All the children

Our going home ceremony with the kids

Country overview - A little background about Nepal.

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

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................

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