Nepal

Books are in Nepal

2010-05-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

The books finally made it to the children! Yeah. After months of paperwork and fighting our way through customs they are at the childrens home.

Photos comming soon

2009-11-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

Eyyye ya!
The books, boxed and taped and shipped are now sitting in customs for who knows how long. What next!

Wow

2009-11-05T04:49:00.001-08:00

My blog is becomming very Nepalese! As in slow...... however, there have been no recent updates to speak of.
The books are on their way to Nepal, actuallly they should be in the country by now and on their way to the orphanage. I haven't gotten an update.
We collected abou$1,700. for the children. that includes a sponsorship, the computer money, and money for the general fund for healthcare and fieldtrips ect....

Ill post photos when the books arrive.

Sponsor NEEDED!

2009-08-18T06:28:00.001-07:00

Please keep in mind there are still 24 unsponsored children at NCH. These are children looking for more than monetary support. They are looking for a family. When we were at the orphanage many of the children would show us a cherished Christmas card, birthday card or simple post card from their sponsor family. Many are to young to understand about the money but they are very proud of their "family". Some have had the opportunity to meet thier sponsor (this is strongly encouraged, when possible). They love telling stories about their own "Aunties" or "Uncles"

Also, there is an endless list of children who need scholarships. These are children who live with thier families but NCH pays for their school tuition, books, and clothes. (school uniform & shoes) NCH also keeps an eye on the scholorship kids to be sure they are doing well in school and if not why. Some of the orphanage children were at one time in the scholorship program, when their living situation worsened they moved into the orphanage.

By sponsoring a NCH child you have the peace of mink knowing your dollars go directly to the care of your child. There is NO middle man, no NGO, no organization taking a percent of your donation. There is a bank fee to transfer the money. We have been collecting money as to transfer it to NCH in a lump sum to assure as much goes to the children as possible.

More Books! Thank You!

2009-08-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! I need to stop and take a moment to THANK everyone who has helped so far with either a monetary donation or books or taking the time to collect books..... Also those people who have networked and listened to my endless stories of the children who will benefit from having these books.

Kevin Campopiano, Chuck Veeder, Stacie Billings, Jenni Stewart, Mindy Piper and the combined efforts of the NC United Methodist Church and St James Catholic Church vacation bible school, Kerry Leigh and her children Hannah, Zac & Krishna, Sandy Sangster, Jaime Glendening, Susan Schmidt and the generous donation from the Johnsburg Library and Cindy Homer who is a key contributer in making this happen.

1000 books

2009-08-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a busy summer!

We are about to send a shipment of somewhere around 1000 (one thousand!) books to the children. Yeah! I am hoping this will inspire them to READ. As you know reading builds vocabulary and improves grades in school.

We have been given some beautiful books. Something for everyone, from basic preschool level to chapter books for young adults. The magic School Bus to Harry Potter.....

Books have been donated by individuals (THANK YOU Cindy Homer!) Groups (The wonderful kids from Vacation Bible School) and local drop boxes.

We will continue to collect books as these will be on their way to Nepal very soon!

All the children

2009-06-22T15:20:00.001-07:00

Our going home ceremony with the kids

Country overview - A little background about Nepal.

2009-06-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Nepal is a landlocked Himalayan country, bordered by two emerging Asian giants, China in the North and India in the East, West and South.

In November 2006, after a decade of civil war, the Maoists and the government, led by the Seven Party Alliance, signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord, paving the way for the Maoists to join mainstream politics and give up armed insurgency. National elections were held in April 2008 with the Maoist party winning more parliamentary seats than any other single party. The monarchy has been ousted and the country is in the midst of reframing their political future with the drafting of a new constitution.

Nepal has only marginally benefited from the economic growth in its two neighbour countries. Overseas remittances, which are growing at the rate of over 30 percent every year and benefiting 31.9 per cent of households, are a major contributor to the country's economy. However, Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world with a per capita GDP of only US$330 (compared to Australia's GDP of US$43,540 per capita), and a largely agrarian economy.

