In the Children’s Home we have some books: novels, stories and comics. But it is very unusual to see a kid reading any of these books. However, it is quite common to see a kid with the school bookd memorizing them. It is as if they were training for playing a Trivial tournament. Reading anything that does not prepare them for it, it’s considered “wasting time”. It is absolutely essential here to know who named the Pacific Ocean; or which is the lake located in the highest altitude; or the exact high of the mount Everest.
Nepalese use the same word for “to read” and “to study”: parnu (पढ्न). The number of literate people has increased a lot in the last ten years. But the culture of reading for pleasure is not widespread yet.
A few months ago Nerea Guezuraga started an activity with the secondary level kids of the Children’s Home to promote reading and to improve their English level. Every evening, after dinner, from 7 to 7:30, we have met in a room all together and listened a couple of pages of the first book of Harry Potter, read by the actor Steven Fry. In the most interesting or complicated passages, we stopped the recording and by turns a kid re-read the passage, and discussed it.
For months we have had this good habit. At first the children were a little bit reluctant, but towards the end of the book, the kids used to came quickly after dinner to the reading room. Many days requesting to read an extra page.
Finally, Sunday we finished “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”!
Tuesday is holiday: Sonam Losar (Tamang cast New Year), so we decide to project the film of the book we havejust finished reading. In this way we celebrate the first book of over a hundred pages all these children have read!
Within two months the children have to make the final exams. Once finished, we will begin the second book, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Until then, children will keep training to be the best Trivial players!
In Bhimphedi there is a public school that offers classes from first grade to tenth. And there is also a small community school that offers from kinder-garden till fifth grade.
We take the kids of the children’s home to the community school until it is possible, because the number of students per class is lower, and they make more classes in English and mainly because classes are much more regular.
Each year, the community school organizes at the end of the term a trip for children in fifth class, and therefore their last term in the community school. The day before, all children in fifth class and teachers prepared everything for the trip: they bought food and cooked everything can be prepared the day before and put the sound system to charge, nothing else needed.
The program was simple: the bus reserved for the occasion, go to Hetauda and visited three different places: first a temple (Kusmanda Sarobar), then another temple used as picnic place (Banaskhandi) and finally a children’s park (Puspalal Park)! Everyone is very excited!
In the morning the two kids from the children’s home who study in fifth grade woke up very early and got ready to go to town! At 07:40 they were already in school. But teachers send them back home and tell them to return once they have eaten dalbhat. Finally at 9:30 we left to Hetauda!
The first stop, Kusmanda Sarobar, is a curious temple in the middle of the river bed. Around the temple there are 108 cow heads shaped fountains. 108 is an auspicious number in Hinduism and Buddhism. Then we put them all a “tica”. And everybody made a wish to the ear of a small metal cow. And ready, we return to the bus to go to the next stop!
In the right Ramesh and Ashish, the two kids of fifth grade from the children’s home. Next to them two of the teachers of the community school, Manisha and Ranjita. In the left, I, Daniel, the coordinator of the children’s home.
How easy! how simple! A small temple surrounded by a lot of fountains. An old man placing a colored dot on the forehead. A small metall figure and all students and teachers, delighted and happy! On the countrary spanish children can be bored visiting even the Alahambra…
But then things get interesting. To go to the next stop, we have to cross the river, and the bridge is under construction, so the driver without hesitation went through the river! The water enters through the door of the bus, but no problem, we move forward. This really has been exciting, and without planning, as the best things in Nepal.
The next place to visit, Banaskhandi, is a forest where there are several temples and some shelters for picnic. We spent there five hours. Eating, dancing, singing and taking pictures next to the temples. Many other groups of children and not so young also where doing the same.
When I say picnic, do not think of snacks of bread, no! They make a fire on the ground for rice, another for preparing fried vegetables and other to prepare the chicken (which in many cases chop in that moment. Change the environment, but not the menu.
The shelter on the left side is a temple. The shelter on the right side is to do the picnic. In the background you can see some teachers and students preparing the meal. Like these two shelters there were many all over the place, where other groups were also celebrating.
When it’s 4 o’clock, and I think it’s time to go home, then in a flash, they pick up everything and return to the bus to go to the children’s park. The bus driver, who had also thought we were about to go back home, complains that the bus was only booked till 4pm. But despite complaining, he smiles and drives to the Puspalal Park.
When we arrived at the “children’s park” I understand why we go so late. It’s just a garden where there is a huge “pool” maybe it was built as fish hatchery. And there is now a boat. We pay the tickets, and they take us on a round on the boat by the pool. Everyone is very happy. It seems that I am the only one who has found it a little bit ridiculous as a children’s park… but I hide it and finally I also have fun!
