Greetings from Annapurna Self Sustaining Orphan Children Home!
I have been spending the past week here with the children, Sarada and mothers - and can happily send an update and news for you to enjoy!
(I will send some pictures in another email, as well an attachment with update specifically on each child.)
I particularly enjoy to come and visit and spend time with the children and discover for myself their changes and evolving. One thing I notice is that the children we have raised as babies in the home seem much more confident and have less disturbed behaviours than those who came in as older children. These younger children have more natural confidence and easier physical contact and are healthier/stronger in their body. Some of the children who had malnutrition before they came to home have stunted growth and minor health issues which need extra attention, however, overall there continues to be healthy developments in ALL the children – wonderful to see.
The big Festival of Dashain has just finished (very much like our Christmas) and in another 2 weeks the Tihar (or brother-sister) Festival will happen, and this time in between for the children is school holidays - a lot of fun and enjoyment playing and having time free from classes. The older boys have made the playground into a football field and enlisted the girls into the teams and playing. They have used some flour to mark out the field lines and are very clear with their umpiring rules! As I am not a football person I could not add to their knowledge, but I was asked to join in playing - but I did not kick any goals ;-)) Having a household with 23 children makes it easy to have two football teams! The playground is now fully grassed and is perfect for football, frog jumping and sprint races – all of which I have been involved in the last days and have the bruises to show! It is great to have the playground so that the children can safely spend some of their exuberant energies. We also visited a new ‘Cave’ nearby the home, called Kumari Cave, the locals people are very excited as there is naturally formed Ganesh (a Hindu god) statues! As we had to walk past Sarada’s home, we stopped in and her brother in-law treated the children to ice-cream from the diary. Additionally, it rained and rained the last few days – not the best for children on school holidays! - so we have had a lot of drawing and colouring time, a favourite holiday pastime for the children.
All the children have very much improved their English speaking and understanding since they have been attending the local private school, which has a much better curriculum and includes more English than the government schools. Once again at end of term the headmaster at their new school has been very impressed with the children's results and progress. He had the idea that orphaned children could not do well at school and now he is learning this belief is not a true one!
Sarada has almost finished the building of the new boys room - the work will continue after the festival time. This means the older boys now have their room a little separate from the main house (above the animal house) and have a bit of personal space. Which means the older girls will have a bit more room in the main house, so they also will have a bit more personal space.
There is also a new toilet and bathroom block that has been built - which makes it a bit easier with our expanded family here! Since the last year we have also had an additional live-in mother (Rita) which makes it much more easy the women to have a wee bit of free time each, and a free day off regularly. The Mothers in the home really do a tremendous job, the work is very demanding, the children each with their needs, the various practical tasks for the home and farm production fill their day entirely! (Our live-in mothers are: Hari, Sita and Rita, and Anita comes in 10am-5pm each day) As well as Sarada, the president and main mother, who sleeps over sometimes, but also has her own home and children nearby.
Also Sarada's friendship with the local teaching hospital has been a great help, with the doctors taking extra care of the children and dropping by personally to make sure their health is well. Additionally, one of the committee members of the home is the president of the local Auyvedic hospital - this has meant natural alternatives have also been available easy for the children - a great help when during the monsoon time several of them came down with jaundice. However Sita, one of the mothers, is needing a longer recovery and is taking month free from the home to recuperate her strength.
Some of you might have already heard, Sarada had a unique opportunity to visit to UK by the grace and sponsorship of Pauline Korda. Pauline has been twice to Nepal and volunteered in the Annapurna home and became friends with Sarada and wished for her to have a holiday and learning experience. So in May 2009 Sarada packed her bag and visited another culture. She shared with me it was truly amazing and interesting for her and she was very thankful for Pauline and this opportunity. And, she was very happy to be home in Nepal again and more deeply appreciating the culture of Nepal and the close connection between people and family here. Sarada also said she has more understanding now of the western environment and feels this can be much more help when visitors come to stay – and she has more understanding of what to show about the Nepal culture and how it is different. I think it has been a wonderful gift to have Sarada travel and see more and she seems to me stronger and more clear in herself since returning.
This last week Sarada and I have been discussing the ‘self-sustaining’ aspects of the home, to see how she can continue to develop and grow the home. The vegetable production is going along very well with the home having a good reputation in the village, now additionally they are selling seedlings of their vegetables because of their reputation. The cows are looking well and healthy, and each die to calf once again in the next months, so their milk production is reduced, but will be at higher range again after the calves are born. The income from milk continues to be a steady income, plus of course it reduces costs by providing the children with milk daily, ensuring they have calcium. The last round of egg chickens are in their final stage, still producing a few eggs, but now being sold for mat as their egg production declines. The sewing house, although having continued to gain market, is not really producing a good income for the home. Sarada has said that it takes a lot of time and extra energy to make the small profit and she would rather change to a different income producing venture. This was not easy for Sarada to say as she has put enormous energy herself into this project and really wanted it to be successful, and worried that we would think she is no doing a good job if it was not productive. I assured her (along with discussing this with some of you) that we are much more interested in a self-sustaining income that can be relatively easy and in harmony with the whole home. The situation right now is that she will wind down the sewing project and together we will discuss and explore options that can be more in the natural flow of the home. Will keep you posted on developments.
Oh and we have a new addition to the home ‘Cat’, a grey cat who is amazingly patient for being picked up and cuddled by all the children! And who particularly enjoys ‘tea’ time and biscuits! And, form my side a great addition for keeping the mice out of the volunteer room!
Ok, I trust that you have enjoyed this longer rambling update from me! If you are a sponsor of one of the children, could you please provide me with your normal mail address for letters? Also, for some of you, it is sponsorship paying time, so please be in contact and make the payments. (If for some reason you cannot make a payment, please do be in touch so we can work something out)
With much care and love, Kira
|
 |
|