Development Challenges

Despite its natural beauty, Nepal is a very poor country, with serious issues of poverty, including infant and child mortality, malnutrition, lack of access to safe drinking water, poor sanitation, illiteracy and preventable diseases. In this setting other serious issues have arose such as human trafficking, child abuse and child labour.

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with 42% of its population living below the poverty line. Additionally, statistics show that:

- 27,000 children die of diarrhea every year
- 60,000 children die every year before they reach their 5th birthday
- 2.6 million children are engaged in different sectors of child labour, with 40,000
of these being bonded labourers
- Approximately 12,000 women and children are annually trafficked to India
- 34% of marriages involve children below 15 years old
- Approximately 100 children are in adult jails
- Nepal is ranked 1st in the world for child disappearances
- The political conflict, drought, famine, disease, severe thunderstorms, flooding and landslides
cause thousands of children to be orphaned, abandoned or displaced

* Source – Child Welfare in Nepal (CWIN)

In the most recent CWIN report it is noted that more than 3,000 children have been displaced and over 1,500 orphaned due to the violent political conflict in the country. The current political situation has made everyday life a struggle; prices have risen from countrywide blockades, tourism is down, and many young adults have fled the country or been injured or killed as a result of the political tensions. The orphans and street children of Nepal, marginalised by society, are vulnerable to various abuses: they are bought into indentured servitude, sold into the sex trade industry and often they are also introduced to the street life culture of drugs and crime.

Recent accomplishment

2009-06-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

Due to a recent very generous donation we were able to support the Namaste Children by purchasing new computers! yeah!

A BIG Thank You to

Phil & Sandy Sangster!

Long term goals................

2009-06-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

and by long term I mean in the next 2-5 years.

Mr Visma Raj Paudel is the owner/operator of Namaste Childrens House. He is a wonderful man who has dedicated his life to helping the people in his country, especially the children and women. Our goal is to support his plan in anyway possible.

Short term we are supplying books and computers, again THANK YOU to our wonderful sponsors who are making this happen! This will help the children increase their contact with their individual sponsors and improve their educational experiences. Books for general reading and computers are not common in Nepal. (Please see photos in the previous post!) I am still frantically looking for American families to sponsor children!

Now it is time to move forward in supporting Vismas larger vision for NCH. Visma is in the process of securing a land purchase, hopefully this year, allowing for the building of an entire village for these children and many more like them. The goal is 125 children in addition to the women's center, center for the disabled and home for the elderly. As of right now all of the buildings are rented and scattered separately around Pokhara. This is very expensive in itself. There is very little room to garden ( they dug up part of the children's playground) and no room for chickens or goats to supply milk and eggs for the children. Most food is bought, and even in Nepal it is expensive to feed 60-70 children!

I am in the process of making some contacts for Visma to add some sponsors to cover the cost of building.

The following is Vismas plan for the future of NCH. Please take a look and if you can help in anyway possible please contact us.

Future Plan of Namaste Children's House

The organisation

Namaste Children’s House (NCH) is a not-for-profit, non-political, humanitarian organization and is not affiliated with any religious group/organisation. It is registered as an NGO in Nepal with the motives of furthering development activities in the child sector of Nepal and is affiliated with the Social Welfare Council, Kathmandu. NCH is dedicated to provide education, healthcare and love in a safe home-style environment for the poor, needy, orphaned and abandoned children of Nepal. It is also committed to work with and support other organisations to work towards the betterment of Nepal so that together they can learn and reach out to many more of the needy.

Namaste Children’s House has been operating and growing successfully since 2003. In this time the quality of care has continually improved and the number of children in its care has risen from 28 to 73. The organisation was established on the initiative of Mr Visma Raj Paudel in Pokhara in the district of Kaski Nepal and is 200km from Kathmandu. Mr Paudel is the Executive Director and carries out all managerial operations. He is supported by approximately 19 staff whose tasks include administration, accounting and day-to-day care of the children including all cooking and maintaining the home. They also maintain the organisation’s website and organise such things as the graphic design of promotion material. There is a nine member Board and an Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee overviews the work of NCH regularly and gives suggestions to the Board and to the Executive Director. The work of NCH is also supported by Western professionals who travel to Nepal to offer their expertise on a voluntary basis.