Written by Isabel Valero, Bhimphedi Children Home volunteer
One thing I like to celebrate birthdays here is that we never held in the same way. And this month we have had a lot of them!
You can start the day with a “happy birthday!” and making tickled early in the morning to wake them up, or maybe you have to pursue some of the teens because they are ashamed of you go shouting “Happy birthday,” but it is a thing which makes you happy to any age!
Or maybe you have to say double happy birthday as twins Kush and Love, that drop a smile even bigger than they have, which is nota little thing!
Kush and Love opening their presents
And then there are the special and risky birthdays activities, as we did on the birthday of the smallest in Balmandir, Manuj.
Dani came to mind that we could make a treasure hunt throughout the shelter to find gifts that he had prepared (such as crayons, balloons, a little cap and gloves for the cold and a wood crocodile). But in the end we inspired and the treasure hunt was extended to the whole town!
We did a treasure map with marked places where he had to go. The mission was complicated when reaching places, he had to say “Hoy es mi cumpleaños” (in Spanish!) And if he said well, he got the present.
We picked up Manuj at 16h at the exit of the school and after telling him how the game worked we started to search.
Manuj looking for the presents
Here in Nepal it is not very common doing a gymkhana, so it was quite fun to watch Manuj embarrassed going from one place to another, saying the sentence in Spanish. After spending over an hour and a half walking around the village in search of “treasures”, making a stop to make a tea at each house and eating all sweets offered us finally got them all the presents!
After having found the first present, a cup of tea and pastries to get some energy.
Some fo the found gifts and other done by the shelter’s childrenThe birthday ended, without a doubt with Manuj offering candy to all the other children Balmandir!
After the exams, 8 days of holidays for the small kids, 3 for the bigger. We have being using these days well.
We visited the army camp (although they didn’t allow us to cross the front door), Dhorsing, the bridge of Suping, we have to gone to the forest for firewood to cook (India still maintains trade blockade with Nepal, so we have no cooking gas) and we went to the forest again to look for “tarul” (a type of potato that is eaten in a festival called Sangratri).
Excursion to Suping, less than one hour walking from the Children’s Home.
We played many sports as well: basketball, football, table-tennis, activities directed by Kul (one of the big kids who studies the ten class and helps a lot in the Children’s Home)…
Some kids getting ready for a relay race organized by Kul.
And volunteers have organized fun activities:
– A group treasure hunt with sweet rewards:
– A game where both teams had to memorize the symbols that were at the quarter of the other team, then ran to their own quarter and reproduce them as similar as possible:
– Modeling clay:
– And five children participated in a drawing contest where they had to make two drawings that give the impression of three dimensions:
Careful! There are some big cracks on the table!One levitating ball!Another levitating ball!Still another one!Oh, these were not levitating balls, they were egg-ish drawings!The five artists!
But today Sunday the children already return to classes with their batteries recharged!
Written by Sergio Rodriguez, Bhimphedi Children Home Volunteer:
Today we thought that going out together to enjoy nature and give us a daring bathing in this sunny winter day was a good way to spend this holiday for small kids of Balmandir (the big ones have still class). We hike to a nearby river in Dhorsing. Start recruiting!
All the kids are scattered on the playground and many are reluctant to leave the comfort of their daily entertainment, such as spinning top, I tried to pass on the desire shouting “Who wants adventure”? Finally, we got a good group (almost all) and we set out of our way.
Some of the kids walking to Dhorsing waterfalls
The trip was fun and entertaining for the team with an unexpected union of a goat that has followed a good stretch, battling with the two dogs from Balmandir, who also made the entire trip with us. After crossing the yellow bridge of Dhorsing we entered to the jungle trails to get into the river. Frozen water and small waterfalls received us and we have had a very good time playing in the sand and getting our feet wet.
Soiking the feet in the cold water
Water is too cold for Manoj!
The return was tiring and a bit more difficult. The group splited into two because the first group went to a wrong way. The second group waited in the bridge eating some snacks. Tired but happy at the same time we made our way back looking forward for one thing: dhalbat. The feeling of having used great the last four hours with laughs and good moments.
The kids show great agility, orientation, domination of territory, knowledge of the environment and even creativity in creating tools and “toys” with different things they have been found along the way. They are amazing!
Written by Isabel Valero, Bhimphedi Children’s Home volunteer
Namaste!
This week had been very fast, but not for the children of class 1 to class 5 who have had a week of exams. They were all studying very hard these days to pass everything.
Every morning, after the glass of milk with rice, they have studied an hour. Occasionally, the volunteers asked them what went into the exam to verify that they knew all. And yes, the truth is that they memorize all with ease!
After eating dalbhat, they made a last reviewed and prepared, a little nervous to face the exam.
