Nepal is home to the highest point on Earth: Mount Everest.
But on its streets live hundreds of children, many of them orphaned, who spend their days begging, collecting rubbish, and stealing food to survive.
There is now hope for these children thanks to a local orphanage and St Asaph Rotary Club.
Rotarian Alan Duke shares this story.
ORPHANED and abandoned children in Nepal are often forced to adopt a dangerous and deprived existence as Khate or street children, becoming vulnerable to drugs, trafficking, criminal exploitation and domestic slavery.
Following St Asaph Rotary Club’s past close association with and financial help to the Jaleshwary school in the Dha-ding province of Nepal, the club’s members decided to extend their efforts and give financial support to an orphanage which caters for the needs of some of these Nepalese children.
The Sonrisa Orphanage was established in January 2007 with the mission to help orphaned, abandoned and destitute children to develop and lead a normal life in Nepal.
The orphanage draws children from all areas of Nepal and is a non-political and non-profit-making organisation, relying solely on friends and private donation.
Since opening, the orphanage has gone from strength to strength and, in less than five years, now caters for the basic needs, medical care and education of fifteen deprived children.
“Above all we are giving them love, care and support, nurturing good qualities and values and instilling in them a sense of belonging and respect for society,” said Bishnu Badr Rai, the founder and current president of the orphanage.
Such provision can, however, be expensive and St Asaph Rotary Club decided to help by raising funds to replace old and woefully inadequate beds with new sturdy, comfortable bunk-beds for the children.
With the help of a matching grant from the Rotary District, over £1,000 was raised by a variety of means to purchase the materials and pay for the construction of the beds.
These have now been installed to the delight of children and staff.
Bishnu and his colleague Donna recently visited Wales and, together with Kate Dowell, who liaises tirelessly between the orphanage and this country, attended a St Asaph Rotary meeting to personally thank Rotarians for their splendid efforts.
He thanked in particular Rotarian Paul-Evers Swindell who has been involved in the project from the start and David and Eileen Knights who have actually visited the orphanage in Nepal.
“To see for oneself the difference the orphanage is making to the lives of these deprived children is a heart-warming and humbling experience,” said David.
u Get involved to help Sonrisa: visit www.sonrisanepal.org or email info@sonrisanepal.org
About the orphanage
Sonrisa orphanage is based in a cheerful house in Chandole.
It contains four large bedrooms for the children, a spacious lounge, kitchen, office and two staff bedrooms.
Unfortunately, the power supply is very erratic and St Asaph Rotary are considering financial support for the provision of solar panels in the future.
The house and grounds are usually buzzing with activity as the children, who are taught in English, enjoy a very broad curriculum which includes academic studies, music, art, drama and a wide variety of sports.
All the children proudly sport their neat blue uniform.
Bishnu comments “ playing flute, tabia, violin and drums is like a dose of medicine for the children”.
In addition to their normal curriculum psychological support is available as many of the orphans come from such traumatic backgrounds.
A recent visit to the cinema was regarded as a wonderful treat by the children, many of whom had not enjoyed such an experience before.
Bishnu himself is a remarkable man who is also a trekker, taking visiting parties to the foothills of Everest.
In addition to his extensive duties as principal, he has visited various countries of the world, establishing a network of Friends of Sonrisa, many of whom make regular contributions to support the day-to-day running of the orphanage.
Bishnu points out that a contribution of only $6 can meet the food bill for one day for the children.
His tireless efforts are rewarded by the extensive list of supporters, from all over the world, which can be found on the Sonrisa website.