Driven by a visionary and deeply caring Nepali team, NCH has now set itself the challenge of reaching out to more of the desperately in need people in Nepal by creating a children’s village. Professionals were employed and a holistic plan has now been created which covers all aspects of care for the children and the environment. This bold and realistic plan now needs substantial financial support to make it a reality.

Namaste Children’s House Mission Statement

Our mission is to care for the desperately needy children of Nepal so as to create healthy, self-reliant citizens and also to help desperate people toward for their self-sustainability. Namaste Children’s House founding principles are based in the name itself “NAMASTE”, meaning making a sincere effort to honour and respect the god that is living in all of us. The NCH mission is mainly to strive to create a loving, holistic and healthy environment for the children whose lives they have been entrusted with.

The need for the Children’s Village

Currently NCH operate all its activities out of three rented properties in Pokhara. This adds considerably to the ongoing costs of running the orphanage and handicraft centre. It also creates difficulties in terms of security, investment and management. In 2007 the organic vegetable garden and children’s play area disappeared when the landowner commenced building on the property. A much smaller play area has been adapted on an adjacent plot, but NCH have been unable to find suitable land to replant a garden. Managing all activities on one site will be much more efficient both in terms of management and costs.

While the current orphanage is clean, attractive and comfortable, the building is not designed as such and therefore has many disadvantages for providing a safe environment for the children. For example the building is multi storied which means that NCH is unable to care for children with certain disabilities and it also has its challenges in caring for babies and very small children.

As is the nature of Nepal’s infrastructure, power supply is frequently cut, disrupting activities and increasing certain risks such as those caused by water filters not working. Energy is not provided in the most efficient or sustainable way which adds to the costs of the organisation and contributes to the environmental concerns of the country as a whole. While investment has happened to adapt these buildings, it is difficult to invest in infrastructure when there is little security.

NCH has also outgrown its current premises and desperately needs more room to provide the high standard of care that it is dedicated to. For all involved is it very difficult to see people in great need being turned away because of lack of resources.

Nepal itself has a great need for more facilities providing quality care and support for its many destitute people. The NCH Children’s village can set an example for others to follow and play a vital role in taking Nepal into the future in a positive way.

Outline plan for NCH Children’s Village

Detailed plans for the NCH Children’s Village were drawn up in November 2006 by a team of people including the current NCH management team, the advisory board and Machapuchhre Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. They have been reassessed and modified by a number of people with experience in this field in order to produce something that is workable, realistic and meets all the specific needs identified. Plans have been formulated for the whole Children’s Village to provide direction and vision for each step of the way. Estimates and quotes have also been attained from a reputable local engineering consultancy firm. Currently there is a shortage of work in Nepal so once funds and the land are secured work will be able to begin immediately. Currently, funding is being sought to buy and for phase one which will result in a fully functional facility.

(I had to delete the pic as it would not open correctly, sorry! - Donna)

Purchases the land

Currently NCH is focusing on raising money for the purchasing the land on which to build the village. Factors to consider before buying land in Nepal include; transportation costs, provision of essential services such as schooling, water, electricity, the role of the local community, the reputation of the organisation and the national political situation in Nepal:

Land in remote locations is less expensive but in this case the transportation costs (often in remote areas there are no accessible roads) would be very high and the provision of water, electricity, and schooling would be insufficient for the needs of the Village.

The local community plays a huge role in supporting the work of organisations like NCH. It is essential that NCH continues to work in a place where a strong reputation has been well established and where it is well respected. Pokhara is the area where the Executive Director of NCH worked for 7 years for a Social development organisation. While with them he was responsible for the building of a school that serves 550 children and the establishment of an orphanage that cares for 65 children. He has also been a member of the local road committee and is very well known and respected within the local community. Pokhara is also the hometown of the majority of NCH’s staff and it would be detrimental to move the children away from these committed staff. NCH Therefore plans to buy land in the Pokhara area.

