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.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Childrens Bios
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
How you can help!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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