The Detective Siwakoti

Sunday February 12th, 2017 amicsnepal

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, …

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.

16195333_170528720101133_4806586940642113105_n — 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!

20161227_193730 — When I left for two days the Thami brothers with their aunt, oncle and cousins.

20161229_140521 — 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!

[:ca]Activitats i tallers[:en]Activities and trainings[:es]Actividades y talleres[:], [:ca]Cantar i ballar[:en]Sing and Dance[:es]Cantar y bailar[:], Children of the Home, Festivals and Traditions, Nepali Culture

Saraswoti Puja

Thursday February 9th, 2017 amicsnepal

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.

[:ca]Activitats i tallers[:en]Activities and trainings[:es]Actividades y talleres[:], [:ca]Visites i excursions[:en]Visits and excursions[:es]Visitas y excursiones[:], General, Nepali Culture

Small excursion around Bhimphedi

Thursday February 2nd, 2017 Joana

Written by Nicolas Gautier, volunteer at the Children’s Home.

Sunday 29th January was a public holiday: Shaheed Diwas, in English The Martyrs Day. This day commemorates four young revolutionary pro-democracy protesters against the Rana regime that were executed in 1941 (Shukraraj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Dashrath Chand and Gangalal Shrestha).

We took the opportunity to stretch our legs in the paths around Bhimphedi. Once the picnic and bottles of water were in our bags, 13 of us took the way to the hills.

The round walk through Suping and Jamire has wonderful views, that we try to share with you with some of the photos we took:

bhimphedi-bridge — Ramesh and Manuj after crossing the Bhimphedi bridge.

som — Som is thirsty! but better not to drink from the tap…

samir — Samir loves to pose in front of the camera!

cows — Our expedition wasn’t unnoticed in Suping!

suping-bridge — Now we are crossing the Suping bridge.

farmer-cows — Some people didn’t take the Martyrs’ day off!

ashish — Ashish between Suping and Jamire.

ramesh-anoj — Ramesh Syantangand Anoj on the way to Jamire from Suping.

sarita-kiran — It’s time to picnic in Jamire: Sarita and Kiran.

The team (left to right): Som, Ashish, Raju, Basu, Samir, Anoj, Manoj, Ramesh, Purnima, Sarita and Kiran.

Youth

Life in Bhimphedi and Kathmandu

Sunday January 29th, 2017 amicsnepal

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.

foto petits 2 — Ashok, when he was a child, with some of his brothers and sisters.

foto petits 3 — And jumping from roof to roof.

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 10^th grade and I moved to Kathmandu for a new life.

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.

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.

Ashok in Cocina Mitho Chha 1 — Ashok doing the cooking course of Cocina Mitho Chha.

Ashok in Cocina Mitho Chha 2 — Ashok receiving the diploma of the cooking course.

Ashok in the Constitution Party — 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.

feina i ordinador 2 — Ashok in his first work.

20150731_113937 — The college where Ashok studies.

20150731_113959 — Ashok in the moment of admission in the college, after getting a government grant.

20150731_133015 — Buying the college books.

college — 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.

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

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.

[:ca]Activitats i tallers[:en]Activities and trainings[:es]Actividades y talleres[:], [:ca]Art[:en]Art[:es]Arte[:], General

The invasion of the Sock Monsters

Thursday January 26th, 2017 Joana

Written by Nicolas Gautier, volunteer at the Children’s Home.

For some time strange phenomena have taken place at Balmandir. One might think of a science fiction film, but it is real. Scary and unknown creatures have been appearing in every corner of the Children’s Home. Half socks, half insects, they are now known here as the Sock Monsters!

purnima — The Sock Monsters appears in every corner of the Children’s Home: on the swing…

Ok… it’s a joke… the Sock Monsters are just old socks, a bit of colored fabric, wool, thread, buttons, newspaper and lots of imagination!

[:ca]Receptes de cuina nepalesa[:en]Recipes of Nepalese Cuisine[:es]Recetas de cocina nepali[:], Nepali Culture

Alu chop

Tuesday January 24th, 2017 Joana

Written by Joana Alsina, volunteer of Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

Saturdays children are divided into three groups. One helps in the kitchen garden, one is responsible for cleaning and the third is responsible for cooking lunch. Saturdays we enjoy of wonderful recipes! Every Saturday morning, the big talking topic is “what will it be today for lunch? momos, pancakes, rotis, panipuri, samosas, croquettes, pasties, and pakauda…”. This Saturday Alu chop!