Nepal has been in an economic crisis for the past few years, due to poor governance and the Maoist Insurgency and as a result the Tourism Industry, Pokhara’s main source of income, has suffered greatly. Nowadays the political situation in Nepal is more stable but the current situation pushes the price of land higher and higher. Because of this, NCH feel that it is a matter of urgency to buy land before the political situation becomes stable and whilst the current land market is still a buyer’s market. While suitable land is difficult to find, NCH currently have a piece that they are looking at.

Around 2.39 hectares is needed to build the Children's Village. This amount of land at 2008 prices is approximately 149,134.60 USD including the government registration charge. Some money towards the land has been arranged and NCH has also appealed to its donors and sponsors to provide extra financial support towards land.

Wedding Fund: the Chief Executive, Mr Visma Raj Paudel was married on 25^th November 2007. He set up a wedding fund and from this has gathered USD 25,900 towards the purchase of land.

Donations from sponsors and friends abroad: Above 65% of NCH children are sponsored from abroad and NCH will invite these sponsors to donate extra money and to organise fundraising events for the purchase of land and the construction of the Children's Village. Even they can help us to apply grant (apply proposal of NCH) to the different organizations and companies that they know.

Future phases

Developments for the Village will be completed in the following stages as funding allows.

Phase one includes:

a) Five houses to provide homes for up to 125 children. Included will be a common kitchen that will use both a solar cooking system and bio-gas equipment.

Store rooms and guard house.

Organic vegetable garden.

A play and sports area for the children

Support structures such as paths, basic roads and parking area.

A community health clinic with the administration offices for the village above it.

A library which will initially also be a meeting room for NCH children.

The five children's homes will house children grouped by age. Infants up to 5 years will stay in one home, children up to 10 years in another, and similarly between 10 and 13 years in another home. Girls and boys aged between 13 and 20 will be placed in two separate homes. This will allow NCH to provide the necessary environment and care for the different age groups. All, except for the very small children, who require special care, will share a common dining hall.

Phase two

A staff house to accommodate administration staff and gardeners.

A guest house for volunteers and visitors (they will be charged a small fee for the accommodation).

Women’s Handicraft Production Centre that will include rooms for the women working in the centre and their children.

Develop the library into a public library which is open to the local community

Theatre and meeting hall

Phase three:

Vocational training centre including living space for students and staff.

Phase four:

Building and creating a home for approximately 50 disabled children and supporting staff

Phase five:

A home for at least 25 elderly people and staff to care for them.

Environmental measures

With the purpose of building a village from the ground up it is seen as the perfect opportunity to include some of the best environmental practices available in Nepal. This will not only make the village as economically, environmentally and social sustainable as possible but also set an example for others and for future developments to follow.

A natural filtration system will be used to process the wastewater from the kitchen and bathrooms.

All hot water will be heated using a solar system

Solar cooking technology, which concentrates the suns heat, will be used for cooking

Bio gas produced by the village’s animal waste will also be used for cooking

Photo voltaic /solar panels are being investigated and will be installed if economically and environmentally viable.

If a suitable water source is available on the land that is purchased, NCH will install a micro hydro power scheme. Depending on the source of water and its seasonal flows, this may do away with the need for the solar panels.

An organic garden will be used to produce food for the children and to teach them growing techniques. This will both save the Village money and improve the health of the children. Currently in Nepal, the heavy use of insecticides is a serious health concern.

The garbage will be divided into recyclables and non-recyclables and disposed of accordingly. Food and gardening waste will be composted for use in The Village’s gardens.

A botanical garden will be developed to act as a carbon sink; provide somewhere for the children and visitors to learn about their natural environment, and to provide shelter.

Life stock will be kept to provide milk and eggs etc for the village and their waste will produce gas for cooking. Children will be able to learn about their care and management.

Cost of building Phase One of the Children’s Village.

The estimated cost to build the Children’s Village is approximately 941,888.90 USD including the purchases of land which is equivalent to 149,134.60 USD. This estimate, current as of the project (master plan) was worked up by a reputable local engineering consultancy firm. Accurate costs of a hydro scheme can only be arrived at once the water source has been assessed. This cost includes the construction of boundaries and all phases of work as outlined in the table below.

Cost for the first phase of the project

Exchange rate of USD is supposed = Nrs 78

Land: 5.908 Acre (Including Govt Tax)	149,134.60
Building:
5 Building for children stay	334,792.20
Kitchen / Dining/ Store	54,195.91
Community health post	53,198.82
Meeting/ Theatre/Community Library	80,647.26
Guard house and utilities	12,976.65
Boundary wall & landscaping	76,197.53
Parking area	7,652.43
Roads and walkways	55,023.72
Total Cost	674,684.40
Engineering consultancy fees @7.5 % of civil const cost	50,601.34
Project management & overhead costs @ 10 % of con. cost	67,468.45
Grand Total including Land purchases	941,888.90

Why fund Namaste Children's Village – a win/win agreement

Becoming involved in this exciting project will not only save many children from lives of great suffering, but will also offer the funders a wonderful opportunity to raise their profile. The Children’s Village will be situated in Pokhara – the end point of the famous Annupurna Circuit and the starting point of many other key tourist trails in Nepal. In tourism terms it is Nepal’s second city after Kathmandu. It is, as the Lonely Plant Guide says, ‘unashamedly touristy in the Thamel mould, but the setting is spectacular – the perfect pyramid of Mt Machhapuchhare looms high above Pokhara, reflected in the placid waters of Phewa Tal (lake). All this means that Pokhara is visited by many people throughout every year. NCH has a very active volunteer system with a continual flow of people from around the world keen to get involved, help and offer their expertise. Many people also just drop in for the day or a visit, as NCH is very well publicised within Pokhara with many local business having the calendar displayed on their walls etc. Therefore, any company that has involvement with NCH will have the opportunity to have a high profile within this outdoor mecca. Getting in at the initial stage of this development will also give opportunities to discuss naming rights and other benefits depending on the level of support offered.

Ideally NCH would like a substantial funder at this initial stage of the project. However they would also been keen to look at a long term sponsorship agreement and/or a number of smaller funding agreements.

What NCH has already achieved in such a short time stands testament to the drive, passion and ability of the Nepali people that are running NCH. That they can make this children’s village a reality is not in doubt. Headed by Visma Raj Paudel, they have the experience, the wisdom, the skills, the respect and the connections. Now the obstacles are financial.

In return for your support and involvement, NCH can promise to:

keep you fully informed of progress and developments with The Village and NCH as a whole

provide copies of all financial records of your contribution and other details as requested

Include funders name, details and links on the NCH website

Publicise the support in their well establish calendar and on future print runs of their NCH brochure, which is widely distributed both locally and internationally thanks to the volunteer involvement.

NCH are committed to discussing the needs and wants of all their funders and working with them to reach an agreement that benefits them both.

Management of NCH

(again, sorry, I souldn't get the chart to open correctly)

The Board of Trustees from the registered Nepali NGO, "Namaste Children's House" is responsible for managing the accounts, overall running and direction of the project. The annual audit is transparent and available to all donors/funders and concerned bodies. Day to day management is carried out by a group of qualified and dedicated employees.

A Project Advisory Committee (PAC) was formed in 2005 to review all NCH projects and activities on an annual basis and provide necessary suggestions and recommendations to the Board of Trustees. This committee consists of the following professionals:

Altogether over 19 staff members are working for Namaste Children’s House, Pokhara. The staffs are responsible for looking after the children and various projects on a day to day basis. All of these staffs are dedicated, qualified and caring. They have a huge impact on the children's lives in NCH, and there are now a number of the children who see their future in helping others like themselves. See the organisational chart above for details of the staff structure.

All NCH activities are conducted in close coordination with concerned local organisations including Child Welfare Committee, Central Board Organisations, NGOs, Village Development Committees (VDCs), District Development Committees (DDCs), Municipalities, District Education Office, Police Department and the essential central level authority.

Funding of current programmes (Orphanage, Scholarship, Women Handicraft Centre, Micro Finance Support)

Namaste Children’s House current programmes are dependent on support from donors and charities both from within Nepal and externally. Current funding sources include:

Membership fees – Nepali and foreign people who are registered as members of NCH and pay an annual membership fee.

Fund-raising events such as musical and dancing events.

Income from the sale of handicraft items

Income from other charities & people abroad like International Association of Human Values

Volunteer contributions - all volunteers, as well as giving their time, pay a fee which covers not only their accommodation and food, but also contributes to the costs of the organisation.

Grants from international charities

Contact person:

Visma Raj Paudel (Founder Chairperson)

Postal address: Namaste Children's House

Jarewar-6, Lakeside

Post Box: 173

Pokhara, Nepal

E-mail: namaste_org@wlink.com.np / info@orphanagenepal.org

Tel: 00977-61-462449 (Office)/ 00977-9856020163 (Mobile)

Fax #: 00977-61-461679

The Pegasus Project

2009-05-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

It is my goal to assist Namaste Children's Home in creating a bright future for as many children as possible. One of their goals is to build their own community for the children and displaced people they care for. As of right now they rent the buildings and it is very costly. I have come across a great series of videos on you tube from another group at The Pegasus Project about what they are doing and why. It is well within our capacity to reproduce the wonderful sucess of The Pegasus Project for NCH and the THOUSANDS of others in need.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBDt-qzoC1o&feature=related

The images are very moving and show parts of Nepal I was uncomfortable to photographing.
It is also inspirational as to the lives that can be affected with what is such a relatively small amount of money in other parts of the world.
http://www.youtube.com/user/pegasuschildren

Its been an interesting process for me, talking to people about my Nepal experience. I can't seem to get across to people how amazingly beautiful some things were yet how brutal the landscape and how in need the country and people really are. It seems as though Americans just cannot imagine real need. Real need here seems to be making sure we have enough $$$ to take our kids to Disney again this year. Seriously? Even in this so called recession, real need and scarcity are far beyond the scope of most people.

2009-05-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

SARMILA BASHNET

D.O.B: 6/26/1998
Arrived: 12/24/2004
Father: Missing
Mother: Remarried
Siblings: 1 sister,
1 brother
District: Lamjung

Sarmila is an energetic, spunky girl with a feisty streak who loves to climb all over the monkey bars, play on the swings, and do all types of athletic activities. She is very outgoing and full of life and easily gets along with the other children. She is always smiling! Her favorite activities are jumping rope, football, choongi, and daki. She is interested in her studies and school and especially likes math and English. Sarmilla makes good grades and we are very proud to see her do so well. In her future, Sarmilla is interested in becoming a doctor. She’s a girl with a lot of heart, a beautiful smile, and a future of opportunity.

SARASWOTI POKHREL

D.O.B: 6/25/1997
Class: Two
Arrived: 12/12/2004
Father: Unhealthy
Mother: Died
Siblings: 3 sisters,
4 brothers
District: Shyanjha

There was a wave of tragedies that swept the lives of Saraswoti and her sister Nandakali before they came to Namaste. Due to lack of medical treatment and malnutrition, their mother died shortly after giving birth to Nandakali. Their father remarried, but his new wife was mentally ill and the family was not properly cared for by either of them. She gave birth to a son, and after a landslide destroyed their property, they were all forced to leave. Their new home was a one room hut which they shared with cattle. They had nothing to eat and were receiving food and clothing from other villagers. As they could not be cared for, their father sent the three oldest sisters to Kathmandu to work, including Saraswoti. She was working in a hotel when we received an application for the family. We were glad to bring both Nandakali and Saraswoti away from their hardships and into a life that allows children to be children.

Saraswoti is a little beauty with a sweet, shy smile. Her big eyes indicate honesty and interest. She is an affectionate and caring young girl, with a real visible intelligence. Saraswoti (pronounced “shar-shoti”) does very well at school, and enjoys her studies. Her favorite subject is studying English. In her free time she loves to play daki, choongi, and running games in the yard. She is a good older sister and watches over her little sister, Nandakali, in a very sweet way. Both of the girls are strong-willed and smart, and we feel that Saraswoti is capable of whatever she sets her mind to. In her future, she would like to be a teacher or a nurse.

Children In Need of Sponsors

2009-05-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

So, At Namaste Children's Home there are still many children without sponsors. These children, through no fault of their own, have found themselves in need of our help. It is so important they know there are people in the world who will give them a chance to grow and learn. A yearly donation and a few postcards can make an untold difference in the life of a child.
Please take a look at the photos of the beautiful children and choose one (or two) to care for. Its an investment where the payback will last for generations.

Why Books are Important

2009-05-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

The more children read, the better they become at reading. It's as simple as that. The more enjoyable the things they read are, the more they'll stick with them and develop the reading skills that they'll need for full access to information in their adult lives. Reading should be viewed as a pleasurable activity - as a source of entertaining tales and useful and interesting factual information.

The more young children are read to, the greater their interest in mastering reading. Reading out loud exposes children to proper grammar and phrasing. It enhances the development of their spoken language skills, their ability to express themselves verbally.

Reading, by way of books, magazines or websites, exposes kids to new vocabulary. Even when they don't understand every new word, they absorb something from the context that may deepen their understanding of it the next time the word is encountered. When adults read aloud to children, the children also hear correct pronunciation as they see the words on the page, even if they can't yet read the words on their own.

Reading Can Open Up New Worlds and Enrich Children's Lives
Reading opens doors - doors to factual information about any subject on earth, practical or theoretical. Given the wealth of available resources such as Internet, libraries, schools and bookstores, if children can read well and if they see reading as a source of information, then for the rest of their lives they will have access to all of the accumulated knowledge of mankind, access to all of the great minds and ideas of the past and present.

However, children in third world countries are not fortunate enough to have easy access to libraries, computers and bookstores. This is why providing books and computers can be the very basis for changing the lives of these children, opening up untold possibilities and breaking the cycle of poverty. Getting them the tools is the first step. The next step is to be sure these tools are fully utilized. But lets not put the cart before the horse. Making reading material available to the children is the first step and we can move forward from there.

Childrens Bios

2009-04-19T04:09:00.000-07:00

LocMaya and Renuka with white tops & red scarves. Dressed up for visiting the Hindu temple on Shivaratri.

LOKMAYA MARASINI
DOB: 9/24/1997
Age: 10 years
Arrived: 7/21/2004
Father: Missing
Mother: Very sick
Siblings: Two
District: Kaski

When Lokmaya was six years old, she and her siblings were abandoned by their parents. After a quarrel one night, her father left and did not return. Soon afterward, her mother left as well, leaving Lokmaya and her sister with their grandmother. Their grandmother was eighty-one years old, and lived in a small village on a hillside. She had only a small plot of land and had trouble collecting enough food for all of them. Because Lokmaya was born missing her right hand, it was more difficult for her to help her grandmother and she was also teased by neighboring children in the village. Sometimes the villagers would give clothing or food to them, but it was a difficult time for everyone, with little hope of change for the better. Eventually, Lokmaya’s grandmother heard about Namaste and came and filled out an application. After we met Lokmaya and saw the difficult living conditions, we decided to help her. So it was then that Lokmaya became the 44th member of Namaste.

Lokmaya is a great girl. She is funny, caring, interested, absolutely beautiful, and has an amazing spirit. Although she only has one hand, she has much courage and strength of character. She has eagerly learned how to type on the computer, make bracelets, and even knit. Lokmaya loves to play games such as daki, skipping, and tag. She is very affectionate and loves to laugh and be close with aunties and friends. Without question, Lokmaya is a girl to treasure.

RENUKA MAHATO

D.O.B: 4/24/1997
Class: THREE
Arrived: 7/29/2003
Father: Missing
Mother: Very sick
Siblings: 2 brothers,
1 sister
District: Meghauli-6,
Chitwan

Renuka is a very quiet and intelligent girl, she is from the Terai region of the Nepal. After her father ran away, her mother was not able to earn sufficient money to feed her children and send them to school. Two of Renuka’s siblings worked as house servants. Upon observation of the disadvantageous state of this family, Namaste Children House decided it would be in her best interest to make Renuka the seventh child of the NCH family.

Renuka is sweet, shy, and has little spunk to her. She loves to act funny and silly and do wacky things. Mostly it seems she just likes to keep herself amused. Renuka is clever and picks up on things quickly. She also does very well on her exams at school and has scored in the top percentage of her class. Renuka is independent and feels comfortable being alone. She likes to do her own thing, but also gets along well with other girls her age. Renuka and her friends are at an age where make-believe games and athletic games are equally fun. They are as likely to be found inventing a story as they are to be playing badminton, soccer, or their favorite, hackey sack. Renuka is a well-loved child here at Namaste.

How you can help!

2009-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

How can you help?

1) Participate in our 2 books and a buck program. We are asking for 2 used soft cover children’s books and $1. The dollar will help defray the cost of shipping the books which will average just over $2.00 per book.

2) Sponsor a box. $56.00 will cover the cost for one 11 pound box of books sent USPS M-bag. We provide the books, you pay the shipping cost, we provide the leg work of packaging and sending the books.

3) Do you work in a high traffic environment? Put out a collection box and hang up an informational flyer!

4) Simply make a donation. All donations go directly to shipping cost, all time is voluntary and all materials are donated.

5) Invite us to visit your classroom or organization. We will tell stories and show a slideshow detailing the beautiful children who will benefit from your kindness.

To learn more about the future goals of Namaste Fund For Children please email me at NamasteFundForChildren@yahoo.com.

Read Nepal! Why the Books.

2009-04-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

Our goal for the Read Nepal! campaign is to provide 1000 books for the Namaste Organization encompassing the orphanage, women's center, scholarship children and staff.

Initially the books will be focused toward the beginner readers. Many of the children don’t start learning to read until 10 or 12 years old as they have not had an opportunity to go to school. Some of the teenage children expressed specific career interests in teaching, banking and medical fields. We would like to support them by sending text books specific to those interests.

The average per capita income for Nepal is US$260. This makes Nepal the poorest country in Asia and the 12th poorest in the world. This extreme poverty leads to hunger, illiteracy, child labour, lack of health care, sanitation and clean water.

According to UNICEF the current adult literacy rate in Nepal is 49%, (some statistics show it as even lower) the lowest in Asia, with less than half of that number being women. Literacy is viewed as “A person who is able to read and write short and simple sentences related to daily life in his/her mother tongue or national language with understanding and who is able to communicate with others and perform simple tasks of calculation.”

Overall, people who tend to remain poor are households of agricultural wage earners, those who are landless, those with illiterate household heads, and those living in large households (7+ members)

In our area of the world reading can be taken for granted. It is important to recognize Nepal as a developing nation who needs our help in achieving their literacy goal of 90% by 2015. Literacy is a major step to ensure the future success of this generation of children. Through our good fortune we will give them the opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of their children.

Finding Namaste

2009-04-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Nepal was an amazing adventure!
The highlight was our time spent volunteering at the Namaste Children’s Home in Pokhara, Nepal.

While volunteering at the orphanage we helped the children with homework, getting ready for school, cleaning at the orphanage, playing games and providing entertainment, (and being entertained by them) They shared their meals with us, performed plays, sang and danced with us.

These are children who have been abused and abandoned, left alone to beg in the streets with no family who are able or willing to care for them. Yet they thought nothing of inviting us into their home and their hearts sharing their lives for a brief time.

Leaving the orphanage we knew we needed to do something more for our new Nepalese family. But what can we do from New York?

That’s when Namaste Fund for Children was born. Our foremost objective is to assist the Namaste Children’s Home in fulfilling their goal to support the women and children of Nepal. Our first project is READ NEPAL!

`Thank you,
Donna and Harrison