Some of the children studying before going to school
Two hours later we had the children back to the shelter. They returned very happy, I don’t know exactly why they had got rid of the exam, without thinking whether or not to pass it or so had gone well and knew that they would take good marks. In any case each time we asked them how exam had been they always said, “Very good!”.
After distracted few hours, one hour of study. Then, at 4 pm, when the big ones arrived from school, Kul, one of the youth in the shelter, managed a session of sports activities. Kul greatly help in the shelter, both in the garden and farm, such as taking care of children.
After dinner, we started all over again to study all the topics of the exam of the next day. And so, for 8 days.
The exams ended on Friday, and as a prize, have a whole week without class!
This week, as we don’t study much, we go on trips, do fun activities (playing games, using the computer, playing Meccano, they made amazing spinning tops themselves…). In the evening, the have the opportunity to put movies in English and spend a very relaxed time together.
Som, Bisho, Raju, Santa and Isabel painting the wall of the library.Ramesh and Ramraj painting the wall of the library.
This week certainly is happening much faster for them!
On Friday, Irene and I (Isabel), new volunteers, we arrived to Bhimphedi at 12am from Kathmandu along with three doctors, two sponsors of the project, Dani and Ashok, a boy who was going to the children’s home to see his brothers.
Photo of the expedition in the jeep, on the way to Bhimphedi.
Dani showed us the room where we will stay and we walked around the town with Monica as a guide. It’s very cozy and quiet! So peaceful! Later, we went to see the Children’s Home and we were introduced to all the kids, with whom we will live five months! After only half-day I already felt like home!
Group photo in the Children’s Home.
Yesterday was our first full day as volunteers in Bhimphedi. Although we are adapting the kids make it really easy! Next to the house there is a hydroelectric station and we organized a visit with the kids in two turns.
After walking by the large dark hallway toward the underground station a man tell us that now is not working because they are saving water for drier months, and thus generate energy. The truth is that what they tell us and teach is very interesting! Impress the size of the turbines are giants! Some children translated what the man explained us. When we were about to leave the station we get the model showed us all the stages through which the water that we had been told from the dam to the station. Incredible!
Entrance to the Power House, guarded by the army.Entrance to the 300 meter tunel which leads to the subterraneal room of the turbines.Photo of the second group with the guide in the top room of the turbines.
Entrance to the offices of the Power House.
Showing room where kids could see some photos and models of the hydroelectric station.
The way back was more difficult than the first leg, more sweaty! But children did so calm and with flip flops… they are used to wear it. Once home we drunk some tea and then in the house, when suddenly Raju, one of the children warns: “Sorry! It’s Dhalbat time!” It’s funny how they wait for this moment during the day.
After eating, the routine begins and … “It’s study time!”. We help children to do the homework, it’s hard for them because they have recently returned to school, but gradually doing. Some of the youngest falls asleep reading!
To end the day, before going to bed some of the children make a cake for Kamal, who was his birthday! We heard them singing from the library!
A clown brought lots of laughter to Balmandir few weeks ago! Now two volunteers have come to teach some aerial acrobatics! We only need to include a tiger or an elephant in our farm and we will be able to call it Balmandir Circus.
Clown Magi came to bring laughter and ballons to shelter Bhimphedi. Thank you very much!Group photo with swords and other artifacts made of balloons could only inflate the Clown Magi.
Victor and Mery Ann, volunteers from Amics del Nepal in the Youth Project:
After carrying for over a month a heavy piece of clothes (of the Association Gente Colgada) in the backpack from Barcelona via India and Kathmandu, we were finally able to hang it from a tree so the children could enjoy this activity. Well, actually older kids where the ones who hanged it because they have an incredible ability to climb anywhere.
Ashok, the most skillful guy climbing trees, did not take even a second to have hung the clothes.
Everyone was very excited to start with the activity. We started with a small warm-up: running, jumping, moving the body a little bit, to get ready to go up! First simple ascension: girls did it great, big kids didn’t follow any advice but went up by muscle. Small didn’t go much up.
We followed some inverted figures, so they could see the world upside down.
We did some demonstration of some more complicated figures: ups, downs, all where freezed (which it’s not so easy… because they are all the time moving) with open mouth!
No laugh is as fun and contagious as Bhishow’s.
We repeated the activity another day but the rain didn’t allow us to do so much. Now we have to go back to Kathmandu to continue with the Youth Project before heading to India, but we are leaving a piece of clothes so that children can continue playing or using it as a swing.
Time for free game. The game ends when the clothes are broken or one of the kids end up on the floor crying.
Thanks to Anna and Dani your welcome to Bhimphedi, tanks to Amics del Nepal to engage us to their projects and the Association Gente Colgada for giving us the huge piece of clothes for acrobatics that is being so useful all these months in Nepal and India.