Are you ready to try?

Ingredients

5 potatoes
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cups gram flour (besan)
Massala (mix of species)
chilly
Coriander
ginger
garlic
Salt to taste
Oil
Water

How to make it:

Boil the potatoes (in the pressure cooker) and mash them after peeling.

Add the chopped onion, chillies, ginger, garlic, and salt and mix it well. Make sure the mixture is a bit lumpy.

Divide the potato mixture into equal sized portions.

In one bowl, make a batter from gram flour and water.

Dip each alu chop in gram flour and fry.

And then it’s ready to serve and eat hot.

Bon appetit!

[:ca]Activitats i tallers[:en]Activities and trainings[:es]Actividades y talleres[:], [:ca]Visites i excursions[:en]Visits and excursions[:es]Visitas y excursiones[:], General

School trips

Tuesday January 24th, 2017 amicsnepal

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:

5^th 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 5^th 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…

20170107_071639 — Some of the girls of class 5 with their teacher Manisha.

Already on the bus, ready for the 3 hour trip.

20170107_144505 — Once in Sauraha, on elephants, they went inside the jungle of the national park.

20170107_145149 — From the top of the elephants they could see spectacular views,

20170107_145729 — and one horned rhinos, without any fear.

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

10^th 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.

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

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

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

The trip of 6^th, 7^th and 8^th 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.

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”:

[:ca]Activitats i tallers[:en]Activities and trainings[:es]Actividades y talleres[:], [:ca]Art[:en]Art[:es]Arte[:]

Colored dreams

Thursday January 19th, 2017 Joana

Written by Nicolas Gautier, volunteer at the Children’s Home.

When I arrived to Kathmandu, I visited a very authentic paper shop in the Thamel neighborhood. Inside, there were nice decorations of paper and cardboard. Among them, I was struck by the star-shaped garlands. I thought it was a good idea to reproduce with the children of Balmandir.

Once I arrived to Bhimphedi, I discovered the children’s home. This first impression reinforced my idea, the children’s bedrooms were poorly decorated. So we began to prepare the activity, but I did not want to make only stars. I have drawn several shapes so each child could choose the one he liked the most.

Several steps were necessary to make these garlands:

1- We chose a shape according to his preference taking into account the level of difficulty of the garland.

2- We reproduced 8 times the shape accurately.

3- We cut out these shapes.

4- We coloured.

5- We chose a color string threat and beads to decorate the garland.

6- We made knots, put the beads and pasted the shapes.

7- Finally we hanged the garland in their bedroom.

anoj-samir — Anoj and Samir with their garlands of suns and birds

Now, beautiful colors brighten their nights!

sleepers — Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[:ca]Art[:en]Art[:es]Arte[:], Children of the Home, General, News

A Christmas Story: The boy who lived

Monday January 9th, 2017 amicsnepal

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.

04-illustrations-ramesh_c — 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?

05-illustrations-ramesh_c — 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”…

01-illustrations-ramesh_c — Jay, after getting lost in the forest, walked and walked till he reached to the citye where the police station is.

02-illustrations-ramesh_c — 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.

03-illustrations-ramesh_c — 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.

06-illustrations-ramesh_after-error — 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.

nep-236 — Jay will make a kite fly up away.

20150615_094910 — Jay dressed to go to the school in his last year of secondary level.

p1040338 — Jay leading his team in a game in Balmandir.

p1040419 — Jay with the face full of flour after completing a game.

p1040415 — Carrying some of his small brothers in Bhimphedi Children’s Home.

20160206_133329 — In a walk to the forests of Bhimphedi.

p1030317 — Helping with some works in the Children’s Home.

p1040702 — With a “tica” celebrating a Nepali festival.

20160911_155947 — When Jay finished the secondary level he work some time as a cook and in the project Awasuka.

News

Hail and the Magical Kings to start the 2017

Wednesday January 4th, 2017 amicsnepal

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 1^st 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.

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!

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.

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!