kushal and Binita had a lot of fun the first time they came back from school under an umbrella.
These days the river grows bigger and, when in calm, it’s an ideal place for a refreshing dip. There are skilled youngsters in Balmandir who don’t lack inventiveness to build a pool with stones and branches, where they can jump, dive, and maybe catch some fish…
A pool in the river, under construction.
If sun shies away as the afternoon progresses, a small bonfire by the riverside helps warming up before coming back to Balmandir, just in time for a good dal bhat meal!
Getting warm by the fire after a river dip.
But as you know, not all are good news during the rainy season. Monsoon also brings problems every year with transport, flooding, and landslides. Young Bikram, born in the vicinity of Bhimphedi, lost his parents and brother in one of these fatal landslides about a year ago. Nepali newspapers related about that episode of floods and landslides that took away the life of tenths of people across the country,
After a few months living with his grandparents, without enough resources to offer him a secure future, Bikram got into custody of Nepal Children’s Organization (NCO), who assigned him to Balmandir Children’s Home in Bhimphedi.
Bikram explains us about how was his family before a landslide took them away.
Here he started a new adventure, new house, new school, and a big family where everybody shares the conviction that whoever enters Balmandir becomes a new brother! This is for the good and for the worse, to share fun, games, some fights, and happy moments.
This new house of Bikram does not lack colour, thanks to the help of his borthers and sisters.Teachers of Bhim Aadhar Community School giving Bikram a level test on his first day of school.
After a few weeks Bikram is already making himself familiar with Balmandir and its surroundings, catching insects, collecting plants, or climbing somewhere high with a good view from where to contemplate the valley of Bhimphedi. Who knows which new adventures are awaiting for him?
Bikram on a tree with a view to Bhimphedi
Another monsoon day grows older in Bhimphedi, as the music of the falling rain leads us once more to the world of dreams.
Written by Isabel Valero, volunteer in the Bhimphedi Children’s Home
We had spent many days rehearsing dramas with the big and the little ones for this weekend, and that is because the youth project of Kathmandu have come! They have been rehearsing for a long time for this event in Bhimphedi, and the truth is that they are very good. So the children of Balmandir also decided to do a drama and both big and small did theirs.
It has been very emotional to welcome them in Balmandir. They arrived in three jeeps full of material and backpacks, and the children showed their rooms. We doubled the population of Balmandir!
Youth project in Balmandir
Then came the great surprise! For the snack, they had to cook more than 600 momos! Yes, they all started to cook in few minutes. Some made the dough, the others stretched it to make the shape, others put the mixture of vegetables or meat with the dough and the last ones that cooked them. It was very exciting to see the whole kitchen full of people eating the momos that they had cooked.
cooking 600 veg and meat momos for snack
With the stomach full we had time to meet each other with different games and then it was time to do the exchange of dramas that we had been preparing so eagerly. First, the little ones show us theirs, who made everyone laugh with their way of acting so spontaneous and fun.
many energetic games after drama exchangesSmall children playind their drama
Later, it was teens turn, with a drama that tolds the story about some friends who are finding out what Balmandir’s routine is, adding, of course, the touches of humor that they like so much. The youth from Kathmandu knew what we are doing here.
showing the routine to youth from Katmandhu
Finally, the youth gave us a small tasting of the play they would perform the next day at the school. To end this small drama exchange, we all made some games to take energy before the big day.
Small taste of youth drama in the exchange
In the evening, we decided to take a big speaker and announce all over Bhimphedi the work they would do the next day, and the workshops that would be there later so that no one would miss it!
On Saturday we woke up early to drink some tea and cookies and we warmed up all together to take energy. While the youth did the general rehearsal, the others played and they dressed up for the occasion.
Finally, the great moment! We went to school before to prepare the whole stage and all necessary material for the workshops and put the music high for people to begin to come.
Youth project acting
When all the chairs were busy and the porches full (the only place with shadow, my God! It was so hot!) the drama began, and what a success! After the show, the workshops started that were also the strong point of this event where everyone could enjoy and learn new things.
Manual Art workshopScience workshop. How to make a Scallextric work with the energy of a cycleDance workshopBabia workshop.Music workshop
Tired, we returned with all the material to Balmandir, and we rested a bit. After Dalbhat, the party started with music where we laughed and danced a lot under the rain until a last song sung by one of the young of Kathmandu gave the final touch to this weekend.
Written by Vanessa Martínez, volunteer of Bhimphedi Children’s Home.
As we did last year, we checked the vision of all girls and boys of Balmandir. Three of them showed some visual problems so we took them for a complete examination with the ophtalmologist and the optometrist in the Hetauda Community Eye Hospital.
We found that Sumit needs new glasses because his prescription increased a bit, and Purnima should start wearing glasses as well. For now it seems that Binita doesn’t need any glasses.
Both Sumit and Purnima have convergence problems, so we started a visual therapy to solve also the issue and finish with their reading problems.
Purnima with her new glasses!Sumit with his new glasses!
Written by Joana Alsina, volunteer of Bhimphedi Children’s Home.
In Balmandir we are always busy. When kids go to school, we try to improve Children’s home. After few months we have decided to do a post with some of the results.
The entry: The door was rusted. We have painted and we have treated it.
The furniture of the canteen and of the study room: the benches, tables, and chairs were broken, so we put wooden triangles to reinforce the structures. We put new wood to the canteen banks and plastic for protect them.
Window of the study room: we changed the broken glasses and reinforced the window with some wooden slats to protect it from the balls.
Plumbery: All Balmandir’s taps had leaks. Xavi was really busy for few days. He changed all of them.
Electricity: We improved electrical system and we did a new installation for the rice cooker.
The hostels: During Dashain’s holidays we began to paint rooms. Next step was the hostel of the small ones, toilets and the corridors with plastic painting. In one room we made a white wall for project films. We also have changed the metallic doors.
Store room: We restored the door as well. Now there are cleaning products and the clothes in suitcases.
Office:We took out two beds and we put two shelves. We have more space and light. Now we have two desks and even a printer!
Store room: Space completely changed: shelves painted and upholstered with plastic, boxes for food, save place to put the oil…
The board: The older one was faded. There are some artists in Balmandir so we had renewed it. A lot of patience and accuracy.
Study room: We have also painted this room and decorated. Now there are photos, drawings and the chronological frieze.
Thanks to Josep María, Tonyo, Xavi, Marina, Mercè, Nico, and Anna for all this work.
Writed by Vanessa Martínez Lozano at the children’s home
It was 20 years since the last municipal elections in Bhimphedi, and for this reason there was one week of official holidays. We took the opportunity that we had holidays again and that it was very hot to go to the river many days!
While small kids enjoy the river and learn how to swim, some of the big boys are fishing.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=HCeAjsWmB_M
After a while, by the river, a bit of sun to get warm.
Ready for fishing!!
We use the walks to the river to take pictures of the plants and later look for information about them. The kids know a lot about local plants properties and they love to search for new plants.
When we return to Balmandir everybody works together on cleaning and cooking the fish.
Sumit, Basu, Bisu y Kush are working toguether on cleaning the fish.Sushil is in charge of cooking today!!
Ramesh: “In Smarak park there are wild animals. I really liked to see the leopard, walk in the park with many people and beautiful flowers. It was a hot day and we ate an icecream. It was delicious.”
Anoj: “I like so much go on the ship”
Samir “Yesterday I enjoy a lot, but I prefer go with the pirate boat”
Sita: “ When I was in the wheel I was scared but it was funny.”
Written by Nicolas Gautier, volunteer at the Children’s Home
In April in Nepal there are some holidays before the new school year begins at the end of month. In the district of Makawanpur it’s very hot these days. So the kids welcome any opportunity to refresh. And nothing is better than a swim in the river of Bhimphedi!
Sarita the little mermaid!Purnima in wetsuit!Sister and brother: Purnima and Samir.Basu the fisherman.Would Samir find Nemo or Dory?Manoj the handsome boy!The river team (left to right): Basu, Samir, Anoj, Sandip (from the village), Sarita, Purnima and the handsome boy.
Workshop by Mercè Vega Castellví, beekeeper and artisan.
This week we have been learning about bees. All the kids already knew that honey is produced by bees. But how does a hive work? How do bees make honey?
The first activity was prepared to differentiate the 3 types of bees: the queen, workers, and drones. Everyone draw his own bee.
We explained what is the work of each type of bee, and why the bees are important for the pollination. The second day we made a mobile to hang in the corridor. We began drawing working-bees and drones, flowers of different colours and hexagons for build the hive.
Making and painting hexagons, not so easy task.
With this activity we showed them how wives’ bees are organized. At the central part there are the queen, eggs and larvae. And in the external part the honey and the pollen are stored.
But how do people extract honey from a hive?
Mercè had been a beekeeper and she brought some tools. They loved test them.
Finally, we did a mural with all what we had learnt about bees.