On top of the acrobatics and gymkhana, Meri Ann and Víctor have worked on other tasks like fixing the entrance, putting two posts to play football or take the kids to the river.
Fixing the entrance of the Children’s Home.Victor, with the “help” of Manoj, preparing a soccer post for the new goals.
Today is Sunday, working day in Nepal, but today no class. Children have been already 6 days without school, this is normal here, very often there is no class and no one really knows why. But today we do know the reason; the Nepali government has finally approved the new constitution. More than seven years ago they already were talking about it… maybe this time the celebration was really justified.
Taking advantage of the visit of Víctor, MeryAnn and Anna, we have been able to organize a gymkhana that has kept us very busy all the morning.
All Balmandir children were distributed into the four teams and participated with enthusiasm in the 12 trials and challenges that we proposed. It was very cool to see everyone so engaged.
The gymkhana was organized around a globe and four continents: America, Europe, Africa, Asia-Oceania (we didn’t have enough staff to have all continents separated). Each team was given with a card with the name of a city or country. The first they had to do was to look for the city or country in the globe and find out in what continent it was located. In that point all the volunteers were astonished! They did not know where anything was located, “Is Africa in Paris?” “Sydney in Europe?” My god! Maybe because of the many school holidays they have not had time to study geography?
Once they knew in what continent was their city or country located, they had to go find the volunteer representing that continent (we were distributed in the garden with a sign indicating which continent each of us represented): Mery was Africa, Dani was Europe; Víctor was America and Anna was Asia-Oceania. There we would give them a challenge, and once done, they would be given with a score and a new country or city name. Then they would return to the globe to find out what the next continent to visit was.
All running and jumping, shouting and laughing, going from continent to continent, visiting in each step the globe, guarded by the director of the center. They had to do an obstacle race, and build a human tower, a pile of 20 stones, transport water hopping, knitting and even they had to make a collage. And as a final challenge they had to build a catapult and see who could throw a ball farther.
Only two members of the group are allowed to touch the floor.But it doesn’t look so difficult task for this team.Here they are!This is Africa.In America the teams had to pass a water balloon from as far as possible.In America Victor was managing the challenges is enjoying even more than the kids.Kul is not bored either…Basu in another of the challenges of America.They had to make a collage as well.
Dani explaining one of the challenges in Europe.Here they had to score in a basket. This team scored from 8 meters.Rojan giving instructions to his blind team.The small genius Sumit with his two helpers, Ramesh and Ashish, building an small catapult.The small catapult made by Sumit has created some expectation. Will it work?Sumit doesn’t look worried. He knows it will work although everyone thinks it’s too small.But Lav is pretty skilled too. And his team will not be left behind.Here Ram Raj and Rojan are ready to shot the ball with the catapult designed by Lav.Wow
The results of all these challenges were recorded. In the afternoon we made the recount and in the evening we celebrated the awards ceremony. As we were very happy with their involvement and participation, we awarded them with a hat with solarlight, and all the winners got a kit-kat chocolate. The second, third and fourth got a small prize as well, a chocolate bar with a size according with the position they scored.
In the evening everyone is waiting for the results.And the winners are… the team of Sanu and Lav!But it doesn’t matter much, because the chocolates are soon finished, and what is left is the prize we gave to all the kids: the solar caps! New trend in Bhimphedi.
We hope they learned a little bit of geography with this activity, otherwise at least we’ve had loads of fun! And they all have these solar hats, that some of them they don’t take out even when they go to sleep.
These days are holidays in Bhimphedi. The government school is closed for the rainy season, because for children who come from the mountains and have to cross the river while coming would be difficult to get to school. Thus, we have used this time to divide the 28 girls and boys from the home into four groups, each group representing an imaginary country they have invented themselves. Over the coming months the groups face different tests, games, sports competitions, artistic activities … where they get different scores.
Until now they have designed the flag of the country, have competed in badminton and football and created the imaginary map of their country (with different regions, towns, rivers … all with imaginary names). We have programmed already many other activities for next days: a origami contest (creating paper figures), making a movie, creating a video using “stop motion”, building table games, and telling a story using shadows. Everyone is very excited! And so all the staff members are!
Flags of two of the imaginary countries of two of the teams, with the current scoring.Flags and scoring of the other two teams.
Map of the Dragon imaginary country.
Preparing the court for the badminton competition.First match of the badminton competition between Jay and Ashok.Binita’s and Sita’s match caught the attention of many of the kids of the Children’s Home.
Some of the kids looking at the table of the badminton competition with the scores of the disputed matches.
We will keep you posted of how the various activities evolve, and you will see the results of some of these works! The fun starts!